Warm congratulations to Dr. Grelet in the Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, his research team at the USA Mitchell Cancer Institute, and their collaborators for having a paper accepted in Nature! Their groundbreaking work reveals how mitochondrial transfer from neurons to cancer cells fuels tumor aggressiveness, offering fresh insight into the biology of cancer and opening new avenues for treatment. Having work accepted for publication in Nature is a landmark accomplishment that reflects not only scientific excellence and technical innovation, but also the perseverance and vision that drive transformative progress in research.

We are proud to recognize and congratulate two graduating doctoral students, Pallavi Sen and Marlo Thompson, on the successful completion of their PhD degrees.

Marlo Thompson completed her PhD under the guidance of Dr. Aishwarya Prakash in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Her dissertation is titled “Unveiling neil1’s role in base excision repair: exploring protein interactions, subcellular dynamics, and innovative tool development”

Pallavi Sen conducted her doctoral research under the mentorship of Dr. Mark Taylor in the Department of Physiology and Cell Biology. Her dissertation is titled “Quantification of inherent endothelial Ca2+ dynamics and the distinct contribution of TRPV4 channels in mouse lung microvasculature”

Congratulations to both on this significant milestone—we look forward to seeing the impact they will make in the scientific community!

The USA Health Clinical Trials Office recently celebrated International Clinical Trials Day. Started by the Association of Clinical Research Professionals (ACRP), and held annually on May 20th, this event recognizes the critical contribution of clinical trials to the advancement of new medical therapies and approaches. The date marks Scottish naval surgeon James Lind’s pioneering controlled clinical trial aboard the HMS Salisbury in 1747, which identified citrus fruits as a cure for scurvy, and thus laid the foundation for modern clinical research practices.

The 52nd Annual Medical Student Summer Research Program officially kicks off next Wednesday, May 28th, marking the start of a busy and exciting summer of research at the Whiddon College of Medicine.

In addition to the Medical Student Summer Research Program, numerous undergraduate researchers will be joining us for the summer. So please expect increased activity in the labs, as students immerse themselves in hands-on research experiences.

The summer research season culminates on Friday, July 25th, with the Annual Medical Student Summer Research Day. The keynote speaker is Please mark your calendars and make plans to attend this event celebrating student research achievements.

Thank you to all mentors and lab teams in supporting the next generation of biomedical researchers!

A special thank you to graduate students Oluwagbenro Adesunloro, Grant Daly, Adeyeye Hasstrup, Michael Shaw, and Hoa Tran, along with our dedicated research staff, for their time and effort in assembling the new poster boards for the Whiddon College of Medicine. We also extend our gratitude to Dr. Jeffery DeMeis, postdoctoral fellow, and research assistant Allison Bauman for their generous assistance.

These boards will be used at all future research seminars and events, helping to elevate the presentation of student and faculty work across the college. Your teamwork and support are deeply appreciated. Thank you for going the extra mile!

The new Whiddon College of Medicine Building continues to rise very quickly. The vertical structural steel has now reached the 5th floor level of the research wing, the concrete decking of the 2nd floor is in place, and the 3rd floor is taking shape. Masonry walls have been built around the loading dock and foundations for the education wing are being installed. There are currently around 115 construction workers on site.

As opening of the new building draws closer, researchers are reminded of the need to dispose of old and obsolete equipment in MSB laboratories. Please work with Dept. of Environment Safety and Compliance regarding decontamination of equipment (ffoster@southalabama.edu) and with Property & Inventory Management (460-6150) for any equipment with inventory tags.

i2b2 Platform Now Live: A Powerful Tool for Clinical and Translational Research

i2b2 (Informatics for Integrating Biology and the Bedside) is a tool that enables researchers to access deidentified electronic health information drawn from Cerner for patients in the USA Health system. It can be used for cohort identification, study feasibility assessment, and hypothesis generation.

How to Request Access:

If you have a USAHealthSystem (AD) login:

1. Go to https://usahealthemployeehub.com/ and log in
2. Select IT Support → Access Request
3. Enter your info and J number
4. In the comments, type: “request i2B2 access”

If you do not have a login:

Email Dr. Dean Naritoku (dnaritoku@health.southalabama.edu) your full name (no nicknames), J number, office location, phone, and email. A request will be submitted for you.

