FACULTY RESEARCH SUMMARY BARTELL, SCOTT Research Interests: Methods in environmental health: probabilistic models and statistical methods for exposure assessment, environmental epidemiology, and risk/decision analysis Abstract My interest in exposure science methods centers the development and application of statistical methods for estimating chemical exposure rates using biomarkers such as blood lead or hair mercury concentrations (journal articles 2, 8, 9, 13, 22, 31, 40, 42). One major challenge in this area is that the computational complexity and large number of parameters in toxicokinetic models (using systems of differential equations) makes formal statistical estimation difficult in settings with complex exposure variation over time. Much of my recent work in this area is centered on the use of discrete linear approximations to more complex continuous-time models, facilitating formal statistical estimation using estimating equations and Bayesian approaches. Application of these methods include epidemiologic studies of environmental exposures to mercury and perfluorooctanoate. My environmental epidemiology research includes a population study of health effects of exposures to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in Anniston, Alabama. PCBs were widely used in electrical equipment until banned in the 1970s, but are persistent in the environment and are still found in blood serum samples across the US, and at unusually high concentrations in Anniston residents. Since 2003 I have participated in a consortium researching PCBs and adverse health outcomes in this population. We designed and conducted a cross-sectional study of about 1100 residents that has found associations between PCB serum concentrations and clinical outcomes such as hypertension and diabetes, even after adjusting for known risk factors such as age, race, and obesity (journal articles 28-30, 33, 36, 43-44). Faculty Link (s): http://www.faculty.uci.edu/profile.cfm?faculty_id=5377 http://www.ics.uci.edu/~sbartell/cv.html Student Research Opportunities / Scope of Work ! Data analysis using R, WinBUGS, or other statistical software Derivation of estimators using mathematical statistics ! Duties and tasks will depend on the research project ! Opportunity to present or publish Research Environment • Computer-based and paper & pencil Requirements • For exposure science methods: STA 120ABC and/or experience in Bayesian data analysis • For epidemiologic data analysis: PH 101 and STA 110-112, or equivalent courses • Consent of instructor Final Research Report Requirement • Depends on the project
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FACULTY(RESEARCH(SUMMARY( BARTELL, SCOTT
Research Interests: Methods in environmental health: probabilistic models and statistical methods for exposure assessment, environmental epidemiology, and risk/decision analysis Abstract My interest in exposure science methods centers the development and application of statistical methods for estimating chemical exposure rates using biomarkers such as blood lead or hair mercury concentrations (journal articles 2, 8, 9, 13, 22, 31, 40, 42). One major challenge in this area is that the computational complexity and large number of parameters in toxicokinetic models (using systems of differential equations) makes formal statistical estimation difficult in settings with complex exposure variation over time. Much of my recent work in this area is centered on the use of discrete linear approximations to more complex continuous-time models, facilitating formal statistical estimation using estimating equations and Bayesian approaches. Application of these methods include epidemiologic studies of environmental exposures to mercury and perfluorooctanoate. My environmental epidemiology research includes a population study of health effects of exposures to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in Anniston, Alabama. PCBs were widely used in electrical equipment until banned in the 1970s, but are persistent in the environment and are still found in blood serum samples across the US, and at unusually high concentrations in Anniston residents. Since 2003 I have participated in a consortium researching PCBs and adverse health outcomes in this population. We designed and conducted a cross-sectional study of about 1100 residents that has found associations between PCB serum concentrations and clinical outcomes such as hypertension and diabetes, even after adjusting for known risk factors such as age, race, and obesity (journal articles 28-30, 33, 36, 43-44). Faculty Link (s): http://www.faculty.uci.edu/profile.cfm?faculty_id=5377 http://www.ics.uci.edu/~sbartell/cv.html Student Research Opportunities / Scope of Work
! Data analysis using R, WinBUGS, or other statistical software Derivation of estimators using mathematical statistics
! Duties and tasks will depend on the research project ! Opportunity to present or publish
Research Environment • Computer-based and paper & pencil
Requirements • For exposure science methods: STA 120ABC and/or experience in Bayesian data
analysis • For epidemiologic data analysis: PH 101 and STA 110-112, or equivalent courses • Consent of instructor
