ISU Biomedical Research Institute Members
IBRI Graduates
2005
Ritu Chadda-Khurana, Ph.D.
John O. Wallace Memorial Research Fellow (2004-5)
Mentor: Leslie Devaud, Ph.D.
Dissertation: "Sex Differences in the Effects of Mild Stress on Behaviors and Neuroadaptations in Rats."
Current position: Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Psychiatry, University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL
Gauri Malthankar-Phatak , Ph.D.
INBRE Research Fellow
Mentor: James C.K. Lai, Ph.D.
Dissertation: "Metabolic Alterations as Major Contributing Factors to the Excitotoxicity-Induced Cellular damage and/or Death."
Current position: Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Neurology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY
Joy Olbertz, Pharm.D., Ph.D.
INBRE Research Fellow
Mentor: Christopher K. Daniels, Ph.D.
Dissertation: "The Impact of Interleukin 6 Signaling on Proliferation and Dibutyryl cAMP Induced Apoptosis in a Murine B Cell Hybridoma."
Current Position: Clinical Research Pharmacist, MDS Pharma Services, Phoenix, AZ
Eric Waltari, Ph.D.
INBRE Research Fellow
Mentor: Joe Cook, Ph.D.
Dissertation: "Evolution of High-latitude Mammals: Phylogeography and Historical Demography of Arctic Hares (Lepus spp.) and Shrews of the Sorex cinereus Complex"
Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY
Adeola Bankole, M.S.
Mentor: James Bigelow, Ph.D.
Thesis: "Evaluation of the In Vitro Permeability of Isoflavones and their Novel Analogues Across the Blood-Brain Barrier."
2006
Shilpa Puli, Ph.D.
John O. Wallace Memorial Research Fellow (2005-6)
Mentor: Alok Bhushan, Ph.D.
Dissertation: "Regulation of Invasion, Signaling, and Gene Expression in Human Neuroblastoma cells (U87): Effects of Isoflavones and Manganese."
Current position: Postdoctoral Position pending
Paul Alele, Ph.D.
Fulbright Scholar and INBRE Research Fellow
Mentor: Leslie Devaud, Ph.D.
Dissertation: "Sex Differences in Neuroadaptations to Ethanol Withdrawal in a Rat Model of Ethanol Dependence"
Current position: Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Developmental Neurobiology
St. Judes Medical Center, Memphis, TN
Amy Runck, Ph.D.
INBRE Research Fellow
Mentors: Marjorie Matocq, Ph.D. and Joe Cook, Ph.D.
Dissertation: "After the ice: post-glacial colonization and hybridization in red-backed voles (genus Myodes)."
Current position: NSF Bioinformatics Postdoctoral Fellow, School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NB
Christine Sestero, Ph.D.
INBRE Research Fellow
Mentor: Gene Scalarone, Ph.D.
Dissertation: "Immunological and Molecular Characterization of Blastomyces dermatitiditis Isolates from Multiple Geographic Locations."
Current position: Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Clinical Immunology & Rheumatology, University of Alabama-Birmingham Medical Center, Birmingham, AL
2007
Pavan Battiprolu, Ph.D.
INBRE Research Fellow
Mentor: Ken Rodnick, Ph.D.
Dissertation: "Sex Differences in Cardiac Function and Glucose Metabolism in Immature Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)."
Current position: Postdoctoral Fellow, Division of Cardiology, University of Texas, Southwestern, Dallas, TX
Mitch Day, Ph.D.
INBRE Research Fellow
Mentor: Mike Thomas, Ph.D.
Dissertation: "Applications of Comparative Genomics to Prokaryotic Phylogenetics and Metagenomics.
Current position: Postdoctoral position pending
KC Deepika, MS
Mentor: Scot Kelchner, Ph.D.
Research Focus: Deepika helped develop a new phylogenetic approach to the detection of horizontal gene transfer in pathogenic bacteria. Her work demonstrated the transfer of a virulent gene from Escherichia coli O157:H7 to a non-O157:H7 E. coli strain taken from a patient in Idaho.
Current Position: Cell Therapy Facility, University of Utah Hospital
Alfred Orina Isaac, Ph.D.
John O. Wallace Memorial Research Fellow (2006-7)
Mentor: James C.K. Lai, Ph.D.
Dissertation: "Mitochondrial Energy and Antioxidant System Alterations in Cells Harboring Mitochondrial DNA Depletion: Implications in Pathologies Exhibiting Mitochondrial Dysfunction."
Current position: Postdoctoral Fellow, Case Western Reserve School of Medicine and The Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH
Deborah Johnson, Ph.D.
INBRE Research Fellow
Mentor: Jeff Hill, Ph.D. and Mike Thomas, Ph.D.
Dissertation: "Evolution of the Monosaccharide Transporter Gene Family in Land Plants"
Current position: Postdoctoral position pending
Tara Johnson, Ph.D.
John O. Wallace Memorial Research Fellow (2005-6)
Mentor: Alok Bhushan, Ph.D.
Dissertation: "Effects of Isoflavones and Glycolytic Enzyme Inhibitors on Regulation of Proliferation and Signaling Pathways in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Cells (SCC15, SCC25): A Mechanistic Study."
Current Position: Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Dental Hygiene, Idaho State University
Aiqun Li, Ph.D.
INBRE Research Fellow
Mentor: James Bigelow, Ph.D.
Dissertation: "Stereoselective metabolism of DHEA."
Current position: Senior Scientist, CoMentis, Inc., Oklahoma City, OK
