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2005 Porter Physiology Development Committee Report

The Porter Physiology Development Program Committee has as its charge to: 1) supervise administration of the Porter Physiology Development Fund; 2) approve visiting scientists and professorships; 3) approve teaching and training fellowships; 4) recommend to the William Townsend Porter Foundation specific needs for laboratory and teaching equipment; 5) counsel underdeveloped physiology departments on curriculum and other improvements; 6) provide annual written reports to Council and the William Townsend Porter Foundation; 7) rank applications of minority students to attend meetings of the Society, which are collated by the Executive Director and/or Education Officer; and 8) solicit outside funds for support of the program.

Primarily, the Porter Physiology Development Program Committee has two major programs it oversees. One is the Porter Physiology Fellowship Program and the other is the Minority Travel Award Program.

Porter Physiology Fellowship Program

The purpose of the Porter Physiology Development Program is to stimulate and support the development of minority students engaged in graduate study in physiology through the awarding of predoctoral fellowships.

2004-2005 Porter Fellowships Final Reports: Final reports were received from the eight 2004-2005 Porter Fellows.

Christina Bennett, fifth-year graduate student, Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan; Research mentor: Ormond MacDougald; Dissertation project: Understanding the role of Wnt signaling during adipogenesis and osteoblastogenesis. She wrote her third first-author paper this year that was accepted into PNAS. She finished her dissertation and defended it in April 2005. She has received permission to continue her fellowship over the summer to finish a series of experiments with a transgenic mouse model she has developed and write them up for publication.

Adrienne Bratcher, third-year graduate student, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Louisville School of Medicine; Research mentor: Irving G. Joshua; Dissertation project: the role of dietary salt in the changes in arteriolar responsiveness with the development of hypertension. Her recent progress includes completion of her first manuscript for publication, submission of an American Heart Association Ohio Valley Affiliate Predoctoral Fellowship, the presentation of two seminars and one poster, and second place in the Research!Louisville Poster Competition. She also planned to submit an NIH Hypertension Grant this past summer and again teach the systemic physiology component of the University’s Summer Prematriculation Program for students from underrepresented minority groups, medically underserved countries, non-traditional age groups, and economically disadvantaged settings.

Jessica Clark (Merck Fellow), third-year graduate student, Department of Pediatrics, University of Arizona Health Sciences Center; Research mentor: Bohuslav Dvorak; Dissertation project: the protective role of epidermal growth factor in neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis. During this past year, Clark has submitted her first first-author paper to an APS journal and has co-authored three other papers in addition to making presentations at six meetings. She has received the Herbert E. Carter Interdisciplinary Fellowship Award for 2004-2005.

Alfredo Garcia III, sixth-year graduate student, Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Wright State University; Research Mentor: Jay B. Dean; Dissertation project: Pre-synaptic and post-synaptic mechanisms responsible for hyperoxic modulation of neuronal excitability in the CA1 hippocampus.

Over the past year, Garcia has presented his research results at two national meetings, received approval of his proposal aims from his dissertation committee, prepared a manuscript for submission to Journal of Neurophysiology, and is working on the final experiments for an additional two manuscripts.

Damon Jacobs, fourth-year graduate student, Department of Cell and Molecular Physiology, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, School of Medicine; Research mentor: Richard Cheney; Dissertation project: Identification of Myo5c associated organelles and Myo5c function. Jacobs has successfully defended his thesis proposal over the past year, received a travel award to attend a national meeting where his poster received second place in the Minority Affairs Committee poster session, and was an invited speaker at the national meeting of the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science and at the first annual American Indian Research Conference. He is very active in minority outreach efforts with the Endocrine Society, visiting minority colleges to speak. He was asked to teach part of a short course to undergraduate students and invited to write an article for the American Indian Science and Engineering Society’s journal. He recently was selected to attend a week-long laboratory course at Woods Hole.

Walson Metzger, fourth-year graduate student, Department of Pharmacology & Physiology, UMDNJ; Research mentor: Andrew Thomas; Dissertation project: protein kinase C expression and activity play a critical role in the mechanism by which hepatitis B induces apoptosis in a hepatocyte model. This year Metzger has developed several new tools and molecular probes that he has validated as working in his experimental systems. He has finished all his didactic coursework for his degree. He has successfully passed his qualifying examination that advances him to candidacy status for his degree.

