Top News
Form of vitamin E linked to severe allergy prevention early in life
New research from the Wells Center's pulmonary inflammation, asthma and allergic diseases program suggests that increasing the intake of alpha-tocopherol, a form of Vitamin E, may help prevent food allergies early in life. Their findings were recently published in The Journal of Immunology.
More on this discovery
Barth syndrome breakthrough: Rare disease research fueled by determined family and scientists
A local family’s collaboration with scientists at the Wells Center has resulted in a groundbreaking research model to study Barth syndrome, a rare genetic disorder.
Read the story
IU scientists develop new bone marrow imaging technique
IU scientists, including a group of Wells Center researchers, have created a new imaging method to better study bone marrow in lab models, which could lead to improved treatment strategies for bone marrow-related diseases.
Learn more about the technique
Dual-action approach targeting inflammation shows potential as Type 1 diabetes treatment
A study co-led by the Evans-Molina lab suggests a potential new strategy to prevent or slow the progression of Type 1 diabetes by targeting an inflammation-related protein. The findings could help inform clinical trials exploring the use of an FDA-approved psoriasis drug as a treatment for Type 1 diabetes.
Learn about the study
More Team Wells Updates
MMIA 2025
The Wells Center’s 26th annual Molecular Medicine in Action (MMIA) program for Indiana high school students eager to explore careers in medicine and science took place on February 23 and 24. The students gained hands-on experience in real lab environments and learned from IU School of Medicine experts.
Gene and cell therapy research program retreat
The Wells Center's gene and cell therapy research team gathered for their second annual program retreat on March 3 at the Alexander Hotel in Indianapolis, engaging in a full day of project discussions, scientific talks and lectures.
Hematologic malignancies and stem cell biology research program retreat
The Wells Center's hematologic malignancies and stem cell biology research team gathered for a program retreat on campus on March 24, engaging in a full day of scientific discussion and collaboration.
American Cancer Society’s ResearchHERS event
On April 23, Pankita Pandya, PhD, MD/PhD student Jenna Koenig and Karen Pollok, PhD, from the molecular oncology and experimental therapeutics group joined the American Cancer Society’s ResearchHERS: Women Fighting Cancer of Indiana event in Indianapolis to highlight the impact of women-led cancer research and engage with local cancer research advocates.
Fasting flips a switch and the liver holds the key
Research led by Brian DeBosch, MD, PhD, program leader of the Wells Center's new nutrition and molecular metabolism program, shows that the liver plays a surprising role in the success of intermittent fasting as an effective dieting strategy.
More on the liver's role in fasting
Targeting bone marrow inflammation shows promise for treating myelodysplastic syndromes
New research co-led by Tzu-Chieh (Kate) Ho, PhD, from the Kapur lab suggests targeting inflammation may help treat myelodysplastic syndromes, a group of cancer-causing blood disorders.
Learn about this study published in Blood
Welcome to the Wells Center
Help us extend a warm welcome and congratulations to the members of Team Wells who have joined or accepted new positions with us since February 2025:
Elizabeth Fusco – Schmidt lab
Tamara Haque – Pulmonary inflammation, asthma and allergic diseases research group
Amy Krier – Facilities team
Jessica Moerland – Fishel lab
Gabriela Monaco – Sims lab
Maureen Mullen Montagano - Clinical research team
Faith Perkins – Business team
Prudhvi Terli – Evans-Molina lab
Fatmanur Ur – VanDusen lab
Yiming Zhang – DeBosch lab
Discovery in Action
Congratulations to Grant and Award Recipients
Members of the Wells Center have received numerous grants and awards in recent months. Here are a few highlights:
Steve Angus, PhD | 2025 Trustees' Teaching Award
