UNDER CONSTRUCTION!!
Smyth/Morris Lab
Principal Investigators.
Dr. Susan S. Smyth MD. Ph.D. Dr. Andrew J. Morris Ph.D.
Current Lab Members
J. Anthony Brandon Ph.D.
Research Assistant Professor & Lab Manager.
Smyth/Morris Lab
Research. ATX
Education: Ph.D (2004) Dept. Of Forensic Scicene, Univ. of Central,Lancashire, UK
BSc.(Hons)(1999) Health Sciences, Wolverhapmpton University, UK
Team Member Since:April 2013
Contact Details: Office: BBSRB B354. Phone (859) 323-3348, Email: jabran2@uky.edu
Home Town: Market Drayton, Shropshire, UK.
Click here for Faculty website.
Recent Publications:
- Mice with targeted inactivation of ppap2b in endothelial and hematopoietic cells display enhanced vascular inflammation and permeability. Panchatcharam M, Salous AK, Brandon J, Miriyala S, Wheeler J, Patil P, Sunkara M, Morris AJ, Escalante-Alcalde D, Smyth SS Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2014 Apr;34(4):837-45. doi: 10.1161/ATVBAHA.113.302335. Epub 2014 Feb 6. PMID: 24504738
- Arguing the case for the autotaxin-lysophosphatidic acid-lipid phosphate phosphatase 3-signaling nexus in the development and complications of atherosclerosis. Smyth SS, Mueller P, Yang F, Brandon JA, Morris AJ. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2014 Mar;34(3):479-86. doi: 10.1161/ATVBAHA.113.302737. Epub 2014 Jan 30. Review. PMID: 24482375
Travis Sexton Ph.D.
Research Associate & Clinical Study Coordinator.
Smyth Lab.
Research:Travis oversees patient recruitment, sample collection and processing, protocol execution and data collection and analysis, and drafting and publishing manuscripts for multiple studies in which we analyze platelet function, platelet-leukocyte interactions, and the role of inflammation and thrombosis in a variety of clinical settings including acute coronary syndrome, pneumonia, and patients receiving interventional devices such as aortic valve replacements and ventricular assist devices (VADs).
Education: Ph.D. (2009) Molecular & Cellular Biology, Dept. of Biology, Univ. of Kentucky
BS. (2002) Emphasis in Botany, Estern Kentucky University.
Team Member Since: August 2012.
Contact Details: Desk BBSRB B348A Phone: (859) 323-3617 Email: trsext2@uky.edu
Home Town: Paris Ky.
Recent Publications:
- The effect of rosuvastatin on thromboinflammation in the setting of acute coronary syndrome. Sexton TR, Wallace EL, Macaulay TE, Charnigo RJ, Evangelista V, Campbell CL, Bailey AL, Smyth SS. J Thromb Thrombolysis. 2014 Oct 12. [Epub ahead of print].
- Novel mediators and biomarkers of thrombosis. Sexton T, Smyth SS. J Thromb Thrombolysis. 2014 Jan;37(1):1-3. doi: 10.1007/s11239-013-1034-5. Review. PMID: 24356857
Prabha Nagareddy Ph.D.
Scientist III
Research:
Obesity is associated with infiltration of macrophages into adipose tissue (AT), contributing
to i nsulin resistance and diabetes. However, relatively little is known regarding the origin of AT
macrophages (ATMs). We discovered that murine models of obesity have prominent
monocytosis and neutrophilia, associated with proliferation and expansion of bone marrow (BM)
myeloid progenitors. AT transplantation conferred myeloid progenitor proliferation in lean, while
weight loss in both mice and humans (via gastric bypass) was associated with
a reversal of monocytosis and neutrophilia. Adipose S100A8/A9 induced ATM TLR4/MyD88
and NLRP3 inflammasome-dependent IL-1β production. IL-1β interacted with the IL-1 receptor
on BM myeloid progenitors to stimulate the production of monocytes and neutrophils.These
studies uncover a positive feedback loop between ATMs and BM myeloid progenitors and suggest that inhibition of TLR4
ligands or the NLRP3-IL-1β signaling axis could reduce AT inflammation and insulin resistance in obesity.
Education: Ph.D. (20XX) Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of British Columbia.
MPharm: (20XX)
Team Member Since; July 2013
Contact Details: Desk: BBSRB B348D Phone: (859) 323-5484 Email pran222@uky.edu
Home Town Bangalore, India.
Recent Publications:
Paul Mueller BS.
Graduate Student (Ph.D. candidate 2015)
Smyth Lab
Research:
Large genomic studies in humans have implicated the gene PPAP2B in containing SNPs that
increase an individual’s risk of developing coronary artery disease. Paul is investigating
PPAP2B’s product, LPP3, a lipid phosphate phosphatase that degrades bioactive LPA, and it role i
in the development of atherosclerosis.
Education: BS. Biology, University of Kentucky.
Ph.D. candidate 2015
Team Member since: 2007
Contact Details: Desk BBSRB B306-01 Phone (859) 323-5484 Email pamuel3@uky.edu Home Town. Winchester KY
Recent Publications.
