Conference/Travels
One of the perks of being an academic professor is the annual conference trips. From a research perspective, the lab attends Experimental Biology (EB) on a regular basis with the occasional American Heart Association (AHA) conference. Recently, we have attending the national and regional Society of Toxicology (SOT)
San Diego, CA, July 30th-Aug 4th 2022
Experimental Biology
I was pleased to attend my first Alzheimer's Conference and to present our most recent work on how chronic stress accelerated AD pathology. Returning back to San Diego was very nice, the food and weather are always good.
Burrage EN, Prabhu S, Oudomvilay C, Simpkins J, Kelley EE, Chantler PD.Psychosocial Stress-Accelerates Alzheimer’s Disease Progression via the Xanthine Oxidase Pathway. Poster presentation
Philadelphia, PA, April 2-5 2022
Experimental Biology
We enjoyed EB 2022 in Philly. We hired a mini-van and drove early Saturday morning together to Philly (about 5.5 hrs). Although the students were in control of the music, I only had to listen to Taylor Swift twice, but I did veto the Backstreet Boys and Westlife!
The lab had 5 posters and 1 oral presentation (see pics below). I also got to catch up with some friends that I have not seen since last EB!
Emily had two poster presentations that went very well and were well received by the scientific community. Emily is currently looking for a post-doc position as she is in the final stages of her PhD.
Burrage EN, Prabhu, S, Frazier, J, Simpkins J, Kelley EE, Chantler PD. Chronic Stress Accelerates the Progression of Cerebrovascular Dysfunction with Alzheimer’s Disease. Experimental Biology, Philadelphia, April 2-5, 2022
Burrage EN, Prabhu S, Frazier J, Englund P, Mills J, Casto M, Bryner RW, Kelley EE, Chantler PD. Global Toll-like Receptor 4 Knockout Prevents Cerebrovascular Dysfunction Associated with Chronic Stress. Experimental Biology, Philadelphia, April 2-5, 2022
This was Saina's first conference as part of the Chantler lab. Her poster presentation was on Monday and it was also well received by the scientific community.
Prabhu, S, Burrage EN, Simpkins J, Kelley EE, Chantler PD. Chronic Stress exacerbates Tau production in the 3xTg Alzheimer’s Disease Mouse. Experimental Biology, Philadelphia, April 2-5, 2022
James presented (oral and poster) his work from the Olfert&Chantler labs examining the role of Ecig exposure on vascular biology.
Frazier J, Mills A, Robinson MR, Kirk A, Chantler PD, and Olfert IM. Low vs. High Wattage Vaping during Pregnancy Influences Vascular Function in Rat Offspring. Experimental Biology, Philadelphia, April 2-5, 2022
A collaborator and friend from Reading University in England, UK, presented our work on adipose tissue pathology with stress and exercises.
Boateng S, Ige S, Dallas M, Chantler PD. Differential remodelling of visceral and pericardial adipose tissue in response to stress and exercise. Experimental Biology, Philadelphia, April 2-5, 2022
Catania, Italy, 21-23 September 2016
67th SIF national congress Italian Physiological Society
Catania is a very attractive city, which enchants visitors for its rich history and enviable geographical position between the charming Etna Volcano and the splendid Ionic Gulf. The meeting will be located entirely in the Benedictine Monastery, a jewel of the late Sicilian Baroque. Founded in 1558 by a cassinese congregation, the complex is a unique place that tells the human and historical events of the Etna city from antiquity to the present day.
Parallel Symposia 8:30-10:30
Symposium 1 • Structural and functional adaptations to physical exercise at the cerebrovascular, cardiovascular and skeletal muscle level [Aula Magna Santo Mazzarino]
Chair: Fabio Esposito (Milan, Italy)
Mark OLFERT (Morgantown, WV, USA): Physiological insights in angiogenesis and capillary rarefaction: implications for health and disease
Paul CHANTLER (Morgantown, WV, USA): Effects of exercise training on cerebrovascular function and angiogenesis in health and disease
Massimo VENTURELLI (Milan, Italy): Central and peripheral cardiovascular responses to static and dynamic skeletal muscle stretching
Fabio ESPOSITO (Milan, Italy): Passive static stretching negatively impacts exercise endurance via a reduction in local blood flow
Bruno GRASSI (Udine, Italy): Balance/unbalance between O2 consumption and O2 delivery during rest-to-work transitions in skeletal muscle
Top left image is the main speaker panel for symposium 1. Chair is Dr Esposito (Center person in top left image), who kindly invited Dr. Mark Olfert (top right image) and I (bottom left image) to Italy to give keynote talks on our recent research
Such wonderful hosts
Cantina Sicily, Italy
Fabio and Louisa standing on the roof of Duomo di Milano Italy.
