Dear Friends, I want to extend to you a warm welcome to the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (BMB). My deepest appreciation goes to our faculty, students, and staff for their resilience to make BMB a great place to learn, and to do research amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Our research programs are thriving from benchtop to community. In this issue of the BMB Newsletter, you will learn that we discovered a new twist to the obesity biomarker adiponectin for cardio metabolic disease treatments. We have also had new developments in patient-centered intervention tools to help mitigate the impact of COVID-19 in American Indian communities of New Mexico. Due to the pandemic, we suspended face-to-face courses including laboratories as a step to slow the spread of the disease. To that end, our instructors have worked around the clock to learn online pedagogies, deliver content, and assess student learning. We are making virtual biochemistry learning interactive and effective using a collection of resources. The 2020 graduating biochemistry class was the largest to date. Among our graduates are many of the best students in campus. They include first-generation college graduates from underrepresented communities in New Mexico. We realize that college graduation is a big deal. I understand the difficulties because I am also a first-generation college graduate in my immediate family. I graduated from the Universidad Simon Bolivar in Caracas- Venezuela, the alma mater dear to my heart. It was not easy, but I succeeded with support from professors, mentors, sponsors, coaches, family, and friends. It takes a village to succeed in our own career choices. With that in mind, we are exploring new ways to create opportunities for our biochemistry majors. We started the BMB LinkedIn network to reconnect the 46 biochemistry graduating classes with each other, the BMB faculty, graduate students, and the current undergraduate students. This initiative provides opportunities to launch new collaborations and create an alumni incubator to nurture mentors and sponsors who can help recent biochemistry baccalaureate and graduate students to hit the ground running after they complete their education in the BMB Department. I have always believed that our undergraduate biochemistry education provides incomparable tools that enable a lifetime of continuous learning, as well as to serve, and change the lives of others. For that, we can all be proud. Wishing you and your family a safe and happy Holiday Season. -Karlett
Dr. Karlett Parra Department Chair
Watch Our Virtual Ceremony Here
Where are they headed? class of 2020 exit survey results
30% accepted into advance schooling 13% graduate school 2% pharmacy school 15% medical school
2020 GRADUATES
64 BIOCHEMISTRY Major graduates 3.65 Average GPA 34 Leadership Honors & Awards
Image from 2019 graduation ceremony
SOM Pipeline 20-25% Medical School Students
AT A GLANCE
Undergraduate Biochemistry Program
SOM and A&S 36 years collaboration
ASBMB Accredited
Continuous Growth Courses = 16 upper level Enrollment = 650-700 60-65 graduates / y GPA = 3.60 (average 2015-20)
Dr. Summer Hayek Director of Undergraduate Program
Dr. Meilian Liu
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33104171/
Adiponectin-a Molecular Brake on Thermogenesis
High Impact Publications
Adiponectin is a peptide hormone produced by adipocytes and circulates in high levels in humans. It has become a widely used biomarker for obesity and diabetes. By binding to its own receptors in various target tissue/organs, adiponectin exerts insulin sensitizing, anti-inflammatory, and cardiovascular protective properties. Dr. Liu's team discovered a new role of adiponectin in metabolism: Adiponectin acts as a molecular brake on thermogenesis, a fat burning pathway, by inhibiting group 2 innate lymphoid cell (ILC2) function in adipose tissue. These groundbreaking findings demonstrated an unfavorable adverse effect of adiponectin-based therapeutics on energy homeostasis. "Importantly, we provided new insights into adiponectin physiology and related treatments for metabolic disorders such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease," Dr. Liu said.
