Faculty

The main goal of my research is to identify T cell defects in autoimmune diseases that may contribute to the identification of new targets for more effective therapies. 
Our points of research are:

• To investigate the molecular and cellular mechanism in lymphocytes that cause changes in gene expression that lead to autoimmunity. 
• To study the role that glycosylation has in lupus, as we found increased expression of the glycosylating enzyme in T cells of lupus patients
• To investigate possible relationship between impaired T cell activity in autoimmunity and cancer since the glycosylating enzyme is also impaired in cancer cells
• To analyze how the environment changes the gene expression and contribute to the onset of autoimmune diseases, in particular lupus.

The studies are carried on with lymphocytes from normal donors to compare with the response of lymphocytes from people with the disease.

I study the aging process using the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, as a whole-animal model system.  My current project examines autofluorescence in freshly extracted organs.  The goal is to quantify damaged material that is thought to accumulate during aging, verifying that it is not an artifact of tissue preservation.  Past projects have explored the effects on life span of various dietary supplements and genetic modifications intended to boost antioxidative defenses, with mostly negative results.

• Evaluating attachment potential of different microorganisms to thermoplastic immobilization masks used during the course of patient radiation therapy treatments.
• Antimicrobial activity of silver nanoparticles.
• Interactions exhibited between the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa and the fungus Aspergillus fumigatus in pulmonary endothelial cell cultures.

Mitochondria and the "other genome". Mitochondrial DNA: maintenance, damage, repair and degradation.

1. Mitochondrial DNA: A disposable genome? Shokolenko IN, Alexeyev MF. Biochim Biophys Acta. 2015 Sep;1852(9):1805-9. Review.

Though mitochondria are known for their "powerhouse" capability to produce ATP, they are also major signaling organelles. Mitochondria are capable of generating oxidant signals in the form of reactive oxygen species, or ROS. These ROS have been implicated in various processes such as aging, programmed cell death, and gene expression. My research has focused on the role of mitochondrial ROS in hypoxic regulation of nuclear gene expression, particularly in the blood vessels of the lungs.

Other interests involve research and implementation of active learning strategies in the classroom. Recent studies suggest that strategies promoting active participation of students in course content and delivery have a positive impact on their success. There is much debate about which strategies are most effective and the degree of success of such strategies. However, current studies are investigating those concerns.

• Link between chemoresistance and metastasis in cancer.
• Functional relevance of glycosylation on drug resistance proteins in cancer.
• Phytochemicals (natural products) as cancer therapeutic agents.
• Metabolism and cancer.