Milan Cathedral (Italian: Duomo di Milano [ˈdwɔːmo di miˈlaːno]; Lombard: Domm de Milan [ˈdɔm de miˈlãː]) is the cathedral church of Milan, Lombardy, Italy. Dedicated to St Mary of the Nativity (Santa Maria Nascente), it is the seat of the Archbishop of Milan, currently Archbishop Mario Delpini. The Gothic cathedral took nearly six centuries to complete. It is the largest church in Italy (the larger St. Peter's Basilica is in the State of Vatican City) and the third largest in the world.[4]
From left to right: Melissa and Mark Olfert, Fabio and Louisa Esposito, and Paul Chantler (wife and kids at home unfortunately). Here we are standing on the roof of an old church (Church of Santa Chiara) in Noto on the island of Sicily, Italy.
Sicily, the largest Mediterranean island, is just off the "toe" of Italy's "boot." Its rich history is reflected in sites like the Valley of the Temples, the well-preserved ruins of 7 monumental, Doric-style Greek temples, and in the Byzantine mosaics at the Cappella Palatina, a former royal chapel in capital city Palermo. On Sicily’s eastern edge is Mount Etna, one of Europe’s highest active volcanoes.
Santarém (May 2019)
Santarém is a small city in the Brazilian state of Pará, where the Tapajós River meets the Amazon. This “meeting of the waters” phenomenon can be viewed from the hilltop Mirante do Tapajós Square. On the riverfront, the Centro Cultural João Fona has relics from the ancient indigenous Tapajós culture. Nearby, the Museu Dica Frazão displays the textiles that Brazilian artist Dica Frazão crafts from natural materials. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santar%C3%A9m,_Par%C3%A1
Brazil - As part of the GLOBAL HEALTH PROGRAM at WVU I had the privilege to accompany some wonderful EXPH undergraduates students to Brazil. The Global Health Program welcomes the active participation of all health professions students and faculty/ in the promotion of global health services. Thus, on May 15th I travelled to Brazil (Santarem) for 2 weeks, to meet wonderful local people, experience the Brazilian culture, and understand the health care issues that many face. Although i have travelled the world, this was my first time in South America, and it was an excellent experience.
"Meeting of the Waters,"
For those who want to see the Amazon river during their South American cruise, there is perhaps no better port than Santarem. This town is what's known as a "river port" meaning your cruise ship will actually sail up the river in order to reach the settlement. Once you've arrived, stop for a few minutes and simply take in the massive Amazon river that the city is located on. This is one of the most amazing spots on Earth, but few people ever make the trek to visit.
Santarem is an especially amazing destination, because it is located where the Amazon meets the Tapajos, another massive Brazilian river. These two waters join close near the city, but those who go on a river cruise will notice that the waters will remain two distinct colors for several miles. Such is the force of these two rivers that it takes quite a while for the two shades to mix into one. This is known as the "Meeting of the Waters," and is truly an amazing sight. You'll be able to pick out the two rivers, as the Tapajos is emerald green while the Amazon is a muddy brown.
Brazilian Vitória-Régia (lily pads): The Victoria amazonica has very large leaves, up to 3 m (10 ft) in diameter, that float on the water's surface on a submerged stalk, 7–8 m (23–26 ft) in length. The species was once called Victoria regia after Queen Victoria, but the name was superseded. V. amazonica is native to the shallow waters of the Amazon River basin, such as oxbow lakes and bayous. It is depicted in the Guyanese coat of arms. They take up to 48 hours to fully bloom. The flowers are white the first night they are open and become pink the second night. They are up to 40 cm (16 in) in diameter, and are pollinated by beetles.
APAE. This is the place we called home for our stay in Santarem. It was a wonderful facility that provides intensive support and specialized educational assistance to students with intellectual and multiple disabilities.