Research
$3.65 M GRANT FUNDING FY20
2019-20 High Impact Publications (impact factor)
N. Egl. J. Med (74) Science (41) Cell Metabolism (21) PNAS (20) Sc. Transl. Med. (16) Sc. Adv. (13) Nat. Communications (12) J. Exp. Med (11) Autophagy (9.7) J. Cell Biology (8.8) Cell Reports (8) Muc. Immun. (7.3) eLife (7)
Thriving Metabolism & Metabolic Disease
Encouraging "Dr. Hines has the gift of encouraging hard work and inspiring us to be better researchers through his own excitement for the work that we do" "He is optimistic and kind, and though he holds us all to a high standard, he cares about the people in his lab and ensures that we're taking care of ourselves on top of tackling the rigors of research"
Caring "When no other professor was interested in taking me on, she recognized my potential and my passion for research and for science" "Dr. Liu's high standards and passion for science motivated me to work harder in my major"
Our excellent research mentors
Dr. William "Curt" Hines
Dr. Xiang Xue
Inclusive "Dr. Xue is an excellent mentor who treats us like peers" "He values diversity of opinions and listens to us carefully" "Dr. Xue dedicates unlimited time working with us. He has inspired me to be a life-long learner"
Energizing "Dr. McCormick's ability to handle everything that comes his way with energy is invaluable and trickles down easily to all of his students" "I come into work every day motivated and happy to be here" "Having Dr. McCormick as my mentor inspires me to work hard to be successful" "Working with him is a joy"
Dr. Mark McCormick
We would like to feature you on our next issue! If you are interested, please let us know at SPruitt@salud.unm.edu
Alumni Spotlight
My affiliation with UNM’s Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department began in 2000, when through the Regents’ Scholars program I was matched with David Vanderjagt as a mentor. My research in his laboratory focused on computational docking of small molecules to structures of 17-beta-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 and urokinase plasminogen activator. Much of this work was made possible by summer research fellowships, and by the collaborative mentorship of our extended research group (including Robert Royer, Lucy Hunsaker, Michael Brown, and Lorraine Deck). Concurrently, I enjoyed classes such as the “biochemistry of disease” series, wherein faculty in rotation took deep dives into the chemistry of human disorders. These experiences sparked my interest in research, which led me to graduate school at Duke and to a postdoc at UCSF. I subsequently led an antibacterial research team at Novartis, served as Chief Scientific Officer of Tierra Biosciences, and have now founded my own ventures. In all of these endeavors, I was aided by the rigorous and quantitative education that I was fortunate to receive at UNM. Exponentially declining costs of oligonucleotide synthesis coupled to advances in data science and machine learning are creating a “Cambrian explosion” in biotechnology. Nevertheless, new graduates’ more difficult challenge is obtaining their first research or work experience – a “foot in the door.” I was surprised to learn that since the early 2000’s, the number of UNM Biochemistry majors has increased several-fold. I would like to help mobilize our alumni community to create internship and mentorship opportunities for this burgeoning population. Can we build paths to entrepreneurship for new graduates, including those who are under-represented within the biotech founder ecosystem? Will you join me in these and other efforts to give back to the program which catalyzed so many of our careers?
Loftfield Award Recipient
Dr. Louis Metzger IV (’04)
Welcome to Biochemistry's Lecturer III
Dr. Laura De Lorenzo, Lecture III. Dr. De Lorenzo’s interests have been focused in transmitting her professional and personal experiences to others as a scientist, teacher, colleague and mentor. Dr. De Lorenzo received her Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from the University of Seville (Spain) and the Plant Science Institute (CNRS, France). As postdoctoral researcher at University of Kentucky, her goal was centered on elucidating new global insights in the regulation of alternative polyadenylation using Next-Generation Sequencing. Her passion for teaching and mentoring was inspired by the enthusiasm and care of her family members, many involved in education. She has enjoyed teaching undergraduates at the Univ. Kentucky, KY; Northern New Mexico College, NM; St. Thomas University, FL; and Florida International University, FL. In addition to her committed classroom activities, Dr. De Lorenzo is actively engaged in student mentoring. She serves as international mentor in INFAHE. She is a FASEB MARC Mentor in ABRCMS.
The goal of this Project Enhancement is to determine how the COVID-19 pandemic has influenced the physical and mental health of vulnerable rural Native Americans living with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The research team aims to determine the influence of COVID-19—and the healthcare system’s response to it—on disparities in access to care among American Indians with diabetes and CKD participating in Dr. Shah's original study using home based kidney care. This new award will evaluate disparities due to COVID-19-related disruptions in care delivery. It will engage patients and other stakeholders to develop patient-centered intervention tools to improve quality of life and healthcare delivery, especially in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr. Raj Shah Receives Enhancement PCORI Award $282,877
UNM Studies COVID 19
MARK MCCORMICK Searches for the Key to Longevity in Yeast & Tiny Ground Worms Click Here for More
lATINAS UNM Biochemist Karlett Parra Melds Mentoring With Cutting-Edge Research Click Here for More
Making Headlines
WHO
LEAD
Lab Teams During COVID-19
From the lab of Dr. William "Curt" Hines
Please Visit Our Giving Page
Wishing you Happy Holidays!
This outreach is new for us, and we appreciate your engagement. Over time, as the department continues to evolve and grow, we hope for your support. To begin, I have created a fund with the UNM Foundation dedicated to the most pressing needs we encounter for BMB. I ask you to think of us if you will consider any year end donations. Some of you will be at a stage in your life when you are reflective of the organizations that have meant something to you. If you are motivated to consider a larger donation, perhaps a gift in your will, I encourage you to contact our representative at the UNM Foundation, Nicole Reeves: nicole.reeves@unmfund.org or 505.313.7604