WASHINGTON, DC—Lindsay Garvin, a doctoral candidate pursuing a Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology as part of the Institute of Biomedical Sciences, a joint program with the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences and the GW Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, has been awarded a two-year research fellowship by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers Association of America (PhRMA) Foundation.
“Lindsay Garvin is a talented, hard-working, interactive scientist,” said Mary Rose, Ph.D., research professor of Integrative Systems Biology, Pediatrics and Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and research professor of Pediatrics at the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences, who will be overseeing Garvin’s research. “Long term she is interested in pharmaceuticals and their impact on gene regulation and diseases and thus elected to work on a project on mucin gene regulation in my lab.”
Garvin’s research examines the mechanism of a new steroidal compound, VBP15, in the repression of the mucin producing gene, MUC5AC. VBP15 has the potential to dissociate the beneficial anti-inflammatory effects of traditional glucocorticoids from the harmful side-effects often seen in patients on long-term glucocorticoid therapies.
“We feel this work is important as the overproduction of mucin is implicated in the morbidity and mortality rates of individuals suffering from chronic lung diseases such as asthma, cystic fibrosis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease,” said Garvin. “It can lead to an improvement in the way patients suffering from these conditions are treated and provide a more comfortable existence for them.”
Garvin will be conducting her research at Children’s National Medical Center in the Research Center for Genetic Medicine and the Department of Integrative Systems Biology.
About the GW School of Medicine and Health Services:
Founded in 1825, the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS) was the first medical school in the nation’s capital and is the 11th oldest in the country. Working together in our nation’s capital, with integrity and resolve, the GW SMHS is committed to improving the health and well-being of our local, national and global communities.
About the GW Columbian College of Arts and Sciences:
Established in 1821, the GW Columbian College of Arts and Sciences is the largest of GW’s academic units, encompassing more than 40 departments and programs for undergraduate, graduate and professional studies. An internationally recognized faculty and active partnerships with prestigious research institutions place Columbian College at the forefront in advancing policy, enhancing culture and transforming lives through research and discovery.
About PhRMA:
The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) represents the country’s leading pharmaceutical research and biotechnology companies, which are devoted to inventing medicines that allow patients to live longer, healthier, and more productive lives. PhRMA companies are leading the way in the search for new cures. PhRMA members alone invested an estimated $49.4 billion in 2010 in discovering and developing new medicines. Industry-wide research and investment reached an estimated $67.4 billion in 2010.