BLR&D Research Career Scientist Award Application

目标：此申请的目标是申请研究职业科学家(RCS)奖和 支持周惠平博士的退伍军人研究计划。 提名：周博士自2008年以来一直担任退伍军人事务部研究化学家一职，她还 弗吉尼亚大学微生物学和免疫学系终身教授头衔 弗吉尼亚州里士满的联邦大学医学院。周博士的研究 该计划一直得到退伍军人事务部功绩审查奖、NIH R01赠款、几个 自从她建立独立研究以来，当地的基金会和制药公司 计划于2004年推出。周博士在相关科学研究领域做出了重大贡献 在她的职业生涯中，她一直致力于肝脏损伤和代谢性疾病，并发表了100多篇同龄人- 回顾了已被引用超过6000次的原创研究文章。此外，Dr。 周在退伍军人管理局赞助的几个研究项目中担任联合研究员。 研究：周博士实验室的研究将调查药物潜在的机制-- 肝损伤与胆汁酸介导的信号转导通路在肝脂中的作用 在生理和病理条件下的代谢，并进一步寻找新的和 预防和治疗代谢性疾病的更有效的治疗方法。肝胆汁酸破碎术 动态平衡通常发生在各种病理状态，如非酒精性脂肪肝 疾病(NAFLD)、酒精性脂肪肝(ALD)、胆汁淤积性肝病以及药物- 致肝损伤。由于胆汁酸介导的肝损伤的确切机制和 代谢性疾病仍然鲜为人知，有效的治疗方法有限。周博士的研究是 高度关注与疾病相关的新的细胞/分子机制的鉴定 NAFLD、ALD与胆汁淤积性肝病的研究进展周博士的研究使用了统计数据- 最先进的技术，包括分离和培养各种肝细胞，检查特定的 信使RNA(MRNA)、非编码RNA(NcRNA)、mRNA/ncRNA/RNA结合蛋白(RBP) 相互作用和细胞外载体介导的交流。周博士的团队已经 建立NAFLD/NASH、ALD和胆汁淤积动物模型。她的团队还 广泛使用转基因动物，包括组织特异性基因敲除小鼠。这个 周博士研究计划的超常目标是阐明细胞/分子 调节肝脏脂质动态平衡的机制并为 开发治疗各种肝病的新疗法。 影响：周博士的研究计划直接解决了与以下相关的重要健康问题 VA使命，因为NAFLD/NASH、ALD和胆汁淤积性肝病在我们的 退伍军人病患群体。周博士还积极与多名调查人员合作 麦奎尔退伍军人医学中心的研究服务。她的专业知识和学术活动帮助 促进VAMHCS研究。

AIMS: The goal of this application is to apply for Research Career Scientist (RCS) Award and to support Dr. Huiping Zhou’s VA research program. NOMINEE: Dr. Zhou has held a VA Research Chemist position since 2008, and she also holds the title of Tenured Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine in Richmond, Virginia. Dr. Zhou’s research program has been continuously funded by VA MERIT Review Awards, NIH R01 grants, several local foundations and pharmaceutical companies since she established her independent research program in 2004. Dr. Zhou has made significant contributions to scientific research fields related to liver injury and metabolic diseases throughout her career, and published more than 100 peer- reviewed original research articles that have created more than 6000 citations. In addition, Dr. Zhou acts as a co-investigator in several VA-sponsored research projects. Research: Studies in Dr. Zhou’s laboratory are to investigate the mechanisms underlying drug- induced liver injury and the role of bile acid-mediated signaling pathways in hepatic lipid metabolism under physiological and pathological conditions, and to further search for new and more effective therapies to prevent and treat metabolic diseases. Disruption of hepatic bile acid homeostasis occur commonly in various pathological states such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), alcoholic fatty liver disease (ALD), cholestatic liver diseases as well as drug- induced liver injury. Since the exact mechanisms underlying bile acid-mediated liver injury and metabolic diseases are still obscure, effective therapeutics are limited. Dr. Zhou’s research is highly focused on identification of novel cellular/molecular mechanisms involved in disease progression of NAFLD, ALD and cholestatic liver diseases. Dr. Zhou’s research employs the stat- of-the-art techniques, including isolation and culture of various hepatic cells, examine specific messenger RNA (mRNA), non-coding RNA (ncRNA), mRNA/ncRNA/RNA –binding proteins (RBP) interactions and extracellular vehicles-mediated communications. Dr. Zhou’s group has established animal models for NAFLD/NASH, ALD, and cholestasis. Her group has also extensively used genetic modified animals including tissue-specific knockout mice. The overreaching goal of Dr. Zhou’s research program is to elucidate the cellular/molecular mechanisms that govern hepatic lipid homeostasis and to create a fundamental base for development of new therapeutics for various liver diseases. IMPACT: Dr. Zhou’s research program directly addresses an important health issue relevant to the VA mission, since NAFLD/NASH, ALD and cholestatic liver diseases occur commonly in our VA patient population. Dr. Zhou is also actively collaborates a number of investigators in the Research service of the McGuire VA Medical Center. Her expertise and academic activity help promoting VAMHCS research.