Final Research Report Requirement
• Depends on the project
FACULTY(RESEARCH(SUMMARY( BERNARD, HANS ULRICH
Research Interests: Papillomaviruses and cervical cancer Abstract Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) cause neoplasia of infected epithelia. Some HPV types cause only benign lesions, for example common warts. However, several “high-risk” HPV types, such as HPV-16 and HPV-18, are important public health problems, since they are the primary cause of cancer of the cervix and other anogenital and oral sites. Most men and women become infected during part of their lives by “high-risk” HPV types, but with few exceptions, the virus is carcinogenic only in women and only in a fraction of the infected individuals. Several still poorly understood mechanisms determine whether HPV infections remain latent, benign, or progress malignantly. Some of these mechanisms are based on the regulation of the HPV oncogene transcription. The gene expression of HPVs is regulated in a very complex manner, in spite of the small size of viral DNA genomes, and involves many sequence specific transcription factors, which determine properties like epithelial specificity of HPV transcription, hormonal regulation, and negative feedback loops. Beyond regulation by these factors, there is now increasing evidence that the viral life cycle as well as HPV dependent tumor progression are governed by phenomena that are independent of sequence specific factors but rather determined by epigenetic mechanisms such as DNA methylation. HPV DNA often becomes methylated and thereby transcriptionally repressed, and we are studying how HPV genomes are recognized by the cellular methylation machinery and how methylation and demethylation correlate with the viral life cycle and cancer progression. Specifically, we observed that the HPV L1 gene becomes hyper-methylated in cancers and high-grade precursor lesions, and we are investigating in collaborative etiological and epidemiological studies the power of this biomarker for monitoring disease progression. Additional recent directions of the lab include research of the synergistic effects of tobacco smoking and HPVs in carcinogenesis, and collaboration with other groups at UCI to understand the humoral immune response against HPV infections.
Faculty Link (s): http://www.faculty.uci.edu/profile.cfm?faculty_id=4908 Student Research Opportunities / Scope of Work
! Duties and tasks will depend on the research project ! Opportunity to present or publish
Research Environment
• Research laboratory or research office
Requirements • Completion of prerequisites, consent of instructor
Final Research Report Requirement
• Depends on the project
FACULTY(RESEARCH(SUMMARY( BIC, ZUZANA Research Interests 1. Study the impact and application of lifestyle medicine (nutritional medicine, exercise, stress
management) on slowing the process of aging and developing of other chronic diseases, for example, headaches, diabetes II, cardiovascular diseases, osteoporosis, fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome, arthritis, depression.
2. Study the application of the lifestyle medicine on cancer. The long-term goal will be to establish lifestyle medicine to be a part of the standard treatment for cancer patients.
3. Study of the possible correlation between the long-term history of migraine headache (its lifestyle trigger factors) and development of chronic diseases.
4. Develop health literacy programs for the K-12 curriculum and the general public. 5. Lifestyle interventions and health literacy on a global health level 6. Corporate Health – the future challenge of public health. The development and application
of corporate health programs and portfolios for CEO and their employee. Current Research Groups #1 Public Health Programs for Corporate Health (section a – UROP: Assessment of the Total Health Mastery® program for: weight management, medication dependency, perceived energy levels, adherence to the program, and health knowledge) and (section b – Reach out to the community- service: developing and implementing public health programs for employees for specific companies) #2: Headaches and Lifestyle among college students (section a – UROP: Assessment of college students’ lifestyle in connection with headaches frequency during one school quarter. Individual 199 Research projects will be considered within the same general subject areas. 199 Student Research Opportunities / Scope of Work
! Research/review public health topics in scholarly literature ! Assessment of public health situations and conditions in coordination with companies,
agencies, health associations, school districts and other community organizations ! Developing and implementing public health programs ! Presenting health education materials; ! Analysis, evaluation and reporting of research findings ! Opportunity to submit research projects/proposal through UROP and present research at
the UROP symposium Research Environment
• Research office, classroom or field site (e.g. school districts, companies, agencies, foundations, health associations, etc.)