Therese Stearns.
MD/PhD Program Administrator/Director.
Role:
Education:
Team Member Since: 2007
Contact Details: Office BBSRB B252 Phone (859) 323-
2274 Email tmstea2@email.uky.edu
Home Town. Winchester
KY
Manjula Sunkara MS.
Scientist II
Morris Lab
Research: Manjula’s primary role has been to develop mass spectrometry based
methods for the structural analysis and quantitation of lipids, small molecule metabolites and
experimental therapeutics.
Education: MS. Chemistry, Tennessee Technological University.
Team Member since: 2008
Contact Details: Desk BBSRB B106, Email manjula.sunkara@uky.edu
Home Town. Hyderabad, India Small Molecule Mass Spectrometry Core Laboratory.
Recent Publications.
Sony Soman Ph.D.
Scientist I
Morris Lab
Research: Sony’s work involves providing structural analysis and quantitation of a wide
range of analytes
including lipids, nucleotides, peptides and other metabolites using mass spectrometry
based approaches.
Education: Ph.D. Chemistry, University of Kentucky
Team Member since: 2013 Small Molecule Mass Spectrometry Core Laboratory
Contact Details: Desk BBSRB B106 Email sonysoman@uky.edu Home Town. Delhi,
Recent Publications
Fredrick Onono Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow.
Morris Lab.
Research: Fredrick studies the mechanisms by which intestinal lipids promote
cardiovascular disease risk.
Education: Ph.D. Molecular Medicine. Hannover Medical School, Germany.
MSc. Biochemistry University of Nairobi
JKUAT Kenya (Chemistry/ Biochemistry)
Team member since: 2010
Contact Details: Desk: BBSRB B306-03 Email: fred.onono@uky.edu Phone: (859) 323-
5484 Home Town: Kisumu City, Kenya
Recent Publications
Liping Yang. MD.
Sr. Research Technician
Smyth Lab
Research:
Education: MD China
Team member since: 2009
Contact Details: Desk: BBSRB B306-05 Email: lpyang2@email.uky.edu Phone: (859) 323-
5484
Home Town: Qinhuangdao, China.
Recent Publications.
Collin Ray BS.
Student Research Technician
Smyth/Morris Lab
Role:
Education Pharm.D. Class of 2018. College of Pharmacy, University of Kentucky
BS. Human Nutrition, University of Kentucky.
Team member since: 2013
Contact Details: Desk: BBSRB B306-02 Email: cjra223@g.uky.edu
Phone: (859) 323-5484 Home Town: Louisville, KY
Julia Vandra.
Student Research Technician
Smyth/Morris Lab
Role:
Education
Team member since: 2013
Contact Details: Desk: BBSRB B306-02 Email: julia.vandra@uky.edu
Phone: (859) 323-5484 Home Town:
Abdel-Latif Lab.
AHMED ABDEL-LATIF, M.D., Ph.D.
Yuri Khachkin Ph.D.
Research Associate.
Abdel-Latif Lab
Research: Yuri is interested in regenerating the heart after heart attacks via bone
marrow derived stem cells.
Education: Graduate: University of Kentucky (Ph.D) Microbiology, Immunology,
Molecular Genetics.
Team Member Since:
Contact Details:BBSRB B348E
Phone: (859) 323-5484
Email:ymklya0@uky.edu
Hometown: Saratov, Russia.
Recent Publications.
Shaojing Ye Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Scholar.
Abdel-Latif Lab
Research:
Shaojing’s research is focused on myocardial regenerative therapies. Currently
she is working on mouse cardiovascular surgery models.
Education: Ph.D.University of Kentucky
Bachelor of Dental Science, China Medical University, China
Team member since: 2014
Contact Details: BBSRB B0348 B Email: Shaojing.Ye@uky.edu Phone: (859)
323-5484 Home Town: Hangzhou, China
Recent Publications.
Mohammad Mathbout MD.
Research:
Education:
Team Member since. 2014
Contact Details.
Recent Publications.
Li Lab.
Binggang Xiang Ph.D.
Research Assistant Professor.
Li Lab
Research: Binggang’s focus is on exploring the signaling pathways regulating platelet activity
and the role of platelets in human diseases including sepsis and ARC syndrome.
Education: Ph.D.Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China
Team member since: 2009
Contact Details: Desk: BBSRB B306-11 Email: binggang.xiang2@uky.edu Phone: (859) 323-5484 Home Town: Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
Recent Publications:
Guoying Zhang, MD.
Research Associate.
Li Lab
Research:
Guoying research focuses on the role of NPRA/cGMP pathway in platelet activation
and the role of platelets in sepsis.
Education: MD, China
Team member since: 2009
Contact Details: Desk: BBSRB B306-xx Email: guoying.zhang@uky.edu Phone: (859) 323-5484 Home Town: China
Recent Publications:
Ren Lab.
Weihua Jiang BS
Sr. Laboratory Technician
Research:
Education Mechanical Engineering (B.S.), China
Team member since: 2012
Contact Details: Desk: BBSRB B306-xx Email: Phone: (859) 323-
5484 Home Town: Sichuan, China.