Recent Publications and Grants

Research

Spencer JV, Liu J, Deyarmin B, Hu H, Shriver CD, Somiari S. Cytokine levels in breast cancer are highly dependent on cytomegalovirus (CMV) status. Breast Cancer Research and Treatment. 2024 in press.

Rumpa MM, Maier C. TRPV1-dependent antiproliferative activity of dioecious Maclura pomifera extracts in estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer cell lines involves multiple apoptotic pathways. Int J Mol Sci. 2024 May 11;25(10):5258. doi: 10.3390/ijms25105258

Shah JJ, Jimenez-Jaramillo CA, Lybrand ZR, Yuan TT, Erbele ID. Modern in vitro techniques for modeling hearing loss. Bioengineering. 2024 Apr 26;11(5):425. doi:10.3390/bioengineering11050425

Li Q, Yu H, Chang W, Chang S, Guzmán M, Faure L, Wallner E-S, Yan H, Greb T, Wang L, Yao R, Nelson DC.  SMXL5 attenuates strigolactone signaling in Arabidopsis thaliana by inhibiting SMXL7 degradation.  Mol Plant. 2024 Apr 1;17(4):631-647. doi: 10.1016/j.molp.2024.03.006

Veettil RA, Sebastian S, McCallister T, Ghosh S, Hynds DL. Uptake of surface-functionalized thermo-responsive polymeric nanocarriers in corticospinal tract motor neurons. Biochem Biophys Res Comm. 2024 Feb 12;696:149503. doi: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2024.149503

Madhu B, Lakdawala MF, Gumienny TL. The DBL-1/TGF-β signaling pathway tailors behavioral and molecular host responses to a variety of bacteria in Caenorhabditis elegans. eLife. 2023 Sep 26;12:e75831. doi: 10.7554/eLife.75831

Davenport AM, Morris M, Sabti F, Sabti S, Shakya D, Hynds DL, Cheriyath V. G1P3/IFI6, an interferon stimulated protein, promotes the association of RAB5+ endosomes with mitochondria in breast cancer cells. Cell Biol Int. 2023 Aug 20;47(11):1868-1879. doi: 10.1002/cbin.12079

Mohammadipoor A, Hershfield MR, Linsenbardt HR, Smith J, Mack J, Natesan S, Averitt DL, Stark TR, Sosanya NM. Biological function of Extracellular Vesicles (EVs): a review of the field. Mol Biol Rep. 2023 Aug 03;50:8639-8651. doi: 10.1007/s11033-023-08624-w

Wang J, Pislariu CI, Liu C-W, Tsyganov V, DasGupta M. Editorial: Molecular and cellular mechanisms of the legume-rhizobia symbiosis, volume II. Front Plant Sci. 2023 May 29;14:1208904. doi: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2023.1208904/full

Basu P, Maier C, Averitt DL, Basu A. NLR family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasomes and peripheral neuropathic pain - Emphasis on microRNAs (miRNAs) as important regulators. Eur J Pharmacol. 2023 Jul 13;955:175901. doi: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37451423/.

Mody PH, Marvin KN, Hynds DL, Hanson LK. Cytomegalovirus infection induces Alzheimer's disease-associated alterations in tau. J NeuroVirol 2023 Jul 12, epub ahead of print. doi: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37436577/.

Science Education

Robles A, Pierce S, Spencer JV. Building Connections and Shaping Futures by Fostering Cohort Success. Faculty Focus. 2025 April 28.

Ahmed S, Spencer JV. Classroom Leadership: Empowering Faculty with Management Strategies. Academic Leader. 2025 January 20.

Faure L. Enhancing Student Access to Course Content: The Advantages of a Customized Website. Faculty Focus. 2023 Jun 7.

Davis AM, Ahmed SA. Let’s Take a Poll: Working Towards a More Equitable Classroom. Faculty Focus. 2023 Jul 7.

Spencer JV, Horn D. The Three Most Important Words in Faculty Workload: Transparency, Transparency, Transparency. The Department Chair. 2023 Jun 30;34(1):1-3. doi: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/dap.31258.

Open Educational Resources

Ahmed SA. 2022. Principles of Biology Lab. Denton (TX): TWU Libraries. https://twu-ir.tdl.org/handle/11274/13589

Extramural Grants

National Institutes of Health NIDCR R15 DE025970-02 $383,429. 2023. AVERITT DL. SEX DIFFERENCES IN THE NEUROIMMUNE MODULATION OF TRIGEMINAL SENSORY NEURONS.

Lyda Hill Philanthropies $100,000. 2023. ELROD D, SPENCER JV, HANSEN-THOMAS H, FLORES J, FIGUEROA J. STEM TRANSFER PATHWAYS.

United States Department of Defense $450,000. 2023. LYBRAND ZR. DEVELOPMENT OF HUMAN-BASED COCHLEA-ON-A-CHIP FOR AUDITORY EXPOSURE.

Mission Connect $100,000. 2023.  LYBRAND ZR. DEVELOPING STEM CELL DERIVED CORTICAL GRAFTS FOR BRAIN REGENERATION IN TBI.

National Institutes of Health R15 AI169400-01A1 $378,837. 2023. SINHA, S. SIRPGAMMA: A NOVEL CHECKPOINT REGULATOR OF EFFECTOR RESPONSES FROM HUMAN T-CELLS.

National Institutes of Health NRSA F31DE031959 $34,635. 2022. CANTU D. SEX DIFFERENCES IN STRESS EXACERBATED OROFACIAL PAIN IN A RAT MODEL OF TEMPOROMANDIBULAR JOINT DISORDER.

US Department of Education PPOHA P031M220022 $3,000,000. 2022. SPENCER JV. PROJECT ACCESS (ACCELERATING COMPLETION AND CAREER EDUCATION IN THE SCHOOL OF THE SCIENCES).

National Science Foundation #2146440 $1,017,957. 2022. PI:  PISLARIU C. CAREER: DECIPHERING THE ROLES OF NODULE-SPECIFIC PLAT DOMAIN GENES IN THE NITROGEN-FIXING SYMBIOSIS AND HOST-STRAIN SPECIFICITY.

National Science Foundation #2130361; $1,500,000 2021 PI: SPENCER J, GULLION J, ELROD D, & PIERCE S. SCHOLARSHIPS AND CO-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES LEADING TO EXCELLENCE IN THE BIOTECHNOLOGY WORKFORCE.

National Institutes of Health R15 NS095317 $383,343 2021 PI: BROWER CS. EVALUATING PROTEIN QUALITY CONTROL IN THE TOXICITY OF TDP43 FRAGMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH ALS AND FTD.

National Science Foundation #1953448 $2,448,091 2020 PI: ELROD D, DUNLAP K, GARDNER D, PETROS R, & WALTJE J. TWU-PRIME: CAPACITY BUILDING FOR STUDENTS AND FACULTY THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS, RESEARCH, INNOVATION, MENTORING, & ENGAGEMENT.

Page last updated 8:59 AM, May 23, 2025