Requirements
• Proposals accepted for 1, 2 of 3 quarters – depends on the topic • Completion of prerequisites, consent of instructor
Final Research Report Requirement
• It depends on the project - UROP, IRB, publishable paper, textbook sections, health education-presentations, public health promotion projects, submitting proposal
FACULTY(RESEARCH(SUMMARY( BROWN, BRANDON
Research Interests: HPV, STDs, Vaccines, Ethics, Developing countries, High risk groups, Cervical and anal cancer Abstract Cervical cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among women in Peru. My research group examines HPV vaccine acceptance, HPV prevalence among high risk groups such as female sex workers and MSM in Peru, the effect of genital warts on incident HIV, and cervical screening. We currently have a large amount of significant data available for analysis and manuscript preparation. Our results provide knowledge on HPV transmission, vaccine response in infected individuals, and identifying a potential contributor to HIV infection Faculty Link http://www.faculty.uci.edu/profile.cfm?faculty_id=5873
Student Research Opportunities / Scope of Work ! Performing basic data analysis using Stata, specifically comparing sexual behavioral
data prior to and following vaccination in Peruvian female sex workers ! Collecting incentive data from multiple UCI and external PI’s for their domestic and
international projects using a newly developed ethical framework. ! Study coordination, assistance in study startup, and monitoring/checking site for
compliance with existing protocol. Research Environment
• Research office or field (may be international)
Requirements • Spanish language for field research is a plus (desired) • Completion of prerequisites, consent of instructor
Final Research Report Requirement (will be one or more of the following that could apply)
• Poster / Poster presentation • Literature Review • Departmental Seminar • Written Report • Manuscript Draft
FACULTY(RESEARCH(SUMMARY( BRUCKNER, TIM ALLEN
Research Interests: Economic downturns and health; perinatal epidemiology; biodemography; mental health policy. Faculty Link (s): http://socialecology.uci.edu/faculty/brucknet Student Research Opportunities / Scope of Work
! Data analysis and/or learning opportunities in data analysis ! Opportunity to publish or present ! Duties and tasks will depend on the research project
Research Environment • Research office, research lab or field
Requirements
• Completion of prerequisites, consent of instructor Final Research Report Requirement
• To be arranged with the instructor
FACULTY(RESEARCH(SUMMARY( EDWARDS, RUFUS
Research Interests: Air pollution; human exposures to particles, VOC, greenhouse gas including U.S. and European cities (Expolis); environmental epidemiology. Abstract Dr. Edwards' research focuses on assessment of human exposures to household air pollution from solid fuel use and subsequent health effects; Current projects include measurements in Mexico, El Salvador, Kenya, Nepal, Tibet China, India, Yunnan China and Mongolia. Included are measurements of greenhouse gases and particulate matter including black carbon from household combustion sources. In Los Angeles measurements are focused on exposures to second hand cigarette smoke, chemical reactions of paints in indoor environments that result in indoor air pollution. Faculty Link: http://www.faculty.uci.edu/profile.cfm?faculty_id=4990 Student Research Opportunities / Scope of Work
! Hands on experience in the laboratory performing analyses on a variety of different instruments
! Opportunity for Honors thesis ! Field work
Research Environment • Research office, research lab or field
Requirements
• Approval of instructor Final Research Report Requirement
• To be arranged with the instructor
FACULTY(RESEARCH(SUMMARY( GRANT LUDWIG, LISA
Research Interests: natural hazards, seismic hazard, earthquake geology, active faults, San Andreas fault, southern California faults, San Joaquin Hills, environmental health and geology, paleoseismology, Abstract My research group addresses natural hazards and disasters from a geologic and public health perspective, with emphasis on earthquakes. We focus on defining the potential for large earthquakes, and working collaboratively on developing forecasts, hazard models and effective responses. Results of our work are applied for disaster preparedness planning, structural design, land-use planning, seismic risk assessment and public education about earthquake hazard. Faculty Link (s): http://www.faculty.uci.edu/profile.cfm?faculty_id=4545&name=Lisa%20B.%20Grant
Student Research Opportunities / Scope of Work ! Performing basic computing graphics and/or data analysis using GIS or other software ! Will vary depending on project
Research Environment
• Research office and/or off campus (varies by each project) Requirements
• PH 90 or PH 161or equivalent • GIS skills (desired) • Completion of prerequisites, consent of instructor
Final Research Report Requirement
• Final project report is required, to be arranged with instructor
FACULTY(RESEARCH(SUMMARY( LAKON, CYNTHIA
Research Interests: Social networks and health, ecological models of health behavior, adolescents, social influence, social support, high risk youth populations, homelessness, and substance use.! Student Research Opportunities / Scope of Work
