He will present "Plasticity-mediated breast cancer neurogenesis" at noon on Thursday, Dec. 16, in the Strada Patient Care Center conference room.
Grelet joined the faculty in December 2020. His research focuses on the function of tumor neurogenesis in cancer progression and metastasis.
For more information, contact Patrick Carlisle at 251-471-7753 or pcarlisle@health.southalabama.edu.
Ozgediz will present the first lecture, “Surgical Pearls and Pitfalls: Lessons in Partnerships to Serve Vulnerable Populations Globally” on Thursday, Dec. 16, at 4:30 p.m. via Zoom: https://southalabama.zoom.us/j/96457019824.
His second lecture, titled “Global Surgery 2021: Where are we now and where are we going?” is set for Friday, Dec. 17, at 7 a.m. via Zoom: https://southalabama.zoom.us/j/96457019824.
The lectureship is named in honor of the late Randall W. Powell, M.D., former professor of surgery at the USA College of Medicine and director of the division of pediatric surgery, who passed away in 2017.
Both lectures are CME accredited. For more information, contact the USA Department of Surgery at 251-445-8230.
Academic title: Assistant professor of orthopaedic surgery, foot and ankle
Joined the USA College of Medicine faculty: November 2021
What does your position in the USA COM/USA Health entail?
My position within the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery entails treatment of orthopaedic foot and ankle problems which includes fractures, ligament and tendon injuries, foot deformity and complex reconstruction, as well as diabetic foot care. I take part in research and teach residents and medical students on my service.
What is your favorite or most rewarding part of your position?
My favorite part of my position is the opportunity to work with residents and medical students to teach all aspects of the foot and ankle. I believe it is important to be able to share what you are passionate about and to show others how to get back on their feet again.
What research or other initiatives are you involved in?
I have an interest in research specifically in the fields of wound healing and functional outcomes for common foot and ankle procedures. I hope to partner with other surgical divisions in developing a comprehensive wound care center.
What is your advice for medical/basic medical sciences students?
My advice for students is to always keep an open mind about what lies ahead in your future. It’s important to study the material to truly learn it. Don’t study just to get to the next step. Find mentors who will spend time with you and share their knowledge because that’s how you find your career. From the time I started medical school until the time I ended residency, my career path must have changed at least a dozen times. And looking back, it was my mentors who helped pave the way to where I am now.
What are your hobbies/interests outside of work?
I enjoy spending time with my wife and two children in Orange Beach. I like to play basketball and stay active. I enjoy taking trips with my family, watching movies and reading a good book.
Age: 27
Class of: 2024
Hometown: Huntsville, Ala.
Undergrad/grad institution: University of South Alabama
Degrees earned: Bachelor of Science in biomedical sciences
Interests, hobbies: Cyclic-AMP signaling in Obesity/Metabolic Syndrome, guitar, video games and hanging out with my significant other.
Something unique about me: I saw my life flash before my eyes when I got too close to a bison at Yellowstone National Park.
Three of my favorite things: My “triple therapy”: Gevalia coffee, Coke Zero (+/- cherry), and food.
What I enjoy most about being a student at the USA College of Medicine: The USA COM provides a top-tier M.D. program while giving students access to the resources needed to further their research interests.
Join us March 31, 2022, at Soul Kitchen in downtown Mobile for the inaugural event benefiting research and critical clinical needs at USA Health Mitchell Cancer Institute, Children’s & Women’s Hospital and University Hospital. Attendees will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite band, and prizes will be awarded in four categories.
All music styles are welcome. At least one member of each band must have an affiliation with USA Health or the USA College of Medicine.
Band registration ends Jan. 3, 2022, at 11:59 p.m. Tickets for admission to the show will go on sale in January.
Learn more at www.usahealthsystem.com/doc-rock.
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| Robert W. Sobol, Ph.D., professor of pharmacology, and Christopher A. Koczor, Ph.D., instructor of pharmacology, are studying genes and other factors that cause cancer. |
An article about the discovery recently was published in the scientific journal Cell Reports. It explores how the human genome constantly is damaged by environmental and cellular products, which could lead to cancer if not properly repaired. The study also delves into treatments for DNA damage and repair. The article, written by Robert W. Sobol, Ph.D., professor of pharmacology at the USA College of Medicine and chief of the Molecular and Metabolic Oncology Program at the Mitchell Cancer Institute (MCI), and co-authors, appeared in the October 2021 issue.
Genomes, comprised of DNA, are a complete set of genetic instructions. Each genome contains all the information needed to build an organism and allow it to grow and develop. It is critical for cells to keep the genome intact. This is the main function of more than 200 genes that are part of the cellular pathways governing DNA damage and repair.
One cellular pathway, the base excision repair pathway, monitors the genome for small DNA lesions and repairs it if needed. This process occurs close to 20,000 times per cell, per day. Failure to repair these lesions could lead to mutations that could cause cancer. Several proteins that control the base excision repair pathway, known as poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP1) and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase 2 (PARP2), are targets for drugs used to treat cancer.
The goal of the study is to learn more about these critical proteins and how they respond to DNA damage.
“This breakthrough research uses state-of-the-art microscopy and genetic techniques to follow the movement of key base excision repair pathways and their response to damage, which could be beneficial for patients,” said Sobol. “Future studies can build on this discovery as we continuously work to identify additional genes and factors that are defective or that may be considered biomarkers of response related to cancer.”
The Molecular and Metabolic Oncology Program at the Mitchell Cancer Institute focuses on the cellular mechanisms of DNA repair and metabolism and how these processes impact cancer development and the response to cancer treatments.
Study co-authors from the USA College of Medicine and the MCI include Christopher A. Koczor, Ph.D., instructor of pharmacology; Jennifer Clark, Ph.D., instructor of pharmacology; Marie E. Migaud, Ph.D., professor of pharmacology; Jianfeng Li, Ph.D., assistant professor of pharmacology; Joel F. Andrews, Ph.D., manager of the MCI Cellular and Biomolecular Imaging Facility; Steve McClellan, manager of the MCI Flow Cytometry Facility; Qingming Fang, Ph.D., assistant professor of pharmacology; and Kate Saville, Md Ibrahim and Rasha Al-Rahahleh, USA College of Medicine graduate students.