We encourage all faculty and staff to begin using i2B2 and help provide information to colleagues. A dedicated i2b2 webpage is currently being developed by the College of Medicine Research Office.

2023-2024 Whiddon COM Annual Report

Click the photo above to view the 2023–2024 Whiddon College of Medicine Annual Report. It will also be available on the Whiddon College of Medicine website soon. Printed copies will be distributed to each department in early June 2025.

Recent Publications from the

Whiddon College of Medicine

Zhou P, Ma X, Scalia S, Toskic D, Wu X, Fogaren T, Lyons NC, Del Pozo-Yauner L, Comenzo RL. Heterohybridomas producing human immunoglobulin light chains using CD138-selected bone marrow cells. Biochem Biophys Rep. 2025 Apr 23;42:102017. doi: 10.1016/j.bbrep.2025.102017. PMID: 40330075; PMCID: PMC12051113.

Costa RM, Bruder-Nascimento A, Alves JV, Awata WMC, Singh S, Rodrigues D, Bruder-Nascimento T, Tostes RC. Beclin-1-Dependent Autophagy Protects Perivascular Adipose Tissue Function from Hyperaldosteronism Effects. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 2025 May 6. doi: 10.1152/ajpheart.00829.2024. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40327449.

Delcher HA, Alsatari ES, Haastrup AI, Naaz S, Hayes-Guastella LA, McDaniel AM, Clark OG, Katerski DM, Prinsloo FO, Roberts OR, Shaddix MA, Sullivan BN, Swan IM, Hartsell EM, DeMeis JD, Paudel SS, Borchert GM. Using ChatGPT as a tool for training nonprogrammers to generate genomic sequence analysis code. Biochem Mol Biol Educ. 2025 May 5. doi: 10.1002/bmb.21899. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40323161.

Kola B, Kakkat S, Suman P, Crouch E, Chakroborty D, Sarkar C. Lymphangiogenesis in Breast Cancer: From Molecular Mechanisms to Clinical Implications. FASEB J. 2025 May 15;39(9):e70590. doi: 10.1096/fj.202500024R. PMID: 40320983.

Ashfaq MA, Malik HZ, Patel L, Moreno C. Cefdinir-Induced Liver Injury: A Case Report. Cureus. 2025 Mar 31;17(3):e81523. doi: 10.7759/cureus.81523. PMID: 40308432; PMCID: PMC12043275.

Isaza-Pierotti DF, Diaz Gonzalez S, Sanchez JA. Clinical Reasoning: A 72-Year-Old Man With Meningoencephalitis. Neurology. 2025 May 27;104(10):e213658. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000213658. Epub 2025 Apr 28. PMID: 40294368.

Sanchez A, Sheng E, Eagleman S, Eubanks JL, Izbicki P, McCurdy S, Burril M, Qureshi F, Ghoreyshi A, Williams MJ, Weigel M, Kilgo W, Nicholas J, Okai A, Belkin M, Burnham J, Jassam Y, Sy M, Gonyou T. Real-world clinical utility of a multi-protein, blood-based biomarker assay for disease activity assessments in multiple sclerosis. Mult Scler J Exp Transl Clin. 2025 Apr 16;11(2):20552173251331030. doi: 10.1177/20552173251331030. PMID: 40292039; PMCID: PMC12033869.

Annamdevula N, Tang-Holmes R, LeDoux R, Jackson T, Baker P, Britain AL, Rich TC, Leavesley SJ. Design of Multiplexed, Live Cell Imaging Experiments Using Excitation Scan-Based Hyperspectral Imaging Microscopy. Proc SPIE Int Soc Opt Eng. 2025 Jan;13323:133230A. doi: 10.1117/12.3042349. Epub 2025 Mar 19. PMID: 40291072; PMCID: PMC12023988.

Barouqa M, Dela Cruz N. Integrating RHD Genotyping for More Accurate Rh(D) Antigen Phenotyping: A Retrospective Study. Medicina (Kaunas). 2025 Apr 5;61(4):670. doi: 10.3390/medicina61040670. PMID: 40282961; PMCID: PMC12028936.

