BLR&D Research Career Scientist Award Application

我的长期职业目标是改善人类的生活质量，包括退伍军人的生活质量，通过 研究。我的实验室专注于两个广泛和免费的研究领域：1)癌症生物学和2) 癌症的预防和实验治疗学。我的总体目标是定义关键分子和 在癌症发展过程中发生的生化事件，这些事件反过来将有助于识别靶点和新的 癌症管理的方法和策略。虽然我对癌症很感兴趣，但我最近的关注点是 患有皮肤癌和前列腺癌，这两种癌症对退伍军人的影响都不成比例。举例 我的实验室正在进行的研究如下。我们正在研究它的作用和功能意义 有丝分裂调节因子，包括丝氨酸/苏氨酸激酶(PLK)家族，以及这些因素是如何 与其他重要的细胞信号通路相互作用，影响癌症的发展和进展。在……里面 此外，我们正在试图了解烟酰胺腺嘌呤二核苷酸(NAD)依赖的作用 脱乙酰酶，即Sirtuin家族蛋白，在癌症的发生和/或进展中。第二 我的主要研究重点是确定各种不同的化学预防/治疗癌症的潜力 药物，如白藜芦醇(一种在葡萄、坚果、浆果和红酒中发现的植物防御素抗氧化剂)、褪黑素 (松果体的主要分泌产物和已知的抗氧化剂)，维生素E(人体内的主要抗氧化剂 生物膜)和硒(人体必需的微量营养素)。我目前由退伍军人事务部赞助的研究 重点研究黑色素瘤的发生和发展机制。这一研究领域是 与退伍军人管理局医疗保健极其相关，因为美国军方在世界各地执行任务，包括在 中东(伊拉克和阿富汗)。部署到这些区域会导致大量的紫外线照射 这增加了从这些地区归来的退伍军人患恶性黑色素瘤的风险。基于几个 研究表明，驻扎在太平洋地区的二战老兵患黑色素瘤的几率有所增加 以及那些在越南牧场行动中接触到二恶英污染除草剂的人。我正在进行的 研究旨在明确黑色素瘤发生的分子机制。我相信我的研究 研究结果正朝着确定管理这种致命肿瘤的新策略的方向发展。 因此，我的工作与退伍军人的医疗保健相关和重要，符合退伍军人协会的使命 退伍军人事务部。我的研究结果发表在广泛的高影响力杂志上 科学期刊。我发表了170多篇论文，150篇摘要和几本书的章节(总计 引文：17,705；h-index，65；i10-index：1256来源：谷歌学者；8/2016)。 我是两个备受尊敬的期刊的副主编，毒理学和应用药理学，以及 光化学和光生物学，我是其他几种杂志的编辑委员会成员。我是 经常被邀请参加对国家和国际供资机构赠款的同行审查， 包括退伍军人事务部、国立卫生研究院和国防部。我 我目前是美国国立卫生研究院放射治疗和生物学(RTB)研究部的正式成员。 我指导了许多各级初级科学家(本科生、研究生、博士后和初级 教职员工)。我以前的许多实习生/学员都成功地在 学术界和工业界。此外，我还与退伍军人事务部的许多科学家进行了广泛的合作 与威斯康星大学一样，美国的其他大学以及美国以外的大学(在国际上)也是如此。我有过 一直相信‘两个头总比一个好’的观念。我的大部分合作都是 非常成功，产生了大量的论文和外部资金。 总而言之，我相信我完全有资格担任BLR&D功绩回顾研究职业科学家 (RCS)奖，感谢您考虑我的申请。

My long-term career goal is to improve the quality of human life, including that of Veterans, through my research. My laboratory focuses on two broad and complimentary research areas: 1) cancer biology and 2) prevention and experimental therapeutics of cancer. My overall goal is to define the critical molecular and biochemical events that occur during cancer development that in turn will assist in identifying targets and new approaches and strategies for cancer management. While interested in cancer in general, my recent focus has been on skin and prostate cancers, both of which disproportionally affect the Veteran population. Examples of ongoing research in my laboratory are as follows. We are studying the role and functional significance of mitotic regulators, including the polo-like kinase (Plk) family of serine/threonine kinases, and how these factors interact with other important cell signaling pathways to influence cancer development and progression. In addition, we are trying to understand the role of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD)+ -dependent deacetylases, namely the Sirtuin family proteins, in the development and/or progression of cancer. The second major focus of my research is to define the cancer chemopreventive/therapeutic potential of a variety of agents, such as resveratrol (a phytoalexin antioxidant found in grapes, nuts, berries and red wine), melatonin (the chief secretory product of the pineal gland and a known antioxidant), vitamin E (the major antioxidant in biomembranes) and selenium (an essential micronutrient for humans). My current VA-sponsored research focuses on identifying the mechanism of melanoma development and progression. This research area is extremely relevant to VA healthcare as the U.S. military engages in missions all over the world, including in the Middle East (Iraq and Afghanistan). Deployment to these regions results in significant UV irradiation exposure that increases the risk for malignant melanoma in the Veterans returning from these areas. Based on several studies, an increased incidence of melanoma was reported for World War II Veterans stationed in the Pacific and those exposed to dioxin-contaminated herbicides during Operation Ranch Hand in Vietnam. My ongoing research aims at defining the molecular mechanism of melanoma development. I believe that my research findings are moving towards the identification of novel strategies for the management of this deadly neoplasm. Thus, my work is relevant and significant to Veteran's healthcare and is in line with the mission of the Department of Veterans Affairs. The results of my research are published in a wide range of high-impact scientific journals. I have published more than 170 papers, 150 abstracts and several book chapters (Total Citations: 17,705; h-index, 65; i10-index: 1256 Source: Google Scholar; 8/2016). I serve as an Associate Editor of two well-respected journals, Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology and Photochemistry and Photobiology, and am a member of the Editorial Board of several other journals. I am regularly invited to participate in the peer-review of grants for national and international funding agencies, including the Department of Veterans Affairs, National Institutes of Health, and the Department of Defense. I am currently a regular member of the Radiation Therapeutics and Biology (RTB) Study Section of the NIH. I mentored numerous junior scientists at all levels (undergraduate, graduate, post-doctoral, and junior faculty). Many of my previous trainees/mentees have successfully obtained independent positions in academics and industry. In addition, I extensively collaborated with numerous scientists within the VA as well as at the University of Wisconsin, other universities in the U.S., and outside the country (internationally). I have always believed in the notion that `two heads are better than one'. A majority of my collaborations have been very successful, resulting in numerous papers and extramural funding. In summary, I believe that I am well qualified for the BLR&D Merit Review Research Career Scientist (RCS) Award, and I appreciate your consideration of my application.