Announcements

The Translational Science Center (TSC) located on the Reynolda Campus of Wake Forest University has the goal of facilitating the development and growth of a community of scholars on the Reynolda campus who will bring diverse disciplinary expertise to the study of functional health in aging. We are seeking innovative pilot study proposals designed to elucidate the biochemical, physiological, psychological or behavioral mechanisms involved in the maintenance, deterioration and/or therapeutic amelioration of functional health in older adults.

Proposals should consist of a multidisciplinary, translational approach to examine issues important for functional health in older adults, and will be evaluated on the basis of 1) scientific merit, 2) potential for the project to lead to extramural support on the Reynolda campus, and 3) relevance to the TSC’s theme of identifying mechanisms underlying functional health or approaches for improving functional health.

Projects will be funded up to a maximum of $25,000 for a period of one year. Funds are limited and we are seeking to assist as many worthy projects as possible, so please be judicious in preparing budgets. Include expected costs to the nearest $1,000.00. Eligibility is restricted to faculty and trainees associated with the TSC. All proposals must include a Co-PI from the Reynolda Campus. Preference will be given to those who are not currently receiving TSC funds.

Proposals are limited to a single page and should include, title, key personnel, paragraph outlining project, a short paragraph describing how the pilot study is likely to lead to extramural funding on the Reynolda Campus, and an approximate budget to the nearest 1K. Candidates may be requested to expand their idea in a more complete proposal. While not required, potential applicants can contact Dr. Laurienti directly to determine how well their idea fits with the TSC’s mission. Address letters of intent to: Paul Laurienti, MD, PhD, Assistant Director TSC plaurien@wakehealth.edu

A new paper in Nature Chemical Biology explains how stabilizing nitric oxide (NO), a molecule that regulates blood flow and platelets, creates a potential new treatment for cardiovascular diseases. Using glutathione, an antioxidant thiol, to bind  NO to heme proteins in the blood, researchers found a NO-ferroheme molecule that increased blood flow in mice and prevented clotting in human blood platelet samples. This discovery was made by Wake Forest physic professor Daniel B. Kim-Shapiro along with collaborators from the University of Maryland School of Medicine, and the Wake Forest research team including Laxman Poudel, Elmira Alipour and Yiyang Jiang of the Department of Physics, and Swati Basu of  the Physics Department and the Translational Science Center.

On Feb.28th, 3:30-5:00 pm at Olin 101, TSC has invited Christina Hugenschmidt, PhD, from the Department of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine at Wake Forest School of Medicine, and Christina Soriano, MFA, Associate Provost for the Arts and Interdisciplinary Programs at WFU to present the results of their pilot study on the effects of improvisational movement to improve the quality of life of older adults with early stage dementia. A brief reception (3:30-4:00) will precede the presentation.

The Translational Science Center (TSC) located on the Reynolda Campus of Wake Forest University (WFU) has the goal of facilitating the development and growth of a community of scholars on the Reynolda campus who will bring diverse disciplinary expertise to the study of functional health in aging. Part of our mission is to support the education and involvement of our student body in research relating to healthy aging.

We will be supporting travel grants for WFU undergraduate students and WFU graduate students whose programs are housed on the Reynolda campus to attend conferences and workshops related to our research mission.

Students may request up to a maximum of $1,000 each calendar year.
To be eligible for a travel grant, applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Wake Forest student in good academic standing
• Must not be receiving funding from other sources to cover requested expenses
• Presenting a paper/poster or registered for a training workshop
• Presentation or workshop must have a focus on aging research
• Have a faculty sponsor willing to write a letter of support

Funds are limited and will be distributed on a competitive basis. Priority will be given to students presenting original research. To apply, students should complete a travel application. All applications are reviewed by the TSC administrative core. Travel Awards are processed as reimbursements after your travel has been completed.

Travel Application

Please address questions to Paul Laurienti, MD, PhD, Assistant Director TSC at plaurien@wakehealth.edu

On July 31^st, 3:30-5:00 pm at Foothills Brewing, TSC has invited special guest David Proctor, PhD, Professor of Kinesiology and Physiology, Penn State University to present a seminar on Vascular regulation during exercise in aging humans:  A tale of two sexes.  A brief Center business update will precede the presentation.

Foothills Brewing is located at 638 W 4th Street in Winston-Salem
Phone: 336.777.3348

Congratulations to TSC Director and professor of physics,  Dany Kim-Shapiro,whose proposal entitled “Effects of Nitric Oxide in Sickle Cell Blood” has been funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) under award number 5R37HL058091-17. Also, his proposal entitled “Exercise, Weight Loss and Arterial Stiffness in Obese, Older Adults” has been funded by the American Heart Association and the WFU Health Sciences (WFU funding agency).