MOLECULAR MEDICINE

Introduction to the Molecular Medicine Program

Modern biomedical research uses a wide variety of different approaches to achieve a better understanding of the human organism in health and disease. These include the systems analysis of modern physiological studies, detailed microscopic anatomical techniques, and a large array of powerful methods expanding our knowledge at a molecular level. The Program in Molecular Medicine incorporates three distinct tracks which represent complementary approaches to biomedical research.

In the Molecular and Cellular Oncology track, the disease of cancer is a unifying research focus, ranging from new treatment options to molecular signaling underlying carcinogenesis. For the Neuroscience track, the research focus is the nervous system, ranging from anatomical organization to neurotransmitter signaling to molecular activity of ion channels. Pharmacology research centers on the interaction of molecules (drugs) with biological systems, ranging from how the body handles drugs and toxins, to the interactions of such compounds with their molecular targets. In Physiology the focus is on biological systems, from function of organ systems to how cells regulate ionic fluxes. Although these research areas are diverse, there are also many areas of overlap; we call the integration of these disciplines Molecular Medicine.

Track in Molecular and Cellular Oncology

As our population ages and we continue to extend the boundaries of human longevity, the societal impact of cancer will increase. Since the inauguration of the National Cancer Act in 1971, steady progress has been made in the therapy of a select number of tumors. Currently, however, developments in modern molecular biology are driving unparalleled advances in our understanding of the cellular nature, etiology, prevention, and therapy of cancer. The ability to answer questions concerning the genetic control of cell growth has also fueled major advances in our understanding of development, aging, and indeed, life itself.

Cancer is actually a complex family of diseases that are as multifaceted as the numerous potential cells of origin. Cancer etiology is a multistage, multigenic process that engenders an array of subcellular alterations that subsequently define the impact of the developing tumor on its host. Therefore, the study of cancer is necessarily a multidisciplinary endeavor drawing from traditional disciplines of biochemistry, cell biology, pharmacology, pathology, microbiology, and physiology, as well as from the more recent disciplines of cellular biophysics and molecular biotechnology. While the training of cancer researchers has historically been accomplished by individual investigators in the traditional departments, the rapidly expanding knowledge base and complexity of modern genetic and molecular approaches necessitate an approach that is both broader-based, with respect to scientific discipline, and more focused, with respect to this disease entity.

Track in Neurosciences

The human brain is an organ of unique and specialized function. Endowed with more potential than any person can realize in a lifetime, the brain controls personality, coordination of voluntary and involuntary activities, and the exercise of emotion and thought and is responsible for the interpretation of sensory impulses. When healthy, this complex organ inspires awe; when diseased, it torments with the destruction its dysfunction creates.

With nearly 50 million individuals in the United States affected by brain injury and brain disorders such as Alzheimer's, Huntington's, stroke, epilepsy, and AIDS-related neuropathologies, there is an increasing demand for understanding the function of the brain and for finding solutions to neurologic illnesses.

This need to discover effective treatments, combined with a natural curiosity about brain function, has burgeoned into a worldwide interdisciplinary study of the nervous system at levels ranging from the molecular to the behavioral. Neuroscience uses tools in a wide variety of disciplines--psychology, anatomy, electrophysiology, molecular biology, medicine, pharmacology,and biochemistry - - to provide desperately needed scientific breakthroughs.

Principal areas of research training in the Neurosciences at GW include:

Developmental Neurobiology: This area of research provides critical insight into the basic structure, function, and plasticity of the nervous system and into the etiology of congenital disorders. Researchers employ a variety of experimental approaches at the cellular, molecular, and computational levels to study the establishment of cell phenotypes and regional brain identities, the growth and regulation of synaptic contacts between nerve cells, the development and regulation of glia, the development of neurotransmitter systems, and the role of these processes in pediatric brain disease.

Molecular Mechanisms of Action of Drugs of Abuse: Research in drug abuse focuses on the second-messenger systems and brain receptors activated by various drugs and on the physiological changes that occur in a variety of conditions, including tolerance and dependence.

Neural Transplant: In addition to their potential clinical applications, neural transplants provide a means to examine cellular interactions in a novel pathological context, providing information about both developing and mature CNS tissues. The variety of cellular and molecular approaches that are currently being used include an examination of the ability of neural transplants to promote behavioral recovery, as well as studies of the integration of fetal CNS tissue transplanted into adult host brain with regard to vascularization, blood-brain barrier function, astroglial function, and neuronal metabolism.