Olivia Bednarski | Sherry Queener Graduate Student Excellence Award
Naro Biswas, PhD | “Immunotherapy for Factor VIII Inhibition in Hemophilia A 2.0” (Teichos)
Simon Conway, PhD | “Barth Syndrome Research Fund” (Riley Children's Foundation)
Dibyadyuti Datta, PhD | “Northern Pacific Global Health Leadership, Education, and Development for Early-career Researchers (NPGH LEADERs)” (University of Washington)
Brian DeBosch, MD, PhD | “Leveraging glucose transport and the adaptive fasting response to modulate hepatic metabolism” (NIH R01 - National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
Carmella Evans-Molina, MD | “William and Helen Thomas Charitable Trust” (Riley Children's Foundation)
William Hagopian MD, PhD | “Improving the Uptake and Applicability of the Clinical and Economic Optimization Platform for Type 1 Diabetes” (University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus) / “Type 1 diabetes genetic risk scores for the diagnosis of diabetes type in children of diverse racial and ethnic background” (Baylor College of Medicine)
Renzhi Han, PhD | “Nicholoff Family Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Research Fund” (Riley Children's Foundation)
Roland Herzog, PhD | “Capsid- and genome-modified AAV3 vectors for hemophilia gene therapy” (University of Florida)
Andrew Schwaderer, MD | “HUS Fund 2173” (Riley Children's Foundation)
Recent Publications
- “A CRISPR mis-insertion in the Zic3 5'UTR inhibits in vivo translation and is predicted to result in formation of an mRNA stem-loop hairpin.” Published in Biology Open. Contributing IU authors: Helen M. Bellchambers, Maria B. Padua, Stephanie M. Ware
- “An oversized AAV8 vector to deliver CPS1.” Published in Molecular Therapy Nucleic Acids. Contributing IU authors: Shuang Li, Chen Zhang, Renzhi Han
- “Bioinformatic Analysis of the Genetic Basis of Differential Adeno-Associated Virus Production Capability of 293 Variants.” Published in Human Gene Therapy. Contributing IU authors: Roland Herzog, Junping Zhang, Thao Thi Dang, Xiangping Yu, Jie Huang , Fang Fang, Hongyu Gao, Xuhong Yu, Yue Wang, Renzhi Han, Yulong Liu, Kenneth Cornetta, Weidong Xiao
- “Cardiomyocyte-restricted MIAT deletion is sufficient to protect against murine myocardial infarction.” Published in Cell Death Discovery. Contributing IU authors: Taiki Hayasaka, Satoshi Kawaguchi, Marisa N Sepúlveda, Jian-Peng Teoh, Bruno Moukette, Tatsuya Aonuma, Meena S. Madhur, Ankit A. Desai, Suthat Liangpunsakul, Simon J. Conway, Il-Man Kim
- “Cellular therapies for the prevention and treatment of acute graft-versus-host disease.” Published in Stem Cells. Contributing IU authors: Daniel Peltier, Van Anh Do-Thi
- “Chemically induced partial unfolding of the multifunctional apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1.” Published in Protein Science. Contributing IU authors: Ratan Rai, Olabode I. Dawodu, Jingwei Meng, Steven M. Johnson, Jonah Z. Vilseck, Mark R. Kelley, Millie M. Georgiadis
- “Circulatory CCL2 distinguishes Duchenne muscular dystrophy dogs.” Published in Disease Models and Mechanisms. Contributing IU author: Roland W. Herzog
- “Common cis-regulatory variation modifies the penetrance of pathogenic SHROOM3 variants in craniofacial microsomia.” Published in Genome Research. Contributing IU authors: Matthew D. Durbin, Stephanie M. Ware
- “Cytomegalovirus reactivation and acute and chronic complications in children with cerebral malaria: a prospective cohort study.” Published in Malaria Journal. Contributing IU authors: Jonathan A. Mayhew, Andrew J. Witten, Caitlin A. Bond, Andrea L. Conroy, Chandy C. John
- “Depletion of eosinophils during sensitization but not challenge phase in mice blocks the development of food allergy early in life.” Published in The Journal of Immunology. Contributing IU authors: Haoran Gao, Allison E. Kosins, Joel A. Ochoa, Elizabeth A. Jacobsen, Joan M. Cook-Mills
- “Effectiveness of a short-term oxygen therapy training program in Liberia during and after COVID-19.” Published in Frontiers in Public Health. Contributing IU author: Michael D. Davis