! Library database searching ! Duties and tasks will depend on the research project
Research Environment • Research office, research lab or field
Requirements
• Satisfactory completion on PH 144 • Overall GPA of 3.3 • Experience using UCI library databases • Consent of instructor
Final Research Report Requirement
• To be arranged with the instructor
FACULTY(RESEARCH(SUMMARY( LOTFIPOUR, SHAHRAM
Research Interests: Screening and brief intervention for alcohol use and abuse in ED/trauma patients, and computerized brief negotiated interview Abstract CASI is short for Computerized Alcohol Screening and Brief Intervention, a computer program that helps to identify at–risk and dependent drinkers. It provides important information to healthcare workers, who can take action to help individuals who could benefit from intervention. CASI was developed by UC Irvine’s Center for Trauma and Injury Prevention Research Group through a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety. The goal is to create a behavioral change within the community regarding alcohol use. Since June 2006, the UC Irvine Medical Center Emergency Department has been performing screening and brief intervention using CASI. Research has shown that alcohol screening and intervention is effective in decreasing the chances of a person suffering a repeat injury and also improves outcomes for patients with multiple medical issues. Screening with CASI continues in the Emergency Department, has been implemented throughout inpatient units, and has been expanded to include each of the three trauma centers in Orange County. CASI is now considered standard of care at UC Irvine Medical Center.
Please also see www.ctipr.uci.edu for more information.
Faculty Link (s): http://www.faculty.uci.edu/profile.cfm?faculty_id=5163 Student Research Opportunities / Scope of Work
! Work with a multi-faceted research team on ongoing projects and creating new research protocols.
! Weekly research meeting often Tuesday mornings. ! Presentation at UROP and regional meetings.
Research Environment • Clinical, patient-oriented, laboratory/office in the UCI Medical Center in Orange
Requirements
• Must be able to work 4-8 hours/week • Professional, responsible, independent thinker, proactive • Completion of prerequisites, consent of the instructor
Final Research Report Requirement
• A summary of the quarters research work is required
FACULTY(RESEARCH(SUMMARY( MEYSKENS, FRANK
Research Interests: Melanoma, chemoprevention, polyamines. Abstract We are studying the basis of drug resistance of melanoma cells with a particular interest in Ref-1/APE and redox regulation. We have also proposed an alternative model for the etiology and progression of cutaneous melanoma based on the altered redox metabolism in human melanoma cells and developed new anticancer therapies based on these observations. We are heavily involved in Phase I, II, and III clinical chemoprevention trials involving oral, colon, pancreas cancer, and melanoma and study such compounds as difluromethiornithine, Bowman-Birk Inhibitors (a Soybean-derived compound) SAMe, and Lovastatin.
Faculty Link (s): www.ucihs.uci.edu/biochem/faculty/meyskens.html Student Research Opportunities / Scope of Work
! Work with a multi-faceted research team on ongoing projects ! Opportunity to present or publish
Research Environment • Clinical, patient-oriented, laboratory/office in the UCI Medical Center in Orange
Requirements
• Professional, responsible • Completion of prerequisites, consent of the instructor
Final Research Report Requirement
• Depends on the project
FACULTY(RESEARCH(SUMMARY( MUKAMEL, DANA Research Interests: Quality of care; Long-term care; Risk-adjusted outcomes; Racial disparities; Health economics; Quality report cards Abstract: Dana B. MUKAMEL, Ph.D. is Professor at the Department of Medicine and Senior Fellow at the Health Policy Research Institute at the University of California, Irvine. Prior to joining the University of California she was on the faculty at the University of Rochester Medical Center. She also has affiliations with the UCI Paul Merage School of Business and Ben Gurion University in Israel. Dr. Mukamel holds a Ph.D. in economics and her research focuses on issues related to quality of care in acute and long term care, both methodological issues related to measurement of quality and empirical studies designed to offer insights into policy, market, and provider characteristics that contribute to provision of high quality care. She has developed methods to measure quality in nursing homes and community based long term care programs based on risk adjusted health outcomes, such as risk adjusted decline in functional status and pressure ulcers. She serves on the CMS task force that designs the five star system for the Nursing Home Compare web based report card. Her studies have examined the role of competition, regulation, report cards and other factors in provision of high quality care. Her extensive research program is funded by grants from federal agencies (AHRQ, NIA, NINR and the VA) and private foundations (The Commonwealth Fund and the Rockefeller Brothers Foundation). Dr. Mukamel served on the editorial board of the American Journal of Public health and many national advisory and review boards for organizations such as CMS, AHRQ, and the VA.