Neurotransmitter Systems: Neurotransmitter systems are affected in a number of disturbances of brain function. Ongoing research includes investigating the structural requirements for the interaction of antagonists with various types of receptors, determining how the systems influence brain function in areas affected by neurological dysfunction, and studying the interactions between neurotransmitter and neuropeptide receptors, G proteins, and signaling pathways on biochemical, molecular, and cell biological levels. Patch-clamp electrophysiological recordings in brain slices are used to examine functional properties of receptors at the molecular level.

Psychobiology of Learning, Memory, and Communication: Research in the area of learning and memory focuses on understanding the processes by which we receive, store, modify, and retrieve information, with an emphasis on the psychobiological determinants of these processes. Specific areas of research include the examination of various forms of memory and the relations among them, the effects of normal aging and neurodegenerative diseases on memory, and animal models of amnesia.

Track in Pharmacology & Physiology

From fundamental studies on the mechanism of action of drugs may come the basis for successful drug interventions, the design of new and more effective drugs, and a better understanding of the wide range of responses to drugs and their interactions. In addition, drugs are tools to aid in understanding normal and abnormal processes of the body, the cell, or specific enzyme systems.

Physiology is the study of function in living organisms. Physiologists examine how cells and organs interact, both normally and pathologically; a key to this discipline is the understanding of biological systems. Pharmacologists examine the ways in which drugs and other chemical and biological therapeutics alter the physiological and biochemical systems of the body, as well as how the body acts upon the drug molecule. The disciplines of physiology and pharmacology are thus closely linked.

Principal areas of research training in the Pharmacology and Physiolgy Track include:

Neuropharmacology: the localization, regulation, and role of CNS neurotransmitters and receptors; molecular mechanisms underlying receptor activation and neurotransmitter release; mechanisms by which drugs of abuse, environmental agents, and ischemia affect neurons and neurotransmitter systems; electrophysiology of drugs and neurotransmitters.

Molecular carcinogenesis and genetic toxicology: the role of specific DNA lesions in mutation; the nature of multistep neoplastic transformation in respiratory epithelial cells; genotoxicity of carcinogenic metal compounds; detection of markers indicating exposure to environmental carcinogens.

Cancer chemotherapy: the role of tumor cell microenvironments and stress genes in altering sensitivity to anticancer agents; molecular mechanisms of drug resistance; mechanisms of action of nucleic acid antimetabolites, radiomimetics, topoisomerase-directed drugs, and combination chemotherapy; development of recombinant peptide and gene therapy approaches to controlling metastasis.

Drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics: the role of biotransformation and enzyme induction in drug activity and toxicity; alteration of metabolism by disease states; use of stable isotopes for metabolic studies.

Microanalytic pharmacology: development and application to pharmacology of methodologies in HPLC, mass spectrometry (CRIMS), and proteomics.

Caridovascular physiology: pathophysiology of arrhythmias; impulse propagation and excitability of cardiomyocyte networks; regulation of intracellular calcium stores.

For general program information, please refer to the Program page located on this website. For detailed questions about individual programs, please contact the IBS Office. Detailed Admissions information can also be found on this website.

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Michael Bell
Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Critical Care Medicine and Anesthesiology; M.D. SUNY Brooklyn. Effect of inflammation on brain development. (Website)

Patricia E. Berg
Associate Professor of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology; Ph.D. 1973, Illinois Institute of Technology.  Molecular Mechanisms of Breast Cancer Progression. (Website)

Bernard Bouscarel (Program Director)
Associate Research Professor of Medicine and of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology; Ph.D. 1985, D. Sc. 1995, University of Toulouse, France. Signal transduction pathways (calcium, cAMP, and protein kinase C) and carcinogenesis; hormones, bile acids, and hepatobiliary disorders.

Susan Ceryak
Associate Research Professor of Pharmacology & Physiology; Ph.D. 1994, George Washington University. Signaling pathways involved in cell cycle regulation and dysregulation in cancer

Vincent A. Chiappinelli
The Ralph E. Loewi Professor and Chair of Pharmacology & Physiology; Ph.D. 1977, University of Connecticut. Patch-clamp electrophysiology; functional and pharmacological studies of nicotinic receptors and presynaptic nerve terminals. (Website)

Anne Chiaramello (Lab Rotations Director)
Assistant Professor of Anatomy and Cell Biology; Ph.D. 1990, University of California, San Diego.
Gene regulatory networks and neurodegenerative disorders.(Website)

Edward C. DeFabo
Professor of Environmental and Occupational Health; Ph.D. 1974, George Washington University. UV radiation carcinogenesis and UV effects on cellular immunity.

