Department News

Anastasia Abello

Xiao-Jing Wang, M.D., Ph.D.

Anastasia Abello, Ph.D. graduate student in Professor Xiao-Jing Wang’s laboratory, received an NCI Diversity Supplement Award in the total amount of $229,830 for 3 years. Anastasia is a student in the Graduate Group in Integrative Pathobiology Program. The funding will support her thesis research to study mechanisms of oral cancer disparity in prognosis and treatment response. Congratulations to Anastasia!

Brittany N. Dugger, Ph.D.

A multi-disciplinary team of researchers led by Brittany Dugger, Ph.D., of UC Davis Health has been awarded a $6 million grant from the National Institute on Aging (NIA) to continue to help define the neuropathology of Alzheimer disease with a focus on persons who identify as Hispanic/Latino. The five-year grant will continue to fund a large-scale initiative to present a comprehensive description of brain manifestations of Alzheimer disease with a focus on individuals of Mexican, Cuban, Puerto Rican, and/or Dominican heritage.

This grant brings together an exceptional team of experts spanning many disciplines including machine learning, genetics, clinical/neuropsychology, health disparities, health equity, and statistics. The grant involves persons from multiple departments across UC Davis, including Lorena Garcia, M.P.H., Dr.P.H. and Laurel Beckett, Ph.D. from Public Health Sciences, Dan Mungas, Ph.D. from Neurology, Chen-Nee Chuah, Ph.D. from Electrical and Computer Engineering and Luis Carvajal-Carmona, Ph.D. and Paul Lott, Ph.D. from Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine. The grant also involves collaborations with Emory University with David Gutman, M.D., Ph.D., as well as the Human Computation Institute with Pietro Michelucci, Ph.D.

From left to right: Lorena Garcia, M.P.H., Dr.P.H., Laurel Alison Beckett, Ph.D., Dan M. Mungas, Ph.D., Chen-Nee Chuah, Ph.D., Luis Carvajal-Carmona, Ph.D. and Paul Lott, Ph.D.

The research will expand upon prior works-See papers:

• The neuropathological landscape of Hispanic and non-Hispanic White decedents with Alzheimer disease
• The neuropathological landscape of small vessel disease and Lewy pathology in a cohort of Hispanic and non-Hispanic White decedents with Alzheimer disease

“Most works on dementia have been focused on persons of certain demographics, it is imperative to study persons from diverse backgrounds, including persons who identify as Hispanic/Latino to develop cures that benefit ALL PERSONS” states Dugger.

To advance prevention and treatment of Alzheimer disease for all persons, it’s important to study the anatomic and pathologic bases and their link to clinical, demographic and genetic factors. The current grant will focus on ways human samples are evaluated- using machine learning methods to augment the ability of neuropathology experts, as well as utilizing citizen science to engage communities, especially those of Hispanic/Latino heritage to contribute with data analysis as well as provide outreach and educational opportunities.

Professor Kuang-Yu Jen was recently honored for completing the Leadership and Executive Administration Development (LEAD) Program for UC Davis physicians.

Congratulations to Vihar Patel, M.D., for his engagement with high school students in the Viasalia Unified School District. Vihar Patel is committed to promoting Pathology and other health care related opportunities with students of all ages.