- “Enrichment of G-to-U Substitution in SARS-CoV-2 Functional Regions and Its Compensation via Concurrent Mutations.” Published in Journal of Medical Virology. Contributing IU authors: Xierzhatijiang Sulaiman, Yan Han, Sheng Liu, Kailing Li, Lei Yang, Kenneth White, Yong Zang, Jun Wan
- “Extended Continuous Positive Airway Pressure in Preterm Infants Increases Lung Growth at 6 Months: A Randomized Controlled Trial.” Published in American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. Contributing IU authors: Christina Tiller, Jeffrey Bjerregaard, Robert S. Tepper
- “Genetic modulation of protein expression in rat brain.” Published in iScience. Contributing IU author: Joseph Lechner
- “IA-2A positivity increases risk of progression within and across established stages of type 1 diabetes.” Published in Diabetologia. Contributing IU authors: Emily K. Sims, Carmella Evans-Molina, Linda A. DiMeglio, Heba M. Ismail
- “IDOL Deficiency Inhibits Cholesterol-Rich Diet-Induced Atherosclerosis in Rabbits.” Published in Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology. Contributing IU author: Renzhi Han
- “Maternal supplementation with α-tocopherol inhibits the development of offspring food allergy, H1R signaling and ultimately anaphylaxis early in life.” Published in The Journal of Immunology. Contributing IU authors: Allison E. Kosins, Haoran Gao, Ross L. Blankenship, Lauren N. Emmerson, Joel A. Ochoa, Joan M. Cook-Mills
- “Microbiome-mediated modulation of immune memory to P. yoelii affects the resistance to secondary cerebral malaria challenge.” Published in ImmunoHorizons. Contributing IU authors: Elizabeth M. Fusco, Layne Bower, Rafael Polidoro, Nathan W. Schmidt
- “Mitochondrial DNA copy number variation in asthma risk, severity, and exacerbations.” Published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. Contributing IU author: Benjamin Gaston
- “Multiplex imaging of murine bone marrow using Phenocycler 2.0™.” Published in Leukemia. Contributing IU authors: Sonali J. Karnik, Connor Gulbronson, Paige C. Jordan, Rahul Kanumuri, Baskar Ramdas, Ramesh Kumar, Melissa L. Hartman, Izza Khurram, Drew M. Brown, Karen E. Pollok, Pratibha Singh, Reuben Kapur, Melissa A. Kacena
- “Nasal CPAP increases alveolar number in a rhesus monkey model of moderate prematurity.” Published in European Respiratory Journal. Contributing IU author: Robert S. Tepper
- “Oral inflammation and microbiome dysbiosis exacerbate chronic graft-versus-host disease.” Published in Blood. Contributing IU author: Daniel Peltier
- “Physiologic Pulmonary Phenotyping of Infants Born Preterm and Post-Discharge Respiratory Morbidity.” Published in The Journal of Pediatrics. Contributing IU authors: Robert S. Tepper, Jeffrey Bjerregaard, Christina Tiller, Laura Amos, Greg Sokol
- “PLK1 Inhibition Induces Synthetic Lethality in Fanconi Anemia Pathway-Deficient Acute Myeloid Leukemia.” Published in Cancer Research Communications. Contributing IU authors: Aditya S. Sheth, Ka-Kui Chan, Sheng Liu, Jun Wan, Steve P. Angus, Steven D. Rhodes, Dana K. Mitchell, Christopher Davis, Aruna Wijeratne, Shaomin Qian, Ngoc Tung Tran, Elizabeth A. Sierra Potchanant
- “Protocol to evaluate fasting metabolism and its relationship to the core circadian clock in mice.” Published in STAR Protocols. Contributing IU authors: Jiameng Sun, Brian J. DeBosch
- “Ref-1 redox activity modulates canonical Wnt signaling in endothelial cells.” Published in Redox Biology. Contributing IU authors: Gabriella D. Hartman, Kamakshi Sishtla, Eyram K. Kpenu, Mahmut Mijit, Anbukkarasi Muniyandi, Aaron Shaw, Daniela Bischof, Sheng Liu, Jun Wan, Mark R. Kelley, Timothy W. Corson
- “Refractory Subcutaneous Panniculitis-Like T-Cell Lymphoma with Hemophagocytic Syndrome Treated with Romidepsin and Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation.” Published in Case Reports in Oncology. Contributing IU author: Daniel Peltier