Stephen Dopkins
Assistant Professor of Psychology; Ph.D. 1988, Columbia University. Neuropsychology; memory.

Vittorio Gallo
Professor of Pediatrics and Pharmacology & Physiology; Ph.D., 1979 University of Rome, Italy. Neurogenesis and gliogenesis; oligodendrocyte development and myelination; glial signaling; regulation of glial ionic channels during brain development. (Website)

Allan L. Goldstein
Professor and Chair of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology; Ph.D. 1964, Rutgers University.  Chemical and biological properties of the thymosins; neuroimmunology; immunodeficiency diseases; cancer; AIDS; aging. (Website)

Tim Hales
Professor of Pharmacology & Physiology, Ph.D. 1990, University of Dundee.  Molecular mechanism of action of general anesthetics and opioids. (Website)

Yetrib Hathout
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics; Ph.D. 1992, University of Burgundy, France. Proteomics and mass spectrometry applications to study the pathophysiology of human diseases (cancer and neurodegenerative diseases).

Robert Hawley
Professor of Anatomy & Cell Biology; Ph.D. 1984, University of Toronto. Experimental hematology/oncology; gene delivery systems and gene therapy modeling; stem cell and regenerative biology. (Website)

Tarik Haydar
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Pharmacology & Physiology; Ph.D. 1997, University of Maryland. Cell and molecular analysis of neural stem cell proliferation and differentiation in the embryonic cerebral cortex with an emphasis on multiphoton imaging. (Website)

Eric P. Hoffman
Professor of Pediatrics and of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology; M.D. 1987, Johns Hopkins University. Molecular basis of inherited muscle and CNS disease utilizing DNA gene chip technology.

Valerie W. Hu
Associate Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and of Genetics; Ph.D. 1978, California Institute of Technology. Role of gap junctions in proliferation of smooth muscle and endothelial cells and in vascular disease; effects of B-radiation on cell cycle, proliferation and apoptosis. (Website)

Fatah Kashanchi
Associate Professor of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology. Genomics and proteomics of HIV-1 and HTLV-1 infected cells. (Website)

Katherine A. Kennedy
Professor of Pharmacology & Physiology; Ph.D. 1977, University of Iowa.  Role of bio-trans-formation in drug activity and toxicity; role of microenvironments in tumor-cell sensitivity to anticancer agents; molecular actions of antitumor drugs.

Janette Krum
Associate Professor of Anatomy & Cell Biology; Ph.D. 1987, George Washington University. Role of astrocytes in CNS repair; role of VEGF in CNS development and repair. (Website)

Ajit Kumar
Professor of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology; Ph.D. 1968, University of Chicago. RNA-protein interaction; transactivation of HIV gene expression. (Website)

Stephan Ladisch
Professor of Pediatrics; M.D. 1973, University of Pennsylvania.  Tumor cell ganglioside metabolism, tumor progression, and immuno suppression. (Website)

Patricia S. Latham
Associate Professor of Pathology; M.D. 1972, University of Southern California.  Gene regulation and cytokine response of tumoricidal monocytes.

Paolo Lecchi
Associate Research Professor of Pharmacology & Physiology. Biomedical applications of mass spectrometry; proteomics.

Norman H. Lee
Associate Professor of Pharmacology & Physiology; Ph.D. 1990, University of Maryland. Studying mRNA regulation and global patterns of gene expression with DNA microarrays. (Website)

Craig Linebaugh

Tobey McDonald
Associate Professor of Pediatrics; M.D. 1991, Cornell University. Regulation of tumor metastasis and angiogenesis by receptor tyrosine kinase signaling in childhood brain tumors.

