Ball State University, Department of Biology
NEWS AND UPDATES
2024
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Smaldino lab receives generous gift from the Todd Siebert Memorial Foundation!
Thank you to the Todd Siebert Memorial Foundation out of Batesville, IN for their support of ALS research at BSU and for their work to raise awareness of ALS and supporting families affected by this disease. We are very grateful!
BSU press release regarding donation.
Please visit the webpages below to see the great work that the Siebert family and friends are doing:
Big T Open Golf Tournament
Todd Siebert Memorial Foundation Facebook Page
Joe and Adam's paper accepted for publication!
Congrats on a great publication in collaboration with Dr. Rob Haney's lab! titled, "Differential gene expression following DHX36/G4R1 knockout is associated with G-quadruplex content and cancer"
Chance joins the lab!
Welcome Chance!
Smaldino Lab recieves fourth grant from Miami Foundation for Cancer Research!
Thank you Miami Foundation for your continued generous support!
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2023
Dylan and Evan each awarded BSU Aspire grants!
Congrats, Dylan ad Evan!
Abbey and Omar join the lab!
Welcome to the newest members of the Smaldino lab, Abbey Wiggam and Omar Habous!
Quinn hired as a Research Associate I in Dr. Aaron Burberry's lab at Case Western!
Congratulations, Quinn!
Hasna Accepted into PhD training program at Universy College London!
Congratulations, Hasna!
Joe joins the lab!
Welcome to the newest member of the Smaldino lab, Joseph Gumina!
Quinn successfully defends master thesis (and marriage proposal)!
Quinn successfully defended his thesis and has recieved job offers from Case Western University and Cleveland Clinic. Quinn is also recently married, congratulations!
Emma, Charline, Dylan, and Joe receive awards!
Congrats to Dylan who received the Behforouz Biology Scholarship, Emma who received the Outstanding Undergraduate Student in Lab Sciences, Charline who received the Velvet Day Memorial Pre-Health Professions Scholarship, and Joe (Haney/Smaldino Lab) who received the Ball State University Top 100 Recognition. A great year for Smaldino Lab students!
Thank you to the Miami Foundation for Cancer Research for your continued and generous support!
2022
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TAYLOR IS ACCEPTED INTO A CO-OP PROGRAM AT ELI LILLY!
Taylor was accepted into a Co-Op program at Eli Lilly! Congratulations Taylor!
AHMAD JOINS THE LAB!
Welcome to the newest member of the Smaldino lab, Ahmad Ahmad!
CHARLINE JOINS THE LAB!
Welcome to the newest member of the Smaldino lab, Charline Charles!
SMALDINO LAB AWARDED A GRANT FROM THE MIAMI FOUNDATION FOR CANCER RESEARCH
The Smaldino lab is excited to announce that we have been awarded funding to study the role of DHX36/G4R1 in cancer development within the brain. Thank you to the Miami Foundation for Cancer Research for your generous support!
2021
Smaldino Lab recieves third grant from Miami Foundation for Cancer Research
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QUINN JOINS THE LAB!
Welcome to the newest member to the Smaldino Lab, Quinn Anderson!
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TAYLOR AWARDED ASPIRE GRANT FOR RESEARCH
Taylor was awarded an ASPIRE grant from Ball State University to study the role of DHX36 in lymphoma initiation. Congratulations, Taylor!
MEREDITH IS ACCEPTED INTO A CO-OP PROGRAM AT ELI LILLY!
Meredith was accepted into a Co-Op program at Eli Lilly! Congratulations Meredith! Your hard work has payed off!
SIARA IS ACCEPTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN!
Siara was accepted into a PhD program at the University of Michigan! Congratulations Siara! Your hard work has payed off!
EVAN WINS 3RD PLACE AT THE 11TH ANNUAL INDIANA PHYSIOLOGICAL SOCIETY MEETING POSTER PRESENTATION!
Evan and collaborator Frank Bogan win 3rd place at the 11th Annual Indiana Physiological Society Meeting poster presentation. Congratulations Evan!
HASNA COMPLETES MASTER'S THESIS
Hasna successfully defended her thesis and was accepted into a PhD program at University College London! Congratulations Hasna!
