معرفی
Shaleen B Korch is Professor of Pharmacology at Midwestern University holding concurrent appointments across six colleges including Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Arizona College of Optometry, College of Dental Medicine-Arizona, College of Graduate Studies - Arizona, and College of Health Sciences-Glendale. His research program bridges microbial pathogenesis and synthetic biology with significant contributions to bacterial persistence mechanisms and therapeutic applications.
Education:
- Ph.D., University of North Dakota, 2005
Research Focus: Dr. Korch's laboratory investigates bacterial toxin-antitoxin systems in Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Escherichia coli, with pioneering work on hipA-mediated persistence and relBE modules. His innovative development of synthetic ATP-binding proteins enables targeted ATP depletion in cancer cells and bacterial systems, revealing novel metabolic adaptations. Recent research explores microbiome alterations in Drosophila Parkinson's disease models, connecting microbial ecology to neurodegenerative processes through gut-brain axis mechanisms.
Publication Trends: Analysis of 13 publications (2003-2023) shows evolution from foundational work on bacterial persistence (hipA7 allele, relBE systems) toward translational applications including cancer therapy via ATP manipulation and neurodegenerative disease modeling. Current research emphasizes interdisciplinary connections between microbial physiology, synthetic biology, and human disease mechanisms with strong citation impact in persistence research.
Research Support:
- Arizona Alzheimer's Consortium grant (2022-2023): Identifying probiotics and bacterial genes ameliorating motor dysfunction in Parkinson's disease models
- Midwestern University intramural grant: Metabolic adaptations in HeLa cancer cells related to energy status
Teaching Activities: Dr. Korch teaches Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapeutics courses (PHARG 566, 570, 580) across multiple health professions programs including Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.), Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.), Doctor of Dental Medicine (D.M.D.), and Doctor of Optometry (O.D.) curricula, integrating his research expertise into pharmacological principles and therapeutic applications.