Faculty Link (s): http://www.faculty.uci.edu/profile.cfm?faculty_id=4962 Student Research Opportunities / Scope of Work
! May include analytical work, document/internet researches, etc. ! Duties and tasks will depend on the research project
Research Environment • Research office
Requirements
• Completion of prerequisites, consent of instructor Final Research Report Requirement
• Depends on the project
FACULTY(RESEARCH(SUMMARY( NOYMER, ANDEREW
Research Interests: The historical demography and epidemiology of influenza pandemics; the evolution of life expectancy; health and mortality in developing countries. Abstract I am a sociologist of health and a medical demographer. My work covers both developing countries (especially Southeast Asia and, to a lesser extent, sub-Saharan Africa) and the industrialized world (mostly the USA). I study long-term trends and seasonality in cause-specific mortality (especially tuberculosis and influenza), and all-cause mortality (life expectancy). Historical and social epidemiology are also topics of my research, especially the 1918 influenza pandemic. There are samples of my published work on my webpage, and interested students should consult there for more information. At least one statistics course, and strong computer skills, are useful prerequisites.
Faculty Link (s): http://www.faculty.uci.edu/profile.cfm?faculty_id=5373&name=Andrew%20%20Noymer!https://webfiles.uci.edu/noymer/web/! Student Research Opportunities / Scope of Work
! Data analysis and/or learning opportunities in data analysis ! Duties and tasks will depend on the research project
Research Environment • Research office, some Library work (to be arranged)
Requirements
• Completion of prerequisites, consent of instructor • Strong computer skills • One Statistics course
Final Research Report Requirement
• To be arranged with the instructor
FACULTY(RESEARCH(SUMMARY( OGUNSEITAN, OLADELE
Research Interests: Microbial diversity and ecology; environmental pollution; industrial ecology; health and development Abstract: I have three ongoing research programs. I am interested in the environmental and human health effects of industrial development with respect to pollution prevention and remediation. My laboratory is focused on the microbiological basis of pollutant detection and elimination. My research in industrial ecology is focused on interdisciplinary approaches to environmentally-benign product design and life cycle assessment of materials that affect human health and the environment. My work in the interface of heath and development is focused on understanding the burden of diseases associated with environmental pollution and specific industrial development projects.
Faculty Link (s): http://www.faculty.uci.edu/profile.cfm?faculty_id=2423 Student Research Opportunities / Scope of Work
! Independent research with an opportunity to publish or present research work Research Environment
• Research laboratory, research office or field
Requirements • Completion of prerequisites, consent of instructor
Final Research Report Requirement
• Depends on the project
FACULTY(RESEARCH(SUMMARY( STERN, SHARON
Research Interests:
Potable reuse, constructed wetlands for protection of water quality, human health and environmental agents
Student Research Opportunities / Scope of Work ! Data analysis and/or learning opportunities in data analysis ! Duties and tasks will depend on the project
Research Environment • Research office or field
Requirements
• Completion of prerequisites, consent of instructor Final Research Report Requirement
• To be arranged with the instructor
FACULTY(RESEARCH(SUMMARY( TIMBERLAKE, DAVID
Research Interests: Epidemiology of tobacco use, tobacco-control policy, tobacco harm reduction Abstract The sharp decline in the prevalence of cigarette smoking over past decades in the United States is one of the great success stories in public health. Despite the effectiveness of policies, such as the taxation of tobacco products, many inveterate smokers continue to struggle in their effort to quit smoking. This is compounded by the observation that only a minority of smokers who attempt to quit utilize nicotine replacement therapy (e.g., patch), a proven therapy for smoking cessation. This has fueled the controversy over whether tobacco substitutes should be promoted for harm reduction. One such product, low-nitrosamine smokeless tobacco (i.e. snus), appears to have been successfully used for this purpose by Swedish males. While tobacco researchers have debated the merits and pitfalls of promoting snus among smokers in the U.S., they have sufficiently addressed neither the epidemiologic issues nor the broader public-health issues. These considerations, including both science and policy issues, have been the basis for most of my research.