SIARA AWARDED HONORABLE MENTION FOR NSF GRADUATE RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP
Siara was awarded Honorable Mention for her NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Proposal! She will begin her PhD training at the University Michigan in the Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology program. Congratulations Siara!
DYLAN JOINS THE LAB!
Welcome to the newest member of the Smaldino lab, Dylan Seiler!
JOSEPH IS ACCEPTED TO VETERINARY SCHOOL!
Congratulations to Joseph on being accepted into veterinary school! Your hard work has paid off!
2020
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ADAM ACCEPTS A NEW POSITION AT ABBVIE INC.
Smaldino Lab graduate student alumni, Adam Richardson has been hired as a Associate Research Scientist II at AbbVie Inc.! Adam will be working on early drug discovery in oncology. Congrats, Adam!
SMALDINO AND HANEY LABS ARE AWARDED AN NIH AREA (R15) GRANT FROM THE NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE
In collaboration with Dr. Rob Haney’s Lab at BSU, we are excited and grateful for funding from the NCI to study the role of DHX36/G4R1 in cancer. Thank you to the NIH-NCI for your generous support of our work!
TAYLOR JOINS THE LAB!
Welcome to the newest member of the Smaldino Lab, Taylor Karns! Taylor will be joining us in August to begin her masters degree at Ball State University.
ANTONIO ACCEPTS A NEW POSITION AT ELI LILLY
Smaldino lab graduate student alumni, Antonio Chambers, was recently promoted to Senior Biologist at Eli Lilly! Antonio works in a clinical diagnostics lab running and developing diagnostic tools for patients Congrats Antonio!
EVAN AND JOSEPH JOIN THE LAB!
Welcome to the newest members of the Smaldino Lab, Evan Rogers and Joseph Huang!
MICHAEL AND SIARA EARNED BIOLOGY DEPARTMENTAL AWARDS!
Please join us in congratulating Michael and Siara who received Biology Department awards this year. Michael was awarded the Outstanding Undergraduate Student in Lab Sciences Award. Siara was awarded the Robert H and Esther L. Cooper Science Student Award!
SIARA AWARDED A PRESTIGIOUS GOLDWATER SCHOLARSHIP!
Siara Sandwith is a 2020 recipient of a nationally-competitive Barry Goldwater Scholarship. Congrats Siara! Your hard work and dedication in the lab have paid off! https://goldwater.scholarsapply.org/2020-goldwater-scholars-by-institution-state/
ANTONIO IS ON THE FRONT LINES OF THE COVID-19 BATTLE!
In addition to leading a cell culture lab at Advanced Testing Lab, a former Smaldino lab graduate student, Antonio Chambers, is leading an effort to expedite a limiting component of the COVID-19 diagnostic kits. We are happy to see our former lab members making such an important impact!
SMALDINO LAB AWARDED AN NIH AREA (R15) GRANT FROM THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF AGING.
The Smaldino lab is excited to announce that we have been awarded funding to study G4R1/DHX36 in C9ORF72-linked frontal temporal dementia. Thank you to the NIH-NIA for your generous support!
GOOD LUCK THIS SUMMER, SIARA!
Siara Sandwith has accepted a summer 2020 NIH-funded internship at the University of Michigan! Siara will be working in a neuroscience lab this summer.
ABBIE ACCEPTED TO AUBURN VETERINARY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE!
Our graduate student, Abbie Scott, was accepted to Auburn University’s vet school! Abbie is graduating this spring with an M.A. in biology and will begin her vet studies this fall. Thank you, Abbie, for your contributions to the Smaldino lab!
FORMER SMALDINO LAB UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT PETER BEERBOWER COMPLETES HIS M.S. AT NORTH DAKOTA STATE!
Peter plans to study plant epigenetics at the University of Georgia.
2019
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TWO SMALDINO LAB MEMBERS RECEIVE BALL STATE BIOLOGY DEPARTMENT AWARDS
Graduate student Antonio Chambers was awarded the Dr. Mahin D. Maines Biology Graduate Student Award for Outstanding Graduate Student in Lab Sciences and Siara Sandwith won the Outstanding Undergraduate Student in Lab Sciences.
PAPER ACCEPTED FOR PUBLICATION!