Gary Morris, sixth-year graduate student, Department of Medical Pharmacology and Physiology, University of Missouri at Columbia; Research mentor: Stephen Beebe; Dissertation project: structure function differences between the catalytic subunits Cα and Cg to the cAMP-dependent protein kinase. His recent progress includes the submission of a first-author manuscript to the Journal of Biological Chemistry, two presentations at a national meeting, and receipt of a travel award to attend a national meeting. Gary expected to complete his degree in May 2005.

Stefanie Raymond-Whish, third-year graduate student, Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University; Research mentor: Cheryl Dyer; Dissertation project: in vitro estrogenicity of uranyl nitrate. Raymond-Whish received an NIH Ruth L. Kirschstein NRSA predoctoral fellowship as of December 1, 2004. Her Porter Fellowship ended as of that date. She will acknowledge APS and the Porter Fellowship in her future publications and presentations.

2005-2006 Porter Fellowships

New and Renewal Applications

The number of new applications received for Porter Fellowships continues to increase. A total of 12 new applications were received for the January 15 deadline. The Committee again noted the increase in quality of applications being received. Four renewal applications were received from 2004-2005 Porter Fellows.

The Committee decided that the Porter Fund would allow for a total of nine awards for the 2005-2006 Fellowship period. It was agreed that seven Fellowships would be funded from this round and an additional two from the June 15 round of applications.

In addition, the Porter Physiology Development Committee voted at its spring Committee meeting to review applications only once per year, beginning in 2006. The January 15 deadline will be the only deadline for receipt of applications. Originally, the Committee added a second deadline to increase the overall number of applications annually; since the number of applications at the January deadline has increased substantially over the years, the Committee elected to drop the summer application deadline.

Review of Porter Fellowship Applications

Last year, because of the increase in the number of highly qualified applications for the limited number of Fellowships, the Committee developed a set of specific criteria to assist in the review of applications. These were put into use with the new applications for the 2005-2006 Porter Fellowships. The Committee agreed the criteria were helpful and will use them for several rounds before reviewing them for possible changes.

The Porter Development Committee decided to renew three of the four renewal applications, which allowed for four new applications to be funded from the January 15 deadline. Three applications were held-over for the June cycle. One of the new awardees notified the Committee of her acceptance of an NIH Initiative for Minority Student Development grant beginning in April. Consequently, the Committee voted to fund the highest ranking of the hold-over applications, leaving only two in the pool for the June 15 deadlines. This will be the last year for a summer submission and review.

Renewal Application Awardees

Jessica Clark (Ison-Franklin Fellow), third-year graduate student, Department of Pediatrics, University of Arizona Health Sciences Center; Research mentor: Bohuslav Dvorak; dissertation project: the protective role of epidermal growth factor in neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis.

New Awardees

Lymari López-Díaz, fourth-year graduate student, Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan; Research mentor: Linda C. Samuelson; dissertation project: regulation of cholecystokinin expression and enteroendocrine cell differentiation by neuroD1BETA2 and neurogenin 3.

Adrienne L. Orr, first-year graduate student, Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University; Research mentor: Daria Mochly-Rosen; dissertation project: role of protein kinase C isozymes in the injury associated with cerebral hemorrhage.

Aida Erendira Ulloa, second-year graduate student, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University; Research mentor: Barbara M. Sanborn; dissertation project: role of hTrpC4 in calcium dynamics using gene silencing techniques in PHM1 cells.

Clintoria Latrice Williams, second-year graduate student, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Alabama at Birmingham; Research mentor: Erik M. Schwiebert; dissertation project: autocrine zinc and purinergic (ATP) signaling in pancreatic beta cell physiology in health and disease.

The Porter Physiology Development Committee Fund (Financial Status)

In March 2005, The Porter Physiology Development Committee Fund had a budget of $257,745. During 2004, the fund received the following contributions: $75,000 from the William Townsend Porter Foundation, $40,000 from the APS, $10,000 from the Presidential Award, $40,000 from Merck Foundation ($20,000 each for 2003 and 2004), $245 in private contributions, and $676 from interest revenue. The Committee was very pleased to hear that the Porter Foundation increased its support of the Porter Physiology Fellowship Program to $75,000 annually. The Committee expresses its sincere appreciation for the continued support of both the Porter Foundation and the APS Council that makes these fellowships possible. Given the remaining commitments for 2004-2005 Porter Fellows of $84,000, the fund has a balance of $173,745 for new fellowships and activities.

