Taste Chip Collaborators - McDevitt Research Labs Rice University

The McDevitt research group has strategic collaborations with several member institutions of the Texas Medical Center, and key research partners across the U.S. and around the globe. Through these extended interactions, the group is dedicated to addressing major global health care issues in the areas of next-generation salivary diagnostics ; cardiac diagnostics; ovarian, prostate, and oral cancer diagnostics; trauma, and HIV monitoring.

Dr. Ballantyne, professor of medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, is the chief of the Section of Atherosclerosis and Vascular Medicine, the director of the Maria and Alando J. Ballantyne, M.D., Atherosclerosis Clinical Research Laboratory, the director, of the Center for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention at Methodist DeBakey Heart Center, and co-director of the Lipid Metabolism and Atherosclerosis Clinic at the Methodist Hospital.

Clinical Research Interests:
Dr. Ballantyne's research focuses on the role of inflammation and cell adhesion molecules in vascular disease. He and colleagues have adopted a molecular genetic approach toward this problem and have utilized targeted homologous recombination to develop mutant mice deficient in various cell adhesion molecules including CD11a, CD11b, CD11c, and CD11d. These mice are being studied in models of myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury, vascular injury and acute inflammation. The mechanisms by which hyperlipidemia and obesity influence inflammation are also being studied. Characterization of the mutant mice involves a wide range of techniques, including molecular biology, cell biology, and integrative physiology.

Clinical Research Interests:
Dr. Ballantyne's clinical research is the prevention of atherosclerotic vascular disease. This interest involves pharmacological studies to assess the efficacy and benefits of lipid-lowering drug therapy, including trials that utilize ultrasound and MRI to examine the effects of lipid-lowering drugs on the progression of atherosclerosis. As director of The Maria and Alando J. Ballantyne, M.D., Atherosclerosis Clinical Research Laboratory, which serves as the core laboratory for the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study, Dr. Ballantyne is studying whether novel biomarkers might be useful in identifying individuals at high risk for cardiovascular disease, the metabolic syndrome and diabetes. Both genomics and proteomics are being used to identify novel molecules that are increased with atherosclerosis and the metabolic syndrome.

Biykem Bozkurt, M.D.

Dr. Bozkurt is a professor of medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, the chief of the Cardiology Section at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, and cardiology staff at the Winters Heart Failure Center for Research.

The major focus of Dr. Bozkurt's research has been in the area of heart failure. At the early phases of her career, she worked with Dr. Mann on the role of cytokines in heart failure and cardiac remodeling in experimental animal models. Subsequently, she was involved preclinical and clinical research projects studying the role of pro-inflammatory cytokines in heart failure which led to the development of the Phase I, II, and the multicenter randomized national and international clinical trials (Renaissance, Recover) of soluble TNF receptor fusion protein as therapy in patients with advanced heart failure.

Dr. Bozkurt is the recipient of a Veterans Affairs Career Development Grant Award, and a VA MERIT-entry level grant award. Her recent work has focused on the mechanisms of improvement in left ventricular function, reversal of remodeling, cardiac metabolism and insulin resistance with beta-blockers. Dr. Bozkurt is a PhD candidate in the NIH sponsored Clinical Scientist Training Program at Baylor College of Medicine, where she also teaches courses in the Fundamentals of Clinical Science Program.

Leif Peterson, Ph.D.

Dr. Peterson is an associate member of the Methodist Hospital Research Institute, director of the Center for Biostatistics, and an associate professor of the Weill Medical College of Cornell University. Dr. Peterson received his B.S. from Ferris State University, Big Rapids, MI, a M.P.H. from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, and a Ph.D. from the University of Texas - Health Science Center, Houston, TX. Dr. Peterson also had postdoctoral training at Baylor College of Medicine, with a NCI Preventive Oncology Fellowship. Dr. Peterson is associate professor of public health, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, and director of the Center for Biostatistics at the Methodist Hospital Research Institute. Dr. Peterson is also adjunct associate professor of medicine in the Atherosclerosis and Lipoprotein Research section, Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine. He is a site principal investigator for the multicenter NASA-sponsored study of cataract and space radiation, and collaborates with numerous groups in the areas of genomics and molecular biology of genitourinary cancer and atherosclerosis. He has been supported by research grants from the Office of Naval Research, National Cancer Institute, and National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Dr. Peterson has served as expert evaluator on many study sections and special emphasis panels for NIH, including SPORE reviews, behavioral genetics, and as a genetics/molecular biology reviewer for the Department of Defense Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs on Prostate Cancer.

