HELEN JANE WING
CURRICULUM VITAE
CONTACT INFORMATION:
School of Life Sciences
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
4505 S. Maryland Pkwy
Las Vegas, Nevada 89154-4004
Telephone: 702 895 5382 (office) FAX: 702 895 3956
702 895 3968 (lab) Email: helen.wing@unlv.edu
EDUCATION:
1993-1997 Ph.D. University of Birmingham, UK. Prokaryotic transcription
1990-1993 B.Sc. (Hons.) Nottingham University, UK: Biology specializing in microbial genetics and molecular biology
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
2005-present Tenure-track Assistant Professor, School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Date of hire: January 2005. [Contract: 40% Res. 40% Teaching: 20% Service]
2000-2004 Postdoctoral Research Associate, Massachusetts General Hospital, Infectious Disease Division, Boston, MA
1997-2000 Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, UK
RESEARCH INTERESTS:
Mechanisms of Bacterial Pathogenesis, Bacterial Transcription and Gene Regulation, Protein Localization Studies, Anaerobiosis, Bacterial Motility and Chemotaxis, Outer Membrane Proteases, Bacterial Resistance to Cationic Antibacterial Peptides, Extra-host Survival of Bacterial Pathogens
Professional Societies:
american Society for Microbiology (ASM), Treasurer and Secretary of Arizona and Southern Nevada Branch of the ASM
HONORS AND AWARDS:
2009 UNLV CSUN Faculty Excellence award (Student nominated)
2008 UNLV Merit Award $3,000
2007 UNLV Merit Award $2,000
2006 UNLV Merit Award $1,000
2002-2004 Postdoctoral Fellowship from the Medical Foundation/ Charles H. Hood Foundation Boston, MA
Title: “Regulation of the Shigella virulence factor IcsP”
2001-2002 Postdoctoral Fellowship from the Fund for Medical Discovery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston , MA Title: “Characterization of Shigella proteins required for bacterial spread”
1995 Poster Prize presented at the Biochemical Society's Wales and West Post-graduate meeting.
1995 Chandler Poster Prize awarded at “Graduate Research Day” within the School of Biochemistry, University of Birmingham, UK.
1993 B.B.S.R.C. Post-Graduate Studentship awarded to Prof. S. Busby, University of Birmingham
1993 Graduated with Honors: University of Nottingham
1992 Wellcome Summer Research Fellowship, awarded to Dr. R. E. Sockett, University of Nottingham, UK.
FUNDING:
Federal/Extramural Grants
Current:
None
Pending:
None
Unfunded:
1. National Institutes of Health: NIAID: R21 ($275,000) (resubmission)
“Exploring the roles and regulation of the Shigella protease IcsP”
Role: PI
Consultants: James Huntley National Center for Genome Research, NM; Christian Ross, Bioinformaticist UNLV
2. NSF Undergraduate Research Mentoring Program
“URM Preliminary Proposal: Research and Mentoring in molecular cell Biology and Microbiology at UNLV”
Role: Co-PI; PI: Kurt Regner
3. National Institutes of Health: NIAID: R21 ($275,000)
“Exploring the roles and regulation of the Shigella protease IcsP”
Role: PI
Consultants: James Huntley National Center for Genome Research, NM; Christian Ross, Bioinformaticist UNLV
4. Request for instrumentation: ($79,122 )
Title: “Tissue culture instrumentation to further studies on gene expression in hibernators and assess Shigella virulence and primary defense mechanism in human cells.”