Meegan JE, Riedmann KJ, Gonski S, Douglas JS, Bogart AM, Ware LB, Bastarache JA. Oxidation of low-density lipoprotein by hemoglobin causes pulmonary microvascular endothelial barrier dysfunction through lectin-like oxidized LDL receptor 1. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol. 2025 May 1;328(5):L748-L755. doi: 10.1152/ajplung.00026.2025. Epub 2025 Apr 18. PMID: 40249953.

Stassen RC, Maas CCHM, Leong SP, Kashani-Sabet M, White RL, Pockaj BA, Zager JS, Schneebaum S, Vetto JT, Avisar E, Harrison Howard J, O'Donoghue C, Kosiorek H, van Akkooi ACJ, Verhoef C, van Klaveren D, Grünhagen DJ, Olofsson Bagge R. External validation of a model to predict recurrence-free and melanoma-specific survival for patients with melanoma after sentinel node biopsy. Br J Surg. 2025 Mar 28;112(4):znaf037. doi: 10.1093/bjs/znaf037. PMID: 40243383; PMCID: PMC12004364.

Tang-Holmes R, Bond J, Annamdevula N, Verde M, Chakroborty D, Schuler M, Rich TC, Gong N, Sarkar C, Leavesley SJ. A naturally brighter approach to colorectal cancer detection. Proc SPIE Int Soc Opt Eng. 2025 Jan;13323:1332309. doi: 10.1117/12.3042063. Epub 2025 Mar 19. PMID: 40236623; PMCID: PMC11996042.

Dubey S, Yu Z, Stephens EM, Lazrak A, Ahmad I, Aggarwal S, Andrabi S, Hossain MI, Jilling T, Fernandez SR, Bartels JL, Lapi SE, Mobley JA, Pastukh VM, Gillespie MN, Matalon S. Oxidative damage to lung mitochondrial DNA is a key contributor to the development of chemical lung injury. Redox Biol. 2025 May;82:103624. doi: 10.1016/j.redox.2025.103624. Epub 2025 Mar 29. PMID: 40209617; PMCID: PMC12013491.

Fouty A, Haiflich A, Hinson CS, Williams AY, Butts C, Bright AC. Home Oxygen Therapy in Burn Patients: A Single-Center Five-Year Analysis. J Burn Care Res. 2025 Apr 8:iraf044. doi: 10.1093/jbcr/iraf044. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40205697.

Williams AY, Mbaka MI, Hogue AJ. How do I focus on mental health in a war zone? A challenge for young black men surviving gun violence. Trauma Surg Acute Care Open. 2025 Mar 31;10(1):e001830. doi: 10.1136/tsaco-2025-001830. PMID: 40176783; PMCID: PMC11962794.

Rocque GB, Henderson NL, Hildreth K, Eltoum N, Whitlow O, Herring L, Ingram S, Chu DI, Shao CC, Hardy C, Nolan TS, McGowan C, Pierce JY, Williams CP. Exploration of digital health literacy among community members and healthcare teams in the deep south: A quasi-experimental study. Digit Health. 2025 Mar 28;11:20552076251325581. doi: 10.1177/20552076251325581. PMID: 40162183; PMCID: PMC11952038.

Holland MM, Khan H, Amin K, Sanghera JS, Liapis I, Nair N, Richman J, Bhatia S, Hearld LR, Heslin MJ, Fonseca AL. Disparities in access to surgical resection in patients with pancreatic cancer - a systematic review. J Gastrointest Surg. 2025 May;29(5):102037. doi: 10.1016/j.gassur.2025.102037. Epub 2025 Mar 26. PMID: 40154833.

Yaku K, Palikhe S, Iqbal T, Hayat F, Watanabe Y, Fujisaka S, Izumi H, Yoshida T, Karim M, Uchida H, Nawaz A, Tobe K, Mori H, Migaud ME, Nakagawa T. Nicotinamide riboside and nicotinamide mononucleotide facilitate NAD+ synthesis via enterohepatic circulation. Sci Adv. 2025 Mar 21;11(12):eadr1538. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.adr1538. Epub 2025 Mar 21. PMID: 40117359; PMCID: PMC11927621.

Alexeyev M, Bai Y. An alternative model for maternal mtDNA inheritance. Nat Genet. 2025 Mar 20. doi: 10.1038/s41588-025-02149-7. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40113902.

