Three University of New England professors receive American Heart Association grants

The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports that heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, with stroke and diabetes also leading contributors.

The American Heart Association, which is committed to reducing the incidence of cardiovascular disease and stroke, has awarded significant research funds to three University of New England investigators, part of a growing cohort of biomedical researchers at UNE.

The three UNE professors are Renee LeClair, Ph.D., assistant professor of biochemistry and nutrition, Deena Small, Ph.D., associate professor of chemistry and physics, and Colin Willis, Ph.D., assistant professor of pharmacology.

• LeClair received a Scientist Development Grant totaling $307,372 over four years for her proposal entitled, "Cthrc1: a novel inhibitor of TGF-beta and beta catenin during vascular fibrosis."
  
  She will be studying the complex process of restrictive vascular remodeling, which involves smooth muscle cell dedifferentiation and matrix deposition. The effects of this process can be devastating and there are currently no effective therapies for fibrotic disorders.

• Small received a three-year Founder's Affiliate Grant-in-Aid award totaling $198,000 for her proposal, "Regulation of Adipose Tissue Angiogenesis Jagged1/Notch:FGF2/FGFR Signaling Axis." 
  
  Small's work will explore the molecular and physiological processes linking obesity to the development of insulin resistance. This study will use cell culture, transgenic and ectopic fat pad models to study adipose tissue development and vascularization. Since the risk of developing metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease increases in obese persons whose fat tissue is characterized by a poor blood supply, more knowledge concerning how this important procedure is regulated will aid in the development of treatments for obesity and its complications.

• Willis received a Scientist Development Grant totaling $231,000 over the next three years for his proposal, "Experimental Ischemic Stroke Increases BBB Permeability: The Role of VEGF, Protein Kinase-C and Nitric Oxide Synthesis." 
  
  Willis is taking a mechanistic approach to determine the role of a receptor mediated event and two intracellular signaling pathways play in (1) modifying BBB structural and permeability changes during hypoxia and post-hypoxic reoxygenation exposure and (2) as mechanisms to explain differences in brain regional vulnerability to ischemic stroke.

These three investigators work synergistically in the UNE Pickus Center for Biomedical Research. UNE Vice President for Research and Dean of Graduate Studies Timothy Ford, Ph.D., states, "I am delighted that these exceptional faculty members - Renee, Deena and Colin - have each received prestigious American Heart Association Awards.  This is a reflection of the evolving culture of research at UNE, and how our faculty are becoming increasingly competitive for federal funding. These awards are, in particular, critical stepping stones to the major NIH funding programs.  My congratulations to each of these outstanding individuals.  Their achievements are a superb example to other faculty developing biomedical programs at UNE."