July 2, 2008
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| Todd Harris, who holds two doctorate degrees from UC Davis, including a doctorate in biochemistry and molecular biology, has just received a prestigious NIH fellowship. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey) |
DAVIS—A University of California, Davis postdoctoral researcher has received a prestigious National Institute of Health (NIH) fellowship to continue his research on the role of omega-3 fatty acids in preventing heart disease.
Todd Harris, a researcher in the laboratory of Bruce Hammock, Department of Entomology and Cancer Research Center, University of California, Davis, received a training grant funded by the NIH’s National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI).
Omega 3-fatty acids, essential to a healthy diet, are commonly found in oily cold water fish, such as tuna, salmon, trout, herring, sardines, bass, swordfish and mackerel. Leafy green vegetables are another source. Studies show omega-3 fatty acids can reduce blood cholesterol levels. They also have anticoagulant properties.
“The omega-3 fatty acids have become common value added ingredients in food, yet little is known regarding the mechanism behind their proposed cardioprotective benefits,” Harris said. “While on the training grant, I will examine the role of lipid signaling molecules, like the omega-3 fatty acids, in cardiac hypertrophy (thickening of the heart muscle).”
Harris was selected for the fellowship based on scholastic achievement, innovation and interdisciplinary research, including collaborations between laboratories and crossing traditional boundaries.
Said Hammock: "For his Ph.D., Todd Harris carried out very fundamental studies on the molecular evolution of this interesting enzyme from worms to man. His basic research is translating seamlessly to practical applications. UC Davis is fortunate to have such a creative and hard-working young scientist dedicate himself to the improvement of health. There is a very real possibility that he help to reduce the problem of heart failure."
The training will include a 10-week summer school; journal club in the fall, winter and spring quarters; translational learning group meetings; seminar series; and an annual retreat.
The training grant program directors are Nipavan Chiamvimonvat, M.D., and Anne Knowlton, M.D., professors of molecular and cellular cardiology, UC Davis Department of Medicine, who will mentor Harris. They and Hammock are among the grant's principal investigators, who include 25 UC Davis researchers whose work crosses disciplines.
Harris received his bachelor of science degree in physics from UC Davis in 1990 and his doctorate in 2002, studying with Paul Teller, professor of philosophy. His doctoral dissertation: “The Construction and Manipulation of Data Models in Cell Biology.”
In December 2007, Harris received a doctorate in biochemistry and molecular biology, studying with Bruce Hammock. His dissertation: “Cloning and Characterization of Non-Mammalian Epoxide Hydrolases that Hydrolyze Epoxide-Containing Lipid Signaling
Molecules.”
Epoxide hydrolase inhibitors are novel first-in-class drugs that block an immune system protein known to play a role in inflammatory diseases of the heart, kidneys and other organs.
Hammock, a professor of entomology at UC Davis, said his inflammation research sprang from his studies on fundamental insect development. He holds a joint appointment in Cancer Research with the UC Davis Medical Center. He directs the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) Superfund Program on the UC Davis campus, as well as the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Training Program in Biotechnology, and the NIEHS Combined Analytical Laboratory.
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--Kathy Keatley Garvey
Communications specialist
UC Davis Department of Entomology
(530) 754-6894
