State of Minnesota (MN)
Efrosini KokkoliUniversity of Minnesota, Assistant Professor
Bioengineering, Biomaterials
kokkoli@cems.umn.edu
http://www.mrsec.umn.edu/people/bios/Kokkoli/kokkoli.htm Angela Panoskaltsis-Mortari
University of Minnesota, Assistant Professor
Bone Marrow Transplantation
panos001@tc.umn.edu
http://www.med.umn.edu/peds/bmt/directory/angelamortari/home.html Kyriakie Sarafoglou
University of Minnesota Medical School, Attending Physician
Director, Leo Fung Center for Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (CAH) and Disorders of Sex Development (DSD).
Disorders of Sex Development
The Leo Fung Center is the first CAH/DSD multidisciplinary clinical care and research facility in the country where all healthcare providers are onsite for each clinic. The Center is built upon a unique collaboration between healthcare professionals from various departments at the University of Minnesota and the Minnesota Department of Health Newborn Screening program (MDH-NBS). The Center addresses the varied and long-term spectrum of clinical needs for patients with CAH and other rare DSD. The Center's multidisciplinary health care team, which includes a pediatric endocrinologist/geneticist, pediatric urologic surgeons, OB-GYNs, psychologists specializing in sexual health, advanced practice and research nurses, genetic counselors, child-life specialists, and a public healthcare coordinator/newborn screening follow up specialist from the Minnensota Department of Health.Clinical research participation opportunities are available to eligible subjects for new monitoring and treatment modalities. The Center also serves as a resource for educational materials geared toward patients, parents and primary care providers.
saraf010@umn.edu
http://www.med.umn.edu/peds/endocrin/faculty/sarafoglou/home.html Thomas Thomou
(Member of the Board of Directors)
Mayo Clinic, Postdoctoral Research fellow
Metabolic Diseases, Developmental Biology, Adipose Tissue derived Stem Cells
Thomou.Thomas(at)mayo.edu
http://mayoresearch.mayo.edu/mayo/research/staff/vlahakis_ne.cfm Nicholas E. Vlahakis
Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Assistant Professor of Medicine
Our current research projects focus on the role of growth factors and integrins in the pathogenesis of the lung injury associated with ventilator associated lung injury, lung cancer and lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM). Specifically our work uses molecular biologic, in vitro cell and chick CAM assays to investigate the biology of endothelial and vascular smooth muscle cells as it relates to angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis. New vessel formation plays a key role in lung cancer, cancer metastasis and LAM and the study of VEGF and integrins lends itself to the discovery of
novel therapeutic peptides for treatment.In separate projects we are investigating the role of growth factors, integrins and lipids in lung cell injury resulting from mechanical deformation and subsequent repair mechanisms. These studies are performed in both cells and animals using cell stretchers, confocal microscopy and mechanical ventilators respectively.
vlahakis.nicholas(at)mayo.edu