Dr. Peterson has over 20 years experience in software development for machine learning and computational intelligence, statistics, bioinformatics, and Monte Carlo uncertainty analysis. He has more than 50 peer-reviewed papers in the areas of genomic classification, transcriptomics and proteomics, cancer statistics, and applied biostatistics, has published numerous U.S. government reports. He edited a National Academy of Sciences multiauthor book on the radiation dosimetry, genetics, cancer statistics, and psychosocial studies of Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic Bomb survivors and their children, and is currently writing a Wiley book on classification analysis of DNA microarrays.

Vijay Nambi, M.D.

Dr. Nambi is an assistant professor at Baylor College of Medicine, and staff cardiologist at Ben Taub Hospital. His clinical research interests are in the prevention of cardiovascular disease and include the use of biomarkers and imaging in risk prediction and management of these patients with specific interests in peripheral and multi-bed atherosclerotic disease. Dr. Nambi will be studying patients with peripheral and multi-bed atherosclerotic disease to find novel biomarkers such as those associated with inflammation that may potentially help in better risk prediction and hence management of these patients. In addition he is interested in the use of ultrasound imaging for the evaluation of atherosclerosis with the help of initmal medial thickness and other novel ultrasound based imaging techniques. He will also be working on studies that use novel pharmacologic interventions in the management of atherosclerosis and focus on studies that utilize imaging for the assessment and evaluation of the same.

Salim S. Virani, M.D.

Acute Myocardial Infarction/Cardiac Diagnostics Program Collaborators (top)

Saliva Diagnostics Program Collaborators

The University of Kentucky (UK)
The UK team provides saliva research expertise to the saliva program. UK is responsible for patient recruitment, assessment of periodontal status, clinical intervention, saliva sample collection, and obtaining clinical data.

Craig S. Miller, D.M.D., M.S.

Dr. Miller is a professor of oral medicine in the Department of Oral Health Practice, Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Genetics, College of Dentistry and College of Medicine at the University of Kentucky. He serves as the UK PI for the overall clinical research linkage with our technology development group at Rice University. Dr. Miller managed the initial aspects of the U01 funding for this activity and initiated patient recruitment and sample collection. He maintains this role in assuring a timely recruiting activity at each of the clinical sites, and works directly with Dr. Kryscio in the statistical analyses of salivary analyte levels for the technology validation activities. He also links with the Rice collaborators during the program to enable transition and testing of the LOC technology at each of the sites. He will be responsible for interpretation of the findings and contribute as a primary in the preparation of reports on the outcomes of the project.

Jeffrey L. Ebersole, Ph.D.

Dr. Ebersole is a Co-I for the saliva diagnostics project. He has direct responsibility for overseeing the laboratory technical support for the saliva analyses using existing ELISA and Luminex technologies. He contributes with Dr. Miller to assuring a productive linkage of the 3 clinical sites for this project. Dr. Ebersole has previous collaborations with the PIs and/or periodontal clinical directors at each of the sites and use this experience to help provide guidance for completion of the clinical arms of the study. He also has a role with Dr. Miller in nurturing the clinical research relationship with Dr. Lennie for patient recruitment and assessment. He has been involved in similar clinical/ translational research studies for over 25 years. Finally, he works with both Drs. Miller and Kryscio in data analysis and interpretation.

M. John Novak, B.D.S., Ph.D.

Dr. Novak is a Co-I for the saliva diagnostics project. He has direct responsibility for patient recruitment, clinical evaluation, and treatment delivery for the UK cohort. He has extensive experience in Phase III clinical trials and multi-center randomized clinical trials. Moreover, Dr. Novak has worked with Dr. Ebersole for over 15 years in clinical translational research and continues these collaborations with existing grants from the NIH. He also acts as the liaison with the periodontal clinical evaluations and treatment activities at all sites. He has provided this type of leadership to similar studies that engaged research collaborators at both the University of Louisville and the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.

The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UTHSCSA)
The UTHSCSA team provides saliva research expertise to the saliva diagnostics program. UTHSCSA is responsible for patient recruitment, assessment of periodontal status, clinical intervention, saliva sample collection, and obtaining clinical data. UTHSCSA plans to target about 180 patients for this study.

Chih-Ko Yeh, B.D.S., Ph.D.

Dr. Yeh is a rofessor of the UTHSCSA Department of Dental Diagnostic Science and serves as PI at the UTHSCSA site for the saliva diagnostics project. He has studied saliva and salivary gland function, for the past 20 years at both clinical and laboratory levels. Dr Yeh is responsible for collection of clinical data and saliva samples at the UTHSCSA site. He communicates with other investigators regarding data and sample transfer. He also provides his saliva research expertise to the overall research project.

Spencer W. Redding, D.D.S., M.S. Ed.

Dr. Redding is the chair and professor in the Department of Dental Diagnostic Science and also director of the Clinical Research Facility. He has been involved in numerous clinical studies over the past 25 years and has overseen many large clinical research protocols in the past 7 years. Dr. Redding assists and advises Dr. Yeh and the research dental hygienist on patient recruitment and he assures the availability of the Clinical Research Facility on this project.

