Students Present at National Symposium

A symposium held in Santa Fe, New Mexico, was the destination recently for two Northeast Ohio Medical School students who are immersing themselves in research along with their studies in the College of Medicine. Paula Rote, a fourth-year medicine student, gave an oral presentation, and Nate Edwards, a third-year medicine student, presented a poster at the Keystone Symposium on Integrated Pathways of Disease in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), held in January.

“Both did a good job, and they and met many M.D./ Ph.D. clinicians that will help them pursue a career in translational medicine,” said James Hardwick, Ph.D., a professor of biochemistry and molecular biology and a research associate professor of pharmacy practice.

At NEOMED, Edwards and Rote work with Dr. Hardwick, whose expertise is in the process of inflammation in human disease and the significance of fatty acid Omega hydroxylase genes (CYP4) in regulating inflammation and fatty acid metabolism. Dr. Hardwick is a member of the recently formed Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism Research Focus Area, an eight-member team at NEOMED.

Rote’s oral presentation was “Cytochrome P450 omega hydroxylase: Avenues for fatty acid oxidation or synthesis in the progression of NAFLD. Edwards presented on the Cytochrome P450 fatty acid omega hydroxylase role in inflammation and reactive oxygen in the progression of NAFLD.”