Faculty Link (s): http://www.faculty.uci.edu/profile.cfm?faculty_id=5479&name=David%20S.%20Timberlake
Student Research Opportunities / Scope of Work
! May include document/internet researches, analytical work, etc. ! General duties and tasks will depend on the research project ! Minimum 3 quarters (preferred) ! Opportunity to publish
Research Environment • Research office
Requirements
• PH 101 (recommended) • Completion of prerequisites, consent of instructor
Final Research Report Requirement
• Not required
FACULTY(RESEARCH(SUMMARY( VIEIRA, VERONICA
Research Interests: methods in environmental health: probabilistic models and statistical methods for exposure assessment, environmental epidemiology, and risk/decision analysis Faculty Link (s):
Student Research Opportunities / Scope of Work ! Statistical and analytical work using software analysis. ! Duties and tasks will depend on the research project ! Opportunity to present or publish
Research Environment • Research office or statistical laboratory
Requirements • Completion of prerequisites, consent of instructor
Final Research Report Requirement
• Depends on the project
FACULTY(RESEARCH(SUMMARY( WENZEL, LARI
Research Interests: Health-Related Quality of Life Outcomes, Patient-Reported Outcomes in Clinical Trials, Cancer Survivorship I am a Professor in the Program in Public Health, the Department of Medicine and the Health Policy Research Institute in the College of Health Sciences at the University of California, Irvine. I am Principal Investigator of three completed NCI-funded studies examining quality of life (QOL) of gynecologic cancer survivors. I have had substantial experience developing and supervising the implementation of counseling interventions, including those to enhance quality of life and cancer survivorship. My extensive experience as a quality of life investigator and current QOL Committee Chair within the Gynecologic Oncology Group further strengthens my expertise in patient-reported outcome measurement and assessment. Currently, I am the Co-Principal Investigator of an R01 examining stress, immunity and cervical cancer evaluating the effects of a Psychosocial Telephone Counseling intervention on the QOL and biological parameters of cervical cancer survivors. I also serve as the Director of the Biobehavioral Shared Resource of the CFCCC, in which I advise cancer center members on patient-reported outcome assessment.
Faculty Link: http://www.faculty.uci.edu/profile.cfm?faculty_id=5225 Student Research Opportunities / Scope of Work
! May include analytical work, document/internet researches, etc. ! Opportunities to publish or present ! Duties and tasks will depend on the research project
Research Environment • Research laboratory, research lab, clinical and/or field
Requirements
• Completion of prerequisites, consent of instructor Final Research Report Requirement
• Depends on the project
FACULTY(RESEARCH(SUMMARY( WU, JUN
Research Interests: Air pollution exposure assessment and air pollution epidemiology
Abstract Dr. Wu's research program focuses primarily on air pollution exposure assessment and environmental epidemiology. The overarching goal of her research is to more accurately characterize air pollutant exposure in critical microenvironments and examine health effect due to air pollution exposure. Recent and current studies involve human exposure assessment studies (measurement and modeling), applications of geographical information system (GIS) and global positioning system (GPS) tracking in exposure assessment and epidemiological studies, and impact of air pollution exposure on pregnancy outcomes and respiratory illnesses.