Our work in collaboration the Rubenstein and Oleson labs has been published at microPubs. This is a notable publication in that it was initially performed as an experiment in a teaching lab for the Methods of Cell Biology course (BIO315). We identified a novel role for the yeast nuclear ubiquitin ligase, Tom1 in protein quality control. https://www.micropublication.org/journals/biology/micropub-biology-000193/
PAPER ACCEPTED FOR PUBLICATION!
We designed a novel 3-column protocol that is to be used as a learning tool to help students better understand the underlying concepts of lab experiments. This design with a manuscript has been accepted for publication by The American Biology Teacher.
MEREDITH JOINS THE LAB!
Welcome the newest member of the Smaldino lab, Meredith!
ADAM BEGINS FULL TIME CO-OP POSITION AT LILLY
Graduate student, Adam Richardson, has accepted a Ball State-Eli Lilly Co-Op, assisting in drug development support and discovery research for a pain medication that is currently undergoing clinal trials. Congrats Adam!
SMALDINO LAB AWARDED A BALL STATE JUNIOR FACULTY ASPIRE GRANT
The Smaldino lab is excited to announce that we have been awarded funding to establish transgenic mouse models to study G4R1/DHX36 in C9 ALS. Thank you BSU for your generous support!
CONGRATS TO SIARA SANDWITH!
Siara was awarded an Honors College Undergraduate Research Fellowship and a BSU APSIRE grant to study G4R1/DHX36’s role in transcription of toxic RNA’s in ALS.
PAPER ACCEPTED FOR PUBLICATION!
Novel method to purify recombinant G4R1/DHX36 is published in the Journal of Visualized Experiments. This work is part of a longstanding collaboration with Dr. Jim Vaughn (Nanomedica, Inc.) who first cloned and purified G4R1/DHX36. Dr. Vaughn is one of Phil’s former Ph.D. mentors. https://www.jove.com/video/55496/a-g-quadruplex-dna-affinity-approach-for-purification-enzymatically
2018
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NICK MARZOLF ACCEPTS POSITION AT ROCHE
Nick is now a Clinical Chemistry and Lab Automation Support at Roche Diagnostics and is recently married. Congrats, Nick!
SMALDINO LAB AWARDED GRANT FROM THE MIAMI FOUNDATION FOR CANCER RESEARCH
The Smaldino lab is excited to announce that we have been awarded funding to establish transgenic mouse models to study G4R1/DHX36 in cancer and neurodegeneration. Thank you to the Miami Foundation for Cancer Research for your generous support!
THREE SMALDINO LAB MEMBERS RECEIVE BALL STATE BIOLOGY DEPARTMENT AWARDS
Antonio Chambers won the Dr. Robert R. and Mrs. Harriet M. Pinger Award for Travel. With this award, Antonio traveled to the San Diego Neuroscience Conference to present his research. Adam Richardson received the Carl Warnes Award for Outstanding Teaching as a Graduate Student for his much-appreciated assistance in the methods to cell biology class. Peter Beerbower received the Thomas R. and Beatrice J. Mertens Award in Genetics.
CONGRATS TO ADAM RICHARDSON!
Adam was awarded a competetive BSU ASPIRE graduate grant to study G4R1/DHX36 protein-protein interactions.
2017
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PETER RECEIVES A NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION HONORABLE MENTION!
Peter Beerbower received honorable mentined for his NSF Graduate Research Fellowship proposal to study G4R1/DHX36 in miRNA. Good work, Peter!
SMALDINO LAB AWARDED PILOT GRANT FROM THE ALS ASSOCIATION.
The Smaldino lab is excited to announce that we have been awarded funding to study G4R1/DHX36 in C9ORF72-linked amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (C9 ALS). Thank you to the ALSA for your generous support!
SMALDINO LAB AWARDED PILOT GRANT FROM THE INDIANA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES.
The Smaldino lab is excited to announce that we have been awarded funding to study G4R1/DHX36 in HIV. Thank you to the IAS for your generous support!
CONGRATS TO PETER BEERBOWER
Peter was awarded an Honors College Undergraduate Research Fellowship and a BSU APSIRE grant to study G4R1/DHX36 in ALS.
CONGRATS TO NICK MARZOLF!
Nick was awarded a BSU APSIRE grant to study G4R1/DHX36 in HIV. Way to go, Nick!
2016
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