Howard Lab Departures
Rana Rheem completed her Post-Baccalaureate fellowship in the Howard Lab this July. Rana spent two years as an undergraduate researcher prior to staying on as an ICARE Post-Bac. Her contributions to the lab were many, including a submitted first author publication this year. She will be taking a gap year as she prepares for medical school!
Howard Lab Departures
Bri O'Leary, PhD spent 1.5 years with the Howard Lab leading the development of crucial DIPG models used for testing new drugs, assisting in new techniques and assays, and mentoring students. She will starting a new position in industry - best of luck Bri!
Claire Graham Graduates!
Undergraduate Research Fellow, Claire Graham, started in the Howard lab as a freshman and first undergraduate student. During her four years in the lab, Claire contributed to many projects, co-authored two publications, decorated the lab, and continued to make us laugh during lab meetings. She graduates with her BS in Biomedical Engineering.
We are incredibly proud that she will be continuing her education as a predoctoral student in Biomedical Engineering and Physiology at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN (where Dr. Howard also earned her PhD!).
Howard Lab awarded funding!
The Howard lab received a philanthropic gift from the TaterTough DIPG Research Fund by Darcy and Brad Schaefer at their annual fundraising Gala. The TaterTough Foundation is committed to defeating DIPG so that no other child will have to fight like Tate Schaefer did.
This spring Dr. Howard was awarded a seed grant from the Stead Family Children's Hospital Discretionary Funds from the University of Iowa to study redox-related strategies to target DIPG.
Dangran joins the lab!
Dangran Li is a rotating student in his first year of the Biomedical Science Ph.D. program here at Iowa. He completed his undergraduate degree of pharmaceutical engineering at Jiangnan University in Wuxi City, China and his masters of pharmacy at Nanjing University in Nanjing City.
Welcome to the lab, Dangran!
Additive Effects of Cu-ATSM and Radiation on Survival of DIPG
New publication out! ?✨ Our latest study explores how combining Cu-ATSM with radiation therapy boosts survival effects in DIPG cells, paving the way for innovative approaches against this tough-to-treat pediatric cancer.
Pumpkin Decorating Contest
The Howard Lab submitted two pumpkin decorating entries into the First Annual Radiation Oncology Pumpkin Decorating contest. Patients vote for their favorite and winners receive a celebratory lunch.
Being a pediatric focused research lab full of Harry Potter fans - our pumpkins represent our lab well!
2024 Summer Undergraduate Presentations
With the end of July came the end of our summer undergraduate research programs. The Howard Lab summer undergraduate interns had the chance to showcase their work in multiple poster and oral presentations. Great work Eryka, Aaron, and Alyson!!
Research Laboratory Excellence in Safety Award
The Howard lab was awarded an Excellence in Safety award for their unwavering commitment to safety, collaboration, and proactive measures.
2024 HCCC Scientific Retreat
The annual HCCC Scientific Retreat was hosted at the Hyatt Regency Conference Center in Coralville, Iowa. At this event, students, postdocs, fellows, residents, faculty, and clinicians gathered to hear and discuss the latest updates in cancer research at Holden.
At this event, Dr. Shane Solst gave an oral presentation titled “Sirtinol inhibition of sirtuins decreases DNA repair in diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas.” Congratulations to Shane for being one of eight scientists chosen to present at this event!
In addition, Rana did a great job presenting Howard Lab data at the interactive poster session.
Katie Spitler joins the lab!
We are pleased to introduce our newest addition to the Howard Lab, Katie Spitler! Dr. Spitler is a research associate with 10 years of experience doing research at the University of Iowa. She obtained her PhD in Physiology from Augusta University, and we are thrilled to welcome such a skilled and passionate team member.
Welcoming Eryka, Alyson, and Aaron - Summer Undergraduates - to the Howard Lab!
Undergraduates interested in medical and/or scientific careers benefit from summer research experiences where they have the opportunity to fully immerse themselves in full time research for 10 weeks in the summer. Programs represented in this cohort are:
Cancer Research Opportunities at Iowa (CROI) - funded by the American Cancer Society
Summer Cancer Undergraduate Research Program (SCURP) - funded by the Midwest FLASH Program
Rana and Sarah Join ICARE
Rana and Sarah will both be staying in the lab for the next 1-2 years as members the ICARE fellowship.
ICARE or Iowa Cancer Research Experience is a postbaccalaureate fellowship program that aims to expand the cancer research workforce. We are thrilled to have them continue in the lab as they prepare for graduate school!
More infomation about ICARE:
Rana and Sarah Graduate!
Two of our faithful undergraduate students graduated from the University of Iowa!
Rana Rheem graduated with a B.S. in neuroscience, while Sarah King graduated with a B.S. in Biomedical Sciences and a certificate in sustainability.
We are so proud of both of them and excited for their promising futures!
2024 Translational Science
The 2024 Translational Science Annual Meeting was hosted in Las Vegas, NV from April 3-5. This conference welcomes trainees, junior faculty, and senior scientists for a week of networking and sharing science. All Iowa K12 CTSA scholars (including Dr. Howard) from the University of Iowa were in attendance.
Dr. Howard and her family did some hiking in Zion National Park before returning to the lab.
Bri O'Leary joins the lab!
Dr. Bri O'Leary is a research specialist who has over 10 years experience in cancer research at the University of Iowa. She has her Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of South Florida and a mountain of publications.
Bri O'Leary Ph.D.
2023 CABTRAC
The 2023 Cancer Biology Training Consortium (CABTRAC) Annual Retreat was hosted in Orange County, California from October 22-24. This retreat invites all CABTRAC members from various cancer training and education teams across the country to gather for networking, science, and social events.
Dr. Shane Solst presented his research during an interactive poster session.
First Howard Lab Publication
New research by the Howard Lab reveals that high-dose ascorbate (P- AscH-) doesn't enhance the radiosensitivity of Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG) cells, unlike adult glioma models. DIPG have a strong ability to rapidly remove hydroperoxides, preventing ascorbate from improving their radiation response. This study highlights the critical need for strategies to improve outcomes for DIPG patients.
2023 International Congress for Radiation Research
On August 27-30th, the 17th annual International Congress for Radiation Research (ICRR) was held in Montréal, Canada. This year, the conference was combined with the 69th Annual Meeting of the Radiation Research Society (RRS). This international Congress enabled scientists in the diverse radiation science disciplines to discuss and showcase their findings, while promoting the interdisciplinary nature of radiation research. Dr. Shane Solst of the Howard Lab presented his research during an interactive poster session.
Koffi joins the lab!
Koffi , the newest member of the Howard Lab, is an ICARE Fellow here at UIowa. The ICARE (Iowa Cancer Research Experience) Program is hosted by Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Welcome to the lab, Koffi!
American Association of Physicists in Medicine
Dr. Michelle Howard gave a podium talk at the AAPM meeting in Houston, Texas.
Summer Undergraduate Research Conference
Sarah and Claire presented their work at the summer undergraduate research conference to end their time as BSURP and SUMR students!