The number of Porter Fellowships that the Committee can support will soon decline, a trend that will accelerate if the Porter stipend is to keep pace with the level recommended by the NIH for predoctoral stipends ($26,573 by 2006). The Committee’s need to raise additional funds to support and expand Committee goals is becoming more critical and will be an important area in which the Committee plans to work in 2005-2006.

Porter Reception

For the past few years, the Committee has held a reception for travel fellows and their mentors and past and current Porter Fellows. This was begun with the goal of building stronger connections between minority students and the larger community of APS scientists, especially other minority scientists. The Porter reception again this year was extremely successful with an increase in attendance; more than 100 physiologists, overall, attended the event. Importantly, the reception continued for more than two hours as participants interacted and networked with one another. In addition there was an increase in the number of former Porter Fellows who attended, including those in more senior positions.

Minority Travel Fellows Program

In January 2005, the Committee served as the review panel for the APS Minority Travel Fellowship Awards. Forty-two travel fellows were funded to attend IUPS/EB 2005 in San Diego, CA. Nine additional travel fellowships were awarded to attend APS conferences. Again this year, the Committee was pleased to learn that former Porter Fellows and past Travel Fellows volunteered to be mentors for the new Travel Fellows. Committee members noted the increase in minority physiologists as a direct result of the Porter Committee’s work.

APS Awards for Undergraduates at the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS)

This meeting attracts more than 1,600 minority undergraduate (82%) and graduate students (18%) across the country and provides an opportunity to recruit students into the physiological sciences and the APS. The APS, along with more than 280 graduate institutions and professional associations, exhibited at the 2004 meeting in Dallas, TX promoting graduate study in physiology and the APS programs for minority students. The Committee requested and received $2,000 for eight $250 cash awards for the most outstanding undergraduate presentations in physiology research. Thirty judges, including APS members, Margaret Colden-Stanfield, Morehouse School of Medicine; Cary Cooper, University of Texas Medical Branch; and Barbara Horwitz, University of California-Davis, selected the winners for their presentations:

Best Sophomore Poster Presentations: Christopher Hamm, Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, Abstract Title: “Induction of CYP3A4 by Herbal Components in Human Hepatocytes Cultures.” Qwan Michelle Turton, Wayne Community College, Goldsboro, NC, Abstract Title: “The Effects of 17β-estradiol on Zebrafish Angiogenesis.”

Best Junior Poster Presentations: Garrett Mann, Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, Abstract Title: “Effect of Eplerenone on Salt-Induced Hypertension in Dahl Salt-Sensitive Rats.” Latoya Poole, Fayetteville State University, Fayetteville, NC, Abstract Title: “Paraquat Sensitivity Assay of MnSOD and Cu/ZnSOD Double Mutant.”

Best Senior Poster Presentations: Mario Ball, Morehouse College, Atlanta, GA, Abstract Title: “The Use of Orthogonal Images to Measure In-vivo Knee Joint Kinematics.” Jose Figueroa, University of Houston, Houston, TX, Abstract Title: “Pharmacological Manipulation of the Pupillary Light Response in the Syrian Hamster.” Mario Penzo, Universidad Central del Caribe, Bayamon, PR, Abstract Title: “Neuroprotection by 4R-cembratriene-diol through the x₄β₂ Nicotinic Receptor is mediated by Activation of the Akt/PKB Pathway.” Sheryl Sands, Spelman College, Atlanta, GA, Abstract Title: “Histamine H2 Receptors Mediate the Histamine Response in Cultured Guinea Pig Gallbladder Epithelial Cells.”

ABRCMS has requested continued APS support of $2,000 for eight cash awards of $250. The awards provide an excellent opportunity to encourage and support both minority undergraduate student research in physiology and their transition to graduate work in the field. This will be the fourth year of APS support for this very important event.

Pamela J. Gunter-Smith, Co-Chair

Council Actions

Council accepted the report of the Porter Physiology Development Committee.
Council approved the funding for the APS awards at the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS).
Council approved the necessary funding for a Past Porter Fellows reception at EB 2006.
Council authorized moving the application process from a twice-a-year to a once-a-year process with the application submission deadline to be January 15.