{"62141":{"#nid":"62141","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Dr. Michelle Dawson Receives Two Research Grants for Her Work in Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs)","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EDr. \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/fac_staff\/faculty\/dawson.php\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EMichelle Dawson\u003C\/a\u003E, assistant professor in  the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemical \u0026amp; Biomolecular\u003C\/a\u003E\n Engineering at Georgia Tech, has been  named a recipient of two \nresearch grants for her work in mesenchymal stem cells  (MSCs). MSCs are\n bone marrow-derived adult stem cells that are involved in  wound \nhealing and tissue regeneration.\n        \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe first award is sponsored by the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gtec.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGeorgia  Tech and Emory Center for Regenerative Medicine (GTEC)\u003C\/a\u003E\n for a project to study  new approaches for engineering MSCs to increase\n the rate and effectiveness for  healing wounds. The award is funded in \npart by the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.atlantactsi.org\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EAtlanta Clinical  and\u0026nbsp;Translational Science Institute (ACTSI)\u003C\/a\u003E\n and provides funding for one  year. ACTSI is an inter-institutional \nmagnet that brings together research  investigators, community \nclinicians, professional societies, and industry  partners to \ncollaborate on clinical and translational research projects. Emory,  \nAtlanta\u2013Morehouse School of Medicine, and Georgia Tech form the ACTSI  \ninter-institutional partnership.\u003C\/p\u003E\n        \u003Cp\u003EDr. Dawson\u2019s study will be focused on the  optimization of \nMSC migration in the wound bed. Dr. Dawson says that \u201cincreased  \nmigration of locally infused MSCs may lead to more rapid wound closure \nsince  MSCs produce granulation tissue that may constrict the wound.\u201d \nDr. Dawson\u2019s lab  is also focused on genetically engineering MSCs to \noverexpress vascular endothelial  growth factor, which will be used to \npromote wound healing by increasing blood  vessel formation. Growth \nfactor replacement is a standard treatment for chronic  wounds. Dr. \nDawson postulates that VEGF-expressing MSCs could serve as an  \nalternative to growth factor replacement therapies, which are extremely \n expensive and sometimes ineffective due to obstacles in protein drug \ndelivery.\u003C\/p\u003E\n        \u003Cp\u003EThe  second award, a Broadening Participation Research Initiation Grant in  Engineering (BRIGE) is sponsored by the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.nsf.gov\/div\/index.jsp?div=CMMI\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ECivil, Mechanical and Manufacturing  Innovation\u003C\/a\u003E (CMMI) Division of the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.nsf.gov\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ENational Science Foundation\u003C\/a\u003E\n (NSF). The BRIGE funding,  a two-year award, will be used to determine \nhow microscopic mechanical  properties contribute to MSC mobility. Using\n quantitative real-time microscopy  techniques, including particle \ntracking microrheology and time-lapsed  fluorescent microscopy, the \neffects of tumor-secreted soluble factors on  intracellular rheology, \ncytoskeletal organization, and cell adhesion molecule  expression will \nbe monitored. Together these techniques will be used to  identify the \nmechanical and adhesive properties of migratory MSCs. Dr. Dawson says  \nthat the mobility of infused MSCs is limited by changes in their \nmorphology  after in vitro expansion. \u201cThe proposed studies will provide\n fundamental  information that will be used to optimize the migratory \nbehavior of expanded  MSCs,\u201d she explains.\u003C\/p\u003E\n        \u003Cp\u003EDr. Dawson joined the School of Chemical \u0026amp;  Biomolecular \nEngineering in 2008 after completing a postdoctoral appointment at  \nMassachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. She received \nher  doctoral degree from The Johns Hopkins University in 2005 and her \nbachelor\u2019s  degree from Louisiana Tech University in 1999. She is the \nrecipient of a 2009  Georgia Cancer Coalition Breast Cancer Research \nAward. \u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EDr. \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/fac_staff\/faculty\/dawson.php\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EMichelle Dawson\u003C\/a\u003E, assistant professor in  the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemical \u0026amp; Biomolecular\u003C\/a\u003E\n Engineering at Georgia Tech, has been  named a recipient of two \nresearch grants for her work in mesenchymal stem cells  (MSCs). MSCs are\n bone marrow-derived adult stem cells that are involved in  wound \nhealing and tissue regeneration.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Dr. Michelle Dawson, assistant professor in the School of Chemical \u0026 Biomolecular Engineering at Georgia Tech, has been named a recipient of two research grants for her work in mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs)."}],"uid":"27255","created_gmt":"2010-10-13 16:43:33","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:07:34","author":"Josie Giles","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2010-10-13T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2010-10-13T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"62140":{"id":"62140","type":"image","title":"Dr. Michelle Dawson","body":null,"created":"1449176355","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:59:15","changed":"1475894539","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:19","alt":"Dr. Michelle Dawson","file":{"fid":"191410","name":"dawson.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/dawson_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/dawson_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":67780,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/dawson_0.jpg?itok=_fqD3ARF"}}},"media_ids":["62140"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/","title":"School of Chemical \u0026 Biomolecular Engineering"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/dawson\/","title":"Dawson Stem Cell Biophysics \u0026 Engineering Lab"}],"groups":[{"id":"1240","name":"School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"385","name":"cancer"},{"id":"280","name":"Cancer research"},{"id":"10960","name":"chemical engieering"},{"id":"10683","name":"Michelle Dawson"},{"id":"167130","name":"Stem Cells"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJosie G. Giles \u2022 ChBE@GT\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n311 Ferst Drive NW\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, GA 30332-0100\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n404.385.2299 \u2022 404.385.0185 fax\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:josie@gatech.edu\u0022\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\njosie@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/twitter.com\/GTChBE\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ewww.chbe.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/twitter.com\/GTChBE\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/twitter.com\/GTChBE\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/twitter.com\/GTChBE\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["josie@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}