Faculty Link (s): http://www.faculty.uci.edu/profile.cfm?faculty_id=5371&name=Jun%20%20Wu Student Research Opportunities / Scope of Work
! Field measurements related to air pollution exposure ! Data entry and quality assurance ! The application of GIS in exposure assessment and health studies ! Statistical and analytical work using software analysis. ! Duties, tasks, and hours of work will depend on the research project ! Opportunity to present or publish ! Preferably two or more quarters of enrollment
Research Environment • Research office or laboratory
Requirements • Completion of prerequisites, consent of instructor
Final Research Report Requirement
• Depends on the project
FACULTY(RESEARCH(SUMMARY( YAN, GUIYUN
Research Interests: Epidemiology of malaria in Africa and Southeast Asia and vector biology Abstract Ecology of African Highland Malaria The East African highlands (1,500m above sea level) were either free of malaria or had very low incidences; however, since late 1980s malaria epidemics have frequently occurred in some highland areas. We examine the mechanisms leading to the resurgence of malaria in African high-elevation areas, including climate, land use, topography and antimalarial drug resistance in the Plasmodium parasites. We found that deforestation and swamp reclamation affect microclimatic and nutritional conditions of larval habitats, increase the survivorship of malaria vectors at larval and adult stages, shorten the development time of malaria parasites, and significantly increase mosquito vectorial capacity. We are developing models to predict the spread of malaria infections in an epidemic, and evaluating new malaria vector control methods for epidemic prevention. Population Biology of African Malaria Vectors We are interested in 1) larval population regulation of Anopheles gambiae and An. funestus mosquito, and 2) dry-season survival strategy of mosquito populations. Previously, we have determined green algae are important food source for anopheline larvae. We are currently determining the species composition of green algae in larval habitats and identifying the gut contents of mosquito larvae using bar-coding technique. Using bioassays we determine the nutritional values of algae to mosquito larvae and adults. We are also interested in the potential tradeoffs between larval nutritional status and adult survivorship, blood feeding and vectorial capacity. We are examining physiology, ecology and genetics of desiccation resistance, and age-grading molecular marker development for An. gambiae. Malaria research in Southeast Asia
This NIH ICEMR program includes four projects. Project 1 “Malaria epidemiology in Southeast Asia: intra- and inter-country dynamics” aims to develop an accurate measurement of heterogeneity of the disease burden, and provide essential epidemiological information for developing and evaluating integrated malaria control strategies in multiple sites with varying epidemiological conditions. Project 2 “Malaria vectorial system and new vector control tools in Southeast Asia” aims to understand the malaria vectorial system in this region and develop innovative malaria transmission surveillance and control tools. Project 3 “Antimalarial drug resistance in P. falciparum” aims to elucidate the mechanism of artemisinin resistance using a high-throughput, genome-wide analytic tool and parasite populations from areas where artemisinin resistance is emerging. Project 4 “Development of monoclonal antibody-based assays for detection and quantification of artemisinin derivatives” will develop antibody-based
FACULTY(RESEARCH(SUMMARY( methods for quantification of artemisinins under laboratory and field conditions and for field monitoring of drug quality and pharmacokinetic studies.
! Duties and tasks will depend on the research project ! Opportunity to present or publish
Research Environment • Research laboratory or field work (may be international)
Requirements • Completion of prerequisites, consent of instructor
Final Research Report Requirement
• Depends on the project
________________________FACULTY))RESEARCH))SUMMARY_______________________)!Samuel!Bederman Research Interests: iPad%Survey%Research%% Abstract: Patient reported outcomes govern the future of healthcare. How does one enhance quality of care, increase surgery success, and reduce complications? By getting feedback from the patients. Students will be in charge of collecting patient outcomes by administering iPad surveys and optimizing the use of iPads for data collection in a clinical setting. Explore a career in the healthcare industry, work with doctors and patients in a clinical setting, and make a difference in the community! REQUIREMENTS - students 18 years or older - minimum 4 quarters of full-time enrollment at UCI - undergraduate student at the school of public health or biological sciences - minimum 3.0 GPA - minimum 1-quarter commitment - 4-hour shifts per week (8am-noon and 1pm-5pm) FACULTY SPONSOR Dr. Samuel Bederman For more information, contact: Deeba Pourmand [email protected] ONLINE APPLICATION https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1sv39HoEsyWRGhAL9UaMSsufLQT8L4E2qCxPaU_JJJJU/viewform