Department of Defense: Defense University Research Instrumentation Program (DURIP)
Role: PI
Co-Pi: Dr. van Breukelen
5. National Institutes of Health: NIAID: RFA: U01: International Collaboration in Inf. Dis. ($2,519,378.00)
Title: “Novel therapies & strategies against Shigellosis”
Role: PI
Major Foreign Collaborator: Rubhana Raqb, International Center for Diarhheal Disease Research, Bangaldesh (ICDDR,B)
Co-PI: Birgitta Agerberth, Karolinska Institutet
Collaborators: Marcia Goldberg, Massachusetts General Hospital, Gudmundur Gudmundsson, University of Iceland, Jan Andersson, Karolinska University Hospital, David Sack, ICDDR,B
State/Local/Intramural Grants
Current:
1. IDEA network of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) target faculty in Nevada
“Roles and regulation of a Shigella protease” ($270,000)
2. UNLV President’s Research Award (partially funded $6,000)
“Support of graduate projects focusing on microbial interactions with plant and animal cells.” ($50,000)
Role: PI; Co-PI: Ernesto Abel-Santos and Eduardo Robleto
3. UNLV start up funds ($225,000)
Pending:
None
Unfunded:
1. Institute for Security Studies: Summer Research Award
“Measuring the survival of bioterrorism agents in water” ($20,000)
Role: PI; Co-investigators: Debbie Soukup and Brenda Buck
2. IDEA network of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) target faculty in Nevada
“Characterization of the roles and regulation of a family of bacterial proteases during growth and differentiation in the host environment” ($270,000)
3. Department of Defense - EPSCoR
“Assessment of health risks associated with Shigella contaminated water using molecular and cellular approaches” ($698,665)
Ranked: Second tier (118/180)
4. Nevada NASA Space Grant Program & NSHE Research Infrastructure Award
“Planetary protection of Mars: infectious dose” ($44,849)
Role: Co-PI; PI: Henry Sun
5. Nevada EPSCoR White paper
“Nevada Microbial Geoscience Research and Education (NMGRE)”
Role: Team member; PI: Alison Murray; Co-PI: Dennis Bazylinski
PUBLICATIONS:
1) Savery NJ, Rhodius VA, Wing HJ, Busby SJW. 1995. Transcription activation at Escherichia coli promoters dependent on the cyclic-AMP receptor protein – effects of binding sequences for the RNA polymerase alpha subunit. Biochem. J. 309: 77-83.
2) Wing HJ, Williams SM, Busby SJW. 1995. “Spacing requirements for transcription activation by Escherichia coli FNR protein.” J. Bacteriol. 177: 6704-6710.
3) Savery N, Belyaeva T, Wing H, Busby S. 1996. Regulation of promoters by two transcription activators: Evidence for a 'simultaneous touching' model. Biochem. Soc. Trans. 24: 351-353.
4) Williams SM, Savery NJ, Busby SJW, Wing HJ. 1997 Transcription activation at Class I FNR-dependent promoters: identification of the activating surface of FNR and the corresponding contact site in the C-terminal domain of the RNA polymerase alpha subunit. Nucl. Acid Res. 25: 4028-4034.
5) Li B, Wing H, Lee D, Wu HC, Busby SJW. 1998. Transcription activation by Escherichia coli FNR protein: similarities to, and differences from, the CRP paradigm. Nucl. Acid Res. 26: 2075-2081.
6) Williams SM, Wing HJ, Busby SJW. 1998. Repression of transcription initiation by Escherichia coli FNR protein: repression by FNR can be simple. FEMS Microbiol. Letts, 163: 203-208.
7) Wing HJ, Green J, Guest JR, Busby SJW. 2000. Role of activating region 1 of Escherichia coli FNR protein in transcription activation at class II promoters. J. Biol. Chem. 275: 29061-29065.
8) Lee DJ, Wing HJ, Savery NJ, Busby SJW. 2000. Analysis of interactions between activating region 1 of Escherichia coli FNR protein and the C-terminal domain of the RNA polymerase alpha subunit: use of alanine scanning and suppression genetics. Mol. Microbiol. 37: 1032-1040.
9) Marshall FA, Messenger SL, Wyborn NR, Guest JR, Wing H, Busby SJW, Green J. 2001. A novel promoter architecture for microaerobic activation by the anaerobic transcription factor, FNR. Mol. Microbiol. 39: 747-753.
10) Wing HJ, Yan AW, Goldman SR and Goldberg MB. 2004. Regulation of IcsP, the outer membrane protease of the Shigella actin tail assembly protein IcsA, by virulence plasmid regulators VirF and VirB. J. Bacteriol. 186: 699-705.
11) Wing HJ, Goldman SR, Ally S, Goldberg MB. 2005. Modulation of an outer membrane protease contributes to the virulence defect of Shigella flexneri strains carrying a mutation in the virK locus. Inf Immun. 73:1217-1220.
12) Castellanos M, Harrison, DJ. Smith JM., Labahn SK. Levy KL and Wing HJ. 2009. “VirB alleviates H-NS repression of the icsP promoter in Shigella flexneri from sites over 1 