TRAINING IN PHARMACOLOGY, TOXICOLOGY & PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES 2008 ASPET SUMMER UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP OPPORTUNITY at the UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI
The Department of Pharmacology & Cell Biophysics, College of Medicine is pleased to offer this research project as part of the 2008 summer ASPET SURF Training Program offered by the Department of Pharmacology & Cell Biophysics.  Students interested in this project are advised to contact Professor Schultz to discover more about the project, learn what your responsibilities will be during the ten-week research training program.
2008 ASPET SURF Project #:  08 - 012 Faculty Supervisor/Mentor: Jo El J. Schultz, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Pharmacology & Cell Biophysics College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati Email:  schultjo@uc.edu
Project Title: Approaches to Myocardial Injury Protection – Molecular                         Mechanisms of Cardiac Hypertrophy & Heart Failure
Research Program Description: Dr. Schultz’s research interests include the role of growth factors and opioid peptides in cardiovascular pathophysiology. The overall directions of Dr. Schultz’s research program are two-fold: 1) identify and characterize signaling events involved in protecting the myocardium from ischemic injury and cell death following myocardial infarction (i.e., heart attack) and 2) determine the mechanisms by which cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure occur following myocardial infarction or hemodynamic load (high blood pressure or volume overload).  The Schultz lab employs in vivo and in vitro approaches to elucidate the contribution of the opioid and growth factor receptor systems to cardiac pathophysiology. In vivo echocardiography, ex vivo work-performing and Langendorff whole heart preparations, in vivo hemodynamic measurements, and biomechanics and intracellular calcium dynamics of individual isolated cardiomyocytes are routine procedures. In addition, a number of surgical techniques (aortic banding, coronary artery ligation, catheterizations) are used. In this research, pharmacological, histological, biochemical, and state-of-the art molecular biology assays are employed, and include Northern blot and quantitative real-time PCR analysis for mRNA expression, and protein analysis via Western blot, ELISA and immuno-staining. Genomic and proteomic tools, including DNA micro-arrays, are used to further characterize or identify known and novel mechanism(s) of opioid- and growth factor-mediated cardiovascular physiology and pathology. Ongoing research projects include study of: 1) the role of fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) and cardioprotection and 2) opioidergic systems and cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure.
ASPET SURF Project Description:  The ASPET SURF student will be offered a specific research project within the 2 areas of Dr. Schultz’s research program.  The student will be engaged in the research with graduate students at different stages of their academic and research program.  The student will participate in weekly research progress meetings, make progress reports on the research project, and interact with the laboratory team on a daily basis.  The student should expect to perform experiments that include dose-response relationships for cardiac muscle cells and isolated hearts or intact cardiovascular systems.  Skills will be learned to operate and utilize the instrumentation and techniques necessary to make significant progress in the research project.  Exposure to and understanding of the relevant scientific literature is expected.  Dr. Schultz will meet with the student weekly to assess progress and provide guidance to optimize the ASPET SURF student’s summer research experience.  Significant research contributions of the ASPET SURF student will result in co-authorship in published manuscripts.