H. George Mandel
Professor of Pharmacology & Physiology, Ph.D. 1949, Yale University.  Growth inhibitory agents and cancer chemotherapy; nucleic acid anti-metabolites and cancer drug metabolism; mechanisms and prevention of carcinogenesis. (Website)

Tim McCaffery
Professor of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology; Ph.D. 1985, Purdue University. Cardiovascular and stem cell genomics. (Website)

David Mendelowitz
Professor of Pharmacology & Physiology, Ph.D. 1989, University of Washington.  Electrophysiology and morphology of cardiac vagal neurons and cardiorespiratory neurons. (Website)

Sally A. Moody
Professor of Anatomy & Cell Biology; Ph.D. 1981, University of Florida. Molecular and cellular determination of neuronal phenotypes; regulation of neurotransmitters in the developing retina. (Website)

JoAnne Natale
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics; Ph.D 1988, University of Michigan; M.D. 1993, Michigan State University. Mechanism of injury-induced neuronal death and modification of antioxidant response; neurodevelopmental deficits in Neurofibromatosis. (Website)

Frances P. Noonan
Professor of Environmental and Occupational Health; Ph.D. 1977, University of Queensland Australia.  The role of ultraviolet radiation in melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer.

Travis O’Brien
Associate Research Professor of Pharmacology & Physiology.

Randall K. Packer
Professor of Biology; Ph.D. 1971, Pennsylvania State. Electrolyte and acid-base balance; kidney function.

Steven R. Patierno
Professor of Pharmacology & Physiology, Ph.D. 1985, University of Texas. Cellular and molecular mechanisms of carcinogenesis; gene expression in tumor cells; metal toxicology; control of invasion and metastasis. (Website)

David C. Perry
Professor of Pharmacology & Physiology, Ph.D. 1981, University of California, San Francisco.  Nicotinic receptor subtypes; neurotransmitter receptor localization and regulation; intracellular calcium. (Website)

Kenna D. Peusner
Professor of Anatomy & Cell Biology; Ph.D. 1974, Harvard University. Role of synaptic transmission in the development of the central vestibular neural circuit. (Website)

John W. Philbeck
Assistant Professor of Psychology; Ph.D. 1997, University of California, Santa Barbara. Human visual space perception and navigation; cognitive neuroscience. (Website)

Mary C. Rose
Associate Research Professor of Pediatrics and of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology; Ph.D. 1970, Case Western Reserve University. Mucin glycoproteins in airway diseases and cystic fibrosis; regulation of MUC5 gene.

Jeffrey M. Rosenstein
Professor of Anatomy and of Neurological Surgery; Ph.D. 1976, Pennsylvania State University.
Neural transplantation; neurovascular development; neuro-oncology.

Lawrence A. Rothblat
Professor of Psychology and of Anatomy & Cell Biology; Ph.D. 1968, University of Connecticut.
Psychobiology of learning and memory; recovery of function in CNS.

Narine Sarvazyan
Associate Professor of Pharmacology & Physiology; Ph.D. 1991, National Academy of Sciences of Armenia. Cellular origins of ectopic arrhythmias, ischemia-reperfusion injury, cell-to-cell coupling, targeted stem cell differentiation. (Website)

Eva M. Sorenson
Associate Research Professor of Pharmacology & Physiology, Ph.D. 1990, St. Louis University. Nicotinic cholinergic neurotransmission in the central nervous system; localization and pharmacology of nicotinic receptors.

Mary Ann Stepp
Associate Professor of Anatomy & Cell Biology and of Opthalmology; Ph.D. 1986, Boston University.  Cell-cell and cell-substrate interaction; integrins; wound healing; re-epithelization. (Website)

Margaret Sutherland
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Ph.D. 1993, Open University, Cambridge, England.  Transgenic approaches to molecular neuroscience, function of glutamate transporters and potassium channels.

Linda L. Werling (Director of the Institute for Biomedical Sciences)
Professor of Pharmacology & Physiology, Ph.D. 1983, Duke University.  Role of sigma, PCP, and nicotine receptors in brain function; regulation of catecholamine release in brain; receptor-mediated regulation of transporters.

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FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONTACT:
The George Washington University
Molecular Medicine Program
Institute for Biomedical Sciences
2300 Eye St., N.W., Ross Hall #605
Washington, D.C. 20037
Phone: (202) 994-2179
Fax: (202) 994-0967
E-mail: gwibs@gwu.edu

FOR APPLICATION MATERIALS CONTACT:
Columbian School of Arts and Sciences
The George Washington University
Washington, D.C. 20052
Phone: (202) 994-6210
Fax: (202) 994-6213
E-mail: askccas@gwu.edu
Website: http://columbian.gwu.edu/