CIIDI members within the College of Public Health recognized for publications, presentation, and RDC grant
The Center of Excellence in Inflammation, Infectious Disease, and Immunity is pleased to have members representing each of the health sciences colleges, as well as the College of Arts and Sciences. Recently, several College of Public Health (COPH) faculty who are Center members were highlighted in COPH’s Month in Review.
Dr. Mildred Maisonet, an Associate Professor in the Department of Biostatistics
and Epidemiology, led a public outreach session in conjunction with National Chronic
Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Month. The educational presentation on COPD and home
air pollution was held at Memorial Park Community Center in Johnson City.
Dr. Matthew Zahner and Dr. Yongke Lu, both Assistant Professors in the Department
of Health Sciences, were recently awarded a Major Grant award from the Research Development
Committee. Their new study, “Obesity-induced hypertension: hormones of obesity that
activate metabolic and cardiovascular centers within the brain,” will examine the
manner in which leptin activates both cardiovascular-related and metabolic-related
neurons within the hypothalamus of mice. The study will provide information regarding
the manner in which the brain regulates metabolism and blood pressure.
Dr. Lu also was also recently published in the Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics. He is the corresponding author of the article “Nicotine enhances alcoholic fatty
liver in mice: Role of CYP2A5,” which examines cytochrome P450 enzymes in the interaction
between nicotine and alcohol in the liver and their association with fatty liver.
Dr. Jonathan Peterson, Associate Professor in the Department of Health Sciences,
was a coauthor of the 
article “The sex specific effect of alcohol consumption on circulating levels of CTRP3”
with lead author Ashley deGroat, and additional co-authors CIIDI Co-Director Dr. Jonathan
Moorman (COM), Samantha Dunlay, Christina Fleming, and Kendra Hagood. The article
was published in PLOS ONE.
The CIIDI congratulates these members on their community outreach, award, and scholarship recognition. Links to each full story may be found at https://www.etsu.edu/cph/featured_news.php.