Stipelman CH, Ulibarri E, Wilson N, Olivas A, Sanders A, Trepman E, Kawamoto K. Electronic Health Record Clinical Decision Support to Close the Human Papillomavirus Vaccination Gender Disparity in Children Aged 9 and 10 Years. Clin Pediatr (Phila). 2025 Mar 12:99228251324017. doi: 10.1177/00099228251324017. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40077902.

Dileo R, Mewawalla P, Babu K, Yin Y, Strouse C, Chen E, Shaikh H, Davis JA, Green KM, Alkharabsheh O, Rashid A, Pokhrel B, Ahmed N, Abdallah AO, Hashmi H. A real-world experience of efficacy and safety of belantamab mafodotin in relapsed refractory multiple myeloma. Blood Cancer J. 2025 Mar 10;15(1):34. doi: 10.1038/s41408-025-01226-8. PMID: 40064854; PMCID: PMC11893888.

Huibers A, Leong SP, Kashani-Sabet M, White RL Jr, Vetto J, Schneebaum S, O'Donoghue C, Howard H, Avisar E, Namm JP, Kosiorek H, Faries M, Karakousis G, Zager JS, Olofsson Bagge R; on behalf of the Sentinel Lymph Node Working Group. Identification of Predictive Factors for the Development of In-Transit Metastasis in Patients with Melanoma. Ann Surg Oncol. 2025 May;32(5):3203-3211. doi: 10.1245/s10434-025-17084-4. Epub 2025 Mar 10. PMID: 40064798; PMCID: PMC11976756.

Heflin AJ, Cutchen WA, McDonald TC. Infection After Open Fracture in Children. Orthop Clin North Am. 2025 Apr;56(2):93-101. doi: 10.1016/j.ocl.2024.07.001. PMID: 40044352.

Liapis I, Harsono AAH, Sanghera J, West K, Ahmad R, Holland M, Hearld L, Bhatia S, Mehari K, Heslin MJ, Chu DI, Fonseca AL. Patient-Reported Barriers to Foregut Cancer Care in the Deep South. Ann Surg Oncol. 2025 Jun;32(6):3900-3912. doi: 10.1245/s10434-025-17113-2. Epub 2025 Mar 4. PMID: 40035908; PMCID: PMC12049283.

Ullah A, Prasad K, Ahmed A, Lee KT, Yasinzai AQK, Iqbal A, Sohail AH, Arif D, Jogezai S, Brandi L, Karki NR, Khan M, Wali A, Jain H, Karim NA. Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma: interplay of predictive factors, treatment challenges, and survival insights. Expert Rev Endocrinol Metab. 2025 Mar;20(2):129-138. doi: 10.1080/17446651.2025.2467660. Epub 2025 Feb 28. PMID: 40019796.

Basu B, Chakroborty D, Sarkar C. Editorial: Obesity and cancer: the possible molecular links. Front Cell Dev Biol. 2025 Feb 11;13:1542429. doi: 10.3389/fcell.2025.1542429. PMID: 40008101; PMCID: PMC11850323.

Lee KJ, Chokshi S, Joshi T, Cummings M, Lyons CE, Singleton MH, Catranis E, Madiera da Silva L, Hayat F, Migaud M, Scalici J. NAD+ Boosting Through NRH Supplementation Enhances Treatment Efficacy in EOC In Vitro. Int J Mol Sci. 2025 Feb 18;26(4):1719. doi: 10.3390/ijms26041719. PMID: 40004182; PMCID: PMC11855075.

Al-Rahahleh RQ, Saville KM, Andrews JF, Wu Z, Koczor CA, Prakash A, Sobol RW. Overexpression of the WWE domain of RNF146 modulates poly-(ADP)-ribose dynamics at sites of DNA damage. DNA Repair. Accepted May 6, 2025.

Thompson MK, Eggers MH, Flores D, Valenzuela I, Zhengrong Y, Andrews JF, Johnsten T, Prakash A. Development and characterization of a novel NEIL1 nanobody. DNA Repair. Accepted May 17, 2025.

Research Resources

Please be reminded of the searchable databases for Faculty Research Interests and COM/MCI Research Equipment. Both are valuable resources for COM researchers and are updated regularly. To make additions and/or changes to these databases, contact Skye Andrade in the Office of the Associate Dean for Research at skyeandrade@southalabama.edu.