Elizabeth Ryan

Biography of Investigator:
I am first generation in the USA as my family is from Kerala, South India. Prior to entering graduate school at the University of Rochester Medical Center in the field of molecular toxicology, my work experiences contributed to my scientific research interests on a local and global scale. As an educator for HawkWatch International, my main objective was to create education programs to the public on how Birds of Prey are environmental barometers of human health.

During my service with the U.S. Peace Corps in Nepal, I conducted several trainings in conjunction with women’s health initiatives geared towards improving hygiene and nutrition for disease prevention and reducing environmental exposures. I have also conducted ecological and human health risk assessments as well as drafted/audited EPA Toxicological Profile reports while working at Tetra Tech NUS and consulting for Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Engineering (ORISE). I soon discovered that my strengths and passion to address major public health issues, specifically those regarding immunity and cancer were through hypothesis-driven research, and thus sought out postdoctoral training with a NCI Cancer Control and Prevention fellowship to translate laboratory findings of “reduced humoral immune responses by NSAIDs” to vaccine trials in the clinic.

This past year, while with the Crops for Health program at CSU, I have been studying the effects of food components on cellular metabolism, and with the goal of improving the interface between plant and biomedical scientists to improve the investigation of health promoting characteristics of foods available to humans and animals in the marketplace. This transdisciplinary initiative was to develop novel, sustainable breeding strategies that incorporate health traits, but are NOT related to genetic modification of foods. Rice feeds half of humanity, and the bran fraction is a rich source of chemicals and nutrients that is often not consumed. Our lab is now examining bioactive rice bran components for modulation of immunity and tumor metabolism. Alternative medicine practices with plant -derived compounds have been widely available and consumed in the western world, however limited evidence-based research exists for their use in conjunction with standard of care cancer treatments.

Cancer patients are among the largest consumers of natural product supplements, and my laboratory will utilize the canine cancer model to investigate clinically relevant drug-herb interactions. This program of research seeks to determine the safety and efficacy of herbal supplement use during chemotherapy, and thus contribute to evidence-based guidelines regarding complementary and alternative medicine strategies for cancer care in animals and humans.

Classes Taught/Currently Teaching:
I am currently a guest lecturer for courses in the departments of Food Science and Human Nutrition and in Horticulture.

Research Focus:
My research is currently focused on immune modulation and anti-cancer activity of bioactive components in rice bran. We are actively evaluated genetically diverse rice cultivars from around the world that are provided by Dr. Jan Leach (Biological Sciences and Pest Management). Developing the canine cancer model to investigate alternative medicine modalities during cancer treatment is a new scope of my research at the CSU Animal Cancer Center. We are now investigating the effects of a milk thistle-derived compound, silibinin, on tumor metabolism during doxorubicin treatment of canine non-Hodgkins lymphoma. Our plan is to expand and develop evidence-based research on complementary and alternative medicines in oncology by using highly translational, naturally occurring cancers in companion animals.

Future Direction:
I am currently seeking out career development awards and pursuing NIH funding related to complementary and alternative medicine in cancer and NSF funding to improve the health benefits of rice. Specifically, our lab is generating preliminary data to conduct “Translational Investigations of the Safety and Efficacy of Herbal Supplement use during Chemotherapy for non-Hodgkins Lymphoma”. Another ongoing study that involves collaborations in Horticulture is the “Probiotic Metabolism of Rice Bran Phytochemicals for Cancer Prevention”.

Publications:
Phipps, RP, Ryan EP and SH Bernstein. Inhibition of cyclooxygenase-2: a new targeted therapy for B cell lymphoma. Leukemia Research. 28:109-111. 2004.

Ryan EP, SJ Pollock, TI Murant, RE Felgar, SH Bernstein, and RP Phipps. Activated human B lymphocytes express cyclooxygenase-2 and cyclooxygenase inhibitors attenuate antibody production. Journal of Immunology. 174:2619-2626. 2005.

Ryan EP, SJ Pollock, K Kaur, RE Felgar, SH Bernstein, N Chiorazzi, and RP Phipps. Constitutive and activation-inducible Cox-2 expression enhances survival of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia B cells. Clinical Immunology. 120:76-90. 2006.

Ryan EP, CM Malboeuf, RC Rose, RP Phipps. Cyclooxygenase-2 inhibition attenuates antibody responses against human papillomavirus-like particles. Journal of Immunology. 177: 7811-7819. 2006.

Ryan EP, J Holz, TA Gasiewicz, and E Puzas. Environmental toxicants may modulate osteoblast differentiation by a mechanism involving the aryl hydrocarbon receptor. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research. 22:1571-1580. 2007.

Ryan EP, TP Bushnell, AE Friedman, I Rahman, and RP Phipps. SC-58125 diminishes intracellular glutathione and induces reactive oxygen species by a Cox-2 independent mechanism in malignant B lineage cells. Cancer Immunology, Immunotherapy. 57 (3):347-358. 2008 .

Figueroa-Moseley, C. Jean-Pierre, P., Roscoe, JL Ryan, S Kohli, O Palesh, Ryan EP, J Carroll, and G Morrow Behavioral interventions in the treatment of anticipatory nauseau and vomiting: Theoretical models, basic mechanisms, and clinical management. Journal of National Comprehensive Cancer Network. Jan 5(1): 44-50. 2007.

Ryan JL, Carroll J, Ryan EP, Mustian K, Morrow GR. Mechanisms of Cancer Related Fatigue. The Oncologist. 12 Suppl 1: 22-34. 2007 (In review.)

Hawkins NA, LA Pollack, S Leadbetter, WR Steele, J,Carroll, JG Dolan, Ryan EP, JL Ryan, GR Morrow. Informational Needs of Patients and Perceived Adequacy of Information Available Before and After Treatment for Cancer. Journal of Psychosocial Oncology. 26 (2):1-16. 2008.

Ryan EP and Thompson HJ. “Design of Nutritional Interventions for Control of Oxidative Stress”, Chapter in Book entitled Endogenous Toxins. 2009. (In press.)

Ryan EP and RC Rose. Modulation of B lymphocyte Cox-2 expression post HPV vaccination in adolescent females. 2009. (Submitted.)

Caulum MM., Ryan EP, Fitzgerald VK, Lee SG, Thompson HJ, Brick MA, “Application of “Omic” Technologies to Assess Genetic Diversity in Common Dry Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris), 2009 (In
preparation.)

Daniel E, Ryan EP and Thompson HJ. Dose-dependent Effects of Dry Bean Consumption on Liver Gene Expression Profiles in Rats. (In preparation.)

Post Doctorates/Graduate Students:
Name: Adam Heuberger, Ph.D. student in Crops for Health program (Soils and Crops Sciences)
Email Address: adam.heuberger@colostate.edu
Area of Study: Crops for Health: Investigating the health benefits of rice bran
Graduation Date: 2012

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