Saliva Diagnostics Program Collaborators (top)

Cancer Program Collaborators

The McDevitt group has active programs for early screening of various types of cancers. The following clinical collaborators have teamed with the McDevitt laboratory in efforts that target the development of the next generation of cancer diagnostic devices.
The McDevitt group has active programs for early screening of various types of cancers. The following clinical collaborators have teamed with the McDevitt laboratory in efforts that target the development of the next generation of cancer diagnostic devices.

Ovarian Cancer Collaborators

Robert C. Bast, Jr., M.D.

Dr. Bast is the vice president for translational research at the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX. He is internist and professor of medicine at the Department of Experimental Therapeutics, Division of Cancer Medicine, and the Harry Carothers Wiess Distinguished University Chair for Cancer Research at the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX. Dr. Bast is also internist and professor of medicine at the Department of Gynecologic Medical Oncology, Division of Cancer Medicine, at the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.

Prostate Cancer Collaborators

Ian Thompson, M.D.

Dr. Thompson is a professor and chair of the Department of Urology, Glenda and Gary Woods Distinguished Chair in GU Oncology, and Henry B. and Edna Smith Dielman Memorial Chair in Urologic Science at the University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio.
Dr. Thompson received his B.D. from West Point and his M.D. degree from Tulane University. After a residency in Urology in San Antonio, he completed a fellowship in Urologic Oncology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Dr. Thompson has published over 400 scientific papers, several dozen book chapters, and has edited five textbooks in medicine and surgery. He previously served as chair of the Residency Review Committee for Urology and currently serves as vice-chair of the Early Detection Research Network of the National Cancer Institute. He previously served as the president of the Society of Urologic Oncology, the international association of physicians who conduct research and who provide care for patients with urologic malignancies. He currently serves as chair of the Genitourinary Committee of the Southwest Oncology Group, the largest clinical trials organization supported by the National Cancer Institute. He has served as a visiting professor at most major academic institutions in the U.S. as well as at many leading cancer centers in Europe, Asia, Central and South America, and Australia.

Dr. Thompson is the principal investigator of the San Antonio Center for Biomarkers Of Risk of Prostate Cancer. This cohort study, with up to eight years of followup, currently follows over 3,600 men for development of prostate cancer and has been the source of many recent important developments in the early detection of prostate cancer. He is the principal investigator of the Program Project Grant, "The Biology of the Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial", a large, multi-institutional, multi-national scientific collaboration investigating the causes and possible prevention opportunities for prostate cancer. He was the primary coordinator of the 18,882-subject Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial and has been principal investigator or a co-investigator of several large national clinical trials. The Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial, sponsored by the National Cancer Institute, was the largest prostate cancer study ever conducted for prevention of prostate cancer and demonstrated that the medication, finasteride, was associated with a lower risk of prostate cancer. He was elected trustee of the American Board of Urology in 2009.

Dr. Thompson, a retired colonel from the U.S. Army, serves as chairman of the Department of Surgery at Brooke Army Medical Center as well as commander of the 41st Combat Support Hospital. He served in Saudi Arabia and Iraq as a general surgeon in a combat support hospital during Operation Desert Storm/Shield.

Oral Cancer Collaborators

Nadarajah Vigneswaran, M.D.

Dr. Vigneswaran is a professor in diagnostics science in the Department of Diagnostics Science at University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio.

Martin Thornhill, B.D.S., Ph.D.

Dr. Thornhill is a professor of oral medicine at the University of Sheffield. His research focuses on innate and immune responses to environmental influences, such as microbial pathogens; and to diseases, such as head and neck cancer and mucocutaneous diseases. He is engaged in fundamental research into the interactions that occur between cells during these disease processes and translational studies that will take discoveries into therapeutic clinical trials to improve the outcome for patients.

Currently, Dr. Thornhill has four major areas of research activity:

Paul Speight, B.D.S., Ph.D.

Dr. Speight is the dean of the School of Clinical Dentistry, a professor in oral pathology as well as an honorary consultant histopathologist at the Department of Oral Pathology of the School of Clinical Dentistry at the University of Sheffield.

Dr. Speight’s research has been in understanding the pathobiology of oral disease, particularly trying to understand mechanisms of progression of oral cancer, in the areas of:

Craig Murdoch, Ph.D.

Dr. Murdoch is a non-clinical lecturer in oral science at the University of Sheffield. His research interests concern the role of leukocytes, chemokines and adhesion molecules in tumor development, progression and metastasis, the interaction of bacteria and fungi with endothelial and epithelial cells, and the innate immune responses to infection.

Cancer Program Collaborators (top)

Trauma Diagnostics Collaborations

John Holcomb, M.D.

Dr. Holcomb is the director of the Center for Translational Injury Research, a professor and vice-chair of the Department of Surgery, and chief of the Division of Acute Care Surgery. He graduated cum laude in 1981 with a B.S. in Biology from Centenary College, Shreveport, LA. He earned his M.D. from the University of Arkansas Medical School, Little Rock, AR, in 1985. Dr. Holcomb was in U.S. Army active duty service from 1985 to 2008.

Brijesh Gill, M.D.

Dr. Gill is an assistant professor and director of trauma and surgical critical care at Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital. He graduated with a B.S. in 1993 from Harvard University, Cambridge, MA and attended medical school from 1993 to 1997 at the University of Alabama School of Medicine, Birmingham, AL. His postgraduate education and fellowships include a 1997-2003 residency in the Department of Surgery at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston, and a 2003-2004 fellowship in the Department of Surgery, Division of Trauma/Critical Care, at UT-Houston.

Jay Conyers, M.D.

Dr. Conyers is an assistant professor and assistant director of the Center for Translational Injury Research at the University of Texas Health Science Center Houston. He earned a B.S. in Chemistry from Trinity University, San Antonio, TX in 1995, a Ph.D. in Physical & Analytical Chemistry from the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, and an Executive Master’s of Business Administration from Tulane University (Houston campus), New Orleans, LA in 2009.

Trauma Diagnostics Collaborations (top)

Rice University and the Texas Medical Center Rice University Collaborators

Rebecca Richards-Kortum, Ph.D.

Dr. Richards-Kortum's research group is developing miniature microscopes and spectrometers to enable early detection of precancerous changes in living tissue. Her research group develops fluorescence-based techniques for the diagnosis of cervical pre-cancer in vivo. In collaboration with Dr. Michele Follen she has carried out clinical trials of this technique involving over 1,500 patients at the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. In collaboration with Dr. Michael Descour at the University of Arizona, her group is developing miniature confocal microscopes to visualize the microscopic changes which accompany precancer. In collaboration with Dr. Konstantin Sokolov at the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, her group is developing contrast agents for in vivo molecular imaging of changes associated with precancer including expression of epidermal growth factor reception. Also under study are spectroscopic techniques for improving and automating screening for precancer of the oral cavity in collaboration with Dr. Ann Gillenwater. In addition to being named a Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Professor (2002); she has received the Sharon Keillor Award for Women in Engineering Education (2004) and Chester F. Carlson Award (2007) from the American Society for Engineering Education. She served on the inaugural National Advisory Council for Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering for the National Institutes of Health (2002-2007), was elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and Biomedical Engineering Society (2008); received the Vice President Recognition Award by IEEE (2008); and was inducted into the National Academy of Engineers (2008).

University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Dental Branch

Charles Streckfus, D.D.S.

Dr. Streckfus, professor of diagnostic sciences and international expert in salivary proteomics, joined the UTHSC-Houston Dental Branch on August 1. Streckfus received his D.D.S. from the University of Maryland School of Dental Surgery and his M.A. in psychology from Towson State University. He did postdoctoral training at Johns Hopkins University and spent several years at the NIDCR as a dental officer.

Dr. Streckfus studies biomarkers in saliva, with a particular focus on cancer biomarkers.

University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Medical School

William P. Dubinsky, M.D.

Dr. Dubinsky's research focuses on the mechanisms regulating absorption and secretion by epithelial tissues. These processes are mediated by highly regulated specific ion channels in the plasma membranes of the cells. Channels that are present in the plasma membranes are regulated by a host of second messengers as well as cytoskeletal interactions. A second level of control is also exerted through the regulation of the trafficking and insertion of the channel into the plasma membrane. These mechanisms are of major importance since they are central to the defects observed in such diverse disease as cystic fibrosis and cholera. Cystic fibrosis is of particular relevance since it is one of the most common lethal genetic diseases with a well defined and easily identified phenotype. Approximately 500 mutations in the single gene encoding a CI channel, the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), have been identified, all of which result in altered cellular electrolyte transport. The most frequent mutation on cystic fibrosis results in the failure to transport the gene product to the cell surface and thus the inability to secrete CI. Our approach has been to use biochemical and electrophysiological analyses to identify specific membrane proteins and ion channels in sub cellular membrane vesicles and reconstituted planer lipid bi layers. Results obtained in the model systems are readily extrapolated back to the intact tissue by comparison of their electrophysiological and biochemical fingerprints. Along with the functional identification of the specific activities, antibodies to the purified proteins are used to identify and track the proteins in the intact cell. With these tools we are able to follow the processing and trafficking of membrane. Knowledge of the factors that control and direct the trafficking of these proteins will help elucidate this complex in normal and diseased states.