Faculty awarded intramural grants for research

The Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine recently announced the recipients of the 2023 Faculty Intramural Grants Program Research Awards, which provide funds for basic science or translational research through an annual competitive program.

The awards allow faculty to develop new research ideas through seed funding, develop new critical preliminary data for revised extramural proposal submissions, or enable sustained research progress between extramural grant funding periods.

This year’s winners, who each received $50,000 in funding, are Luis del Pozo-Yauner, Ph.D., assistant professor of pathology; Jin H. Kim, D.V.M., Ph.D., assistant professor of microbiology and immunology; and Wito Richter, Ph.D., associate professor of biochemistry and molecular biology. 

Luis del Pozo-Yauner, Ph.D.

Del Pozo-Yauner is examining the role of polyploid giant cancer cells in therapy resistance and tumor recurrence in ovarian cancer. His team has identified a subpopulation of ovarian cancer cells that share some morphological features with polyploid giant cancer cells and overexpress a protein known as PERK. Scientists believe polyploid giant cancer cells play a central role in ovarian cancer development and progression. Moreover, PERK expression has been associated with chemotherapy resistance in some cancers. 

“Therefore, we hypothesize that the ovarian cancer cells that overexpress PERK protein constitute a subpopulation of polyploid giant cancer cells associated with a poor response to anti-tumor therapy and increased rate of tumor recurrence in ovarian cancer patients,” del Pozo-Yauner said. “Our research may help identify both new biomarkers and therapeutic targets that allow for better prognosis and therapy for ovarian cancer patients.”

Jin H. Kim, D.V.M., Ph.D.

Kim is studying combinational therapy for Influenza A infection to extend the treatment window. Currently, only one drug is available to treat the flu, but it has limitations and can only be used within two days of the onset of symptoms. When people are sick with the flu, they often begin treating themselves with over-the-counter medicines to alleviate the symptoms. However, this can cause them to miss the proper treatment window if they are severely ill and need to be treated by a doctor. 

New drugs are being developed that target different parts of the flu virus, but their effectiveness needs to be tested. “The aim of this research is to find a combination of drugs that can treat the flu and extend the treatment window beyond what is currently possible,” Kim said. “We will test various drug combinations in a mouse model using bioluminescent flu virus to track the effectiveness of the treatments. The ultimate goal is to develop a safe and effective combination therapy for the flu that can be used in future clinical trials.”

Wito Richter, Ph.D.

Richter is pursuing a novel therapeutic approach to reduce body weight and alleviate associated metabolic abnormalities, including insulin resistance, high cholesterol and systemic inflammation. The phosphodiesterase-4 (PDE4) family of enzymes comprises four genes, PDE4A, B, C and D, which are widely expressed throughout the body. Non-selective PDE4 inhibitors have established therapeutic benefits, weight-reducing and anti-inflammatory effects. However, adverse effects, including nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, have long limited the clinical utility of these drugs.  

“As each PDE4 isoform serves unique and non-overlapping physiological and pathophysiological roles, targeting individual PDE4 proteins can serve to dissect the therapeutically beneficial from the side effects associated with current non-selective PDE4 inhibitors,” Richter said. “To this end, we will identify the specific PDE4 isoforms that represent the most promising therapeutic targets in metabolic syndromes, paving the way for development of subtype-selective PDE4 inhibitors as novel therapeutics targeting obesity and associated metabolic syndromes.”

Class of 2023 to celebrate Match Day

The Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine Class of 2023 will celebrate their residency program matches Friday, March 17, at the Mobile Convention Center.

After interviewing with residency programs across the nation, medical students rank their programs in order of preference. Training programs, in turn, rank the students who interviewed. The National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) uses a mathematical algorithm to designate each application into a residency program with the results announced nationwide on March 17.

Students will take turns announcing their residency placements and pinning the location of their residency on the map on stage. The event will be live-streamed on the Whiddon College of Medicine’s Facebook page.

SRFC and Dermatology Interest Group to host skin cancer screening

The USA Student-Run Free Clinic and Dermatology Interest Group are hosting a free skin cancer screening for patients of the Salvation Army who are either homeless or in their recovery program. The screening will be held Friday, March 10, from 2:30 to 5 p.m. at the Student-Run Free Clinic, located at the Salvation Army, 1009 Dauphin St. in downtown Mobile. 

Medical student volunteers, under the guidance of Aldo Trovato, M.D., a local dermatologist, Mohs surgeon, and adjunct assistant professor at the Whiddon College of Medicine, will screen patients for high-risk lesions of the visible areas of the skin to help detect areas of concern. They will also educate patients on skin cancer, the importance of sunscreen, and how to protect their skin throughout the year.

“Many of these patients have never had skin screening or are currently uninsured, so this is a great opportunity to serve a high-risk population who otherwise would not receive care,” said Hanna Bobinger, a second-year medical student, community outreach chair of the Dermatology Interest Group, and patient education coordinator for the SRFC. 

Trovato and Harrison Howard, M.D., a surgical oncologist at the USA Health Mitchell Cancer Institute, have volunteered their services to provide follow-up care for any patients who require a shave or punch biopsy, dermatopathology, and/or excision. The Cancer Control and Prevention team from the MCI will supply forms, sunscreen giveaways and other tools used to conduct on-site screenings. 

The SRFC and Dermatology Interest Group hope to host a skin screening each semester at both the Salvation Army and McKemie Place to ensure their residents receive a similar level of care as the general population.

Faculty development opportunities set for March 14

The afternoon of Tuesday, March 14, is full of faculty development opportunities.  CME credits are available for both events. 

Kognito Training: Conversations that Change Lives
Tuesday, March 14, noon to 2 p.m.
Strada Patient Care Center, Conference Room 1101
1.5 CME credits
Noon – Lunch will be served
12:30 to 1:30 p.m. – Work through Kognito Training
1:30 to 2 p.m. – Discussion with Binata Mukherjee, M.D., M.B.A., and Becky Smith, Ph.D., LPC
* Bring your laptop or tablet to complete training.
Register for the training session.

Spring Lecture Series: Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
Tuesday, March 14, 2 to 4 p.m.
Strada Patient Care Center, Conference Room 1101
2 to 3 p.m. – Workshop on SOTL, David Williams, Ph.D., 1 CME credit
3 to 4 p.m. – Introduction to AAMC's MERC program, Emily Wilson, Ph.D.
Register for the workshop.
Learn more about MERC.

Contact Amanda Arnold at akarnold@southalabama.edu with any questions.

Biomedical Library hosts art exhibit

The Charles M. Baugh Biomedical Library is pleased to host a new art exhibit in the ArtSpace@BioMed: "Two Points of View." The exhibit features paintings by local artist Stacey Boyd Howell and photography by Bill Dumas, M.D., a graduate of the inaugural class of the Whiddon College of Medicine.

The paintings and photographs will be on display March 6 through April 28 in the ArtSpace@BioMed on the third floor of the Biomedical Library.

An artists' reception is scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday, March 16. Please join us for an opportunity to view the exhibit, visit with the artists, and enjoy some light refreshments.

For more information, contact Gail Kouame, director of the Biomedical Library, at gmkouame@southalabama.edu. 

Research and education to collide in new College of Medicine building

As the Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine prepares to celebrate its 50th anniversary, anticipation is building for the construction of a brand-new facility to house the medical school. 

John V. Marymont, M.D., M.B.A., vice president for medical affairs and dean of the Whiddon College of Medicine at the University of South Alabama, said the initial plan was to renovate and expand the existing Medical Sciences Building, constructed in 1974. However, a $60 million appropriation from U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby, a $50 million earmark from Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, and a $30 million gift from the University of South Alabama Foundation will allow for the construction of an all-new building.

“This project has been several years in the making,” Marymont said. “The process to get to this point has involved a lot of people and a tremendous amount of work. This new facility is well deserved for the quality of education we provide and the outstanding research we do here at the College of Medicine.” 

The new Whiddon College of Medicine building will be constructed on the site of the current Alpha Hall East. Plans call for demolishing Alpha Hall East, clearing the site, and constructing an L-shaped facility to complement the Health Sciences Building, which houses the Pat Capps Covey College of Allied Health Professions and the College of Nursing. Construction of the facility is slated to be completed in 2026. 

The project goals are to bring research and education together in one building to encourage collaboration, provide state-of-the-art laboratory spaces that are flexible and efficient, expand capacity for students with modern education spaces, provide beautiful conference space to serve the entire USA community, and enhance the USA campus with a flagship 21st-century science building. 

The nearly 300,000-square-foot facility is divided equally between education and research. The 67,563-square-foot education wing, which runs north and south, includes the gross anatomy suite, clinical skills lab, learning studios, small group rooms, a demonstration kitchen, interfaith space and other community spaces. 

The 67,651-square-foot research wing, which runs east and west, is designed to optimize workspace for principal investigators. Open research laboratories are adaptable and allow for a multi-disciplined approach to research. The facility also includes 26,255 square feet of vivarium space, providing an efficient and flexible layout for animal models and dedicated procedure areas.

The College of Medicine community got a first look at plans for the new medical school building last fall at a town hall with the architects, New Orleans-based Eskew Dumez Ripple and global architecture firm Perkins&Will.

The two wings of the L-shaped building are “stitched in the corner with collision space,” explained Mark Ripple, principal-in-charge at Eskew Dumez Ripple, during the town hall presentation. 

“This is a word that kept coming up again and again in the early workshops with stakeholders – the idea of collision,” Ripple said. “We love that word, because it’s not just casual interactions. In a collision, things happen, sparks are made, and energy is created. We are thrilled with the idea that we can create a facility where both research and education, which are often isolated by design, can come together and let the sparks fly.”

Architects drew inspiration from the university’s proximity to Mobile Bay and incorporated the concept of estuaries in the design. 

“The Mobile Bay ecosystem is the reason for being in this city and ultimately this university,” said Christian Rodriguez, principal architect at Eskew Dumez Ripple. “Estuaries are this confluence of different natural features that can support an incredible degree of biodiversity. So rather than thinking about people colliding, let’s think about them coming together in really rich and productive ways.”