- “Role of Maternal Obesity in Offspring Cardiovascular Development and Congenital Heart Defects.” Published in Journal of the American Heart Association. Contributing IU authors: Ashleigh McMullan, Nina Jain, Laura S. Haneline, Weinian Shou, Kok Lim Kua, Swetansu K. Hota, Matthew D. Durbin
- “Synthetic and Biogenic Materials for Oral Delivery of Biologics: From Bench to Bedside.” Published in Chemical Reviews. Contributing IU author: Roland W. Herzog
- “The oligosaccharyltransferase complex is an essential component of multiple myeloma plasma cells.” Published in Molecular Therapy Oncology. Contributing IU authors: Hong Phuong Nguyen, Enze Liu, Anh Quynh Le, Mahesh Lamsal, Jagannath Misra, Sankalp Srivastava, Harikrishnan Hemavathy, Reuben Kapur, Mohammad Abu Zaid, Rafat Abonour, Ji Zhang, Ronald C. Wek, Brian A. Walker, Ngoc Tung Tran
- “The Role of Fractional Exhaled Nitric Oxide and Oscillometry in Pediatric Asthma.” Published in Respiratory Care. Contributing IU author: Michael D. Davis
- “The timely reporting of clinical trial results answers 1 unknown for hemophilia gene therapy: no benefit of prophylactic immunosuppression.” Published in Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis. Contributing IU author: Radoslaw Kaczmarek
- “Trends in Treatment of Severe Haemophilia and Impact on Inhibitor Assessment by the EUHASS Registry.” Published in Haemophilia. Contributing IU author: Radoslaw Kaczmarek
- “Tunneling nanotube-like structures regulate distant cellular interactions during heart formation.” Published in Science. Contributing IU author: Weinian Shou
- “Type 1 diabetes presenting in adults: Trends, diagnostic challenges and unique features.” Published in Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism. Contributing IU author: Carmella Evans-Molina
- “Type 1 Diabetes TrialNet: Leading the Charge in Disease Prediction, Prevention, and Immunotherapeutic Mechanistic Understanding.” Published in Diabetes Care. Contributing IU author: Jamie L. Felton
- “Unlocking disease insights to facilitate drug development: Pharmaceutical industry-academia collaborations in inflammation and immunology.” Published in Drug Discovery Today. Contributing IU author: Carmella Evans-Molina
- “What can ATP content tell us about Barth syndrome muscle phenotypes?” Published in Journal of Translational Genetics and Genomics. Contributing IU author: Simon J. Conway
Kudos and Recognition
- Congratulations to the following Wells Center graduate students on their recent thesis defenses!
- D. Wade Clapp, MD, has been named the inaugural senior associate dean for entrepreneurial research and commercialization for the IU School of Medicine. In this role, he will serve as a scientific lead for Indiana University Launch Accelerator for Biosciences, known as IU LAB.
- Mark Kelley, PhD, has been appointed as the senior leader for biomedical innovation and partnerships at the IU Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center. In this newly created role, Kelley will further develop cancer center initiatives to increase patents and licensing of inventions, discoveries and innovations. He will enhance entrepreneurship and commercialization opportunities by linking his new role along with his role as co-leader of the Cancer Drug Discovery and Development Accelerator (CD3A). Watch a video about CD3A that features several Wells Center researchers.
- Karen Pollok, PhD, has been appointed as the new associate director of basic science research at the IU Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center.
- Emily K. Sims, MD, is one of three IU School of Medicine faculty members who have been named as 2025 members of the American Society for Clinical Investigation, recognizing their outstanding contributions to medical research.
- Andrew Tilston-Lunel, PhD, had his image featured on the Volume 20, Issue 3, March 2025 cover of Nature Protocols, highlighting research from the article, "Life-long functional regeneration of in vivo airway epithelium by the engraftment of airway basal stem cells.
Learn more about the Herman B Wells Center for Pediatric Research
Read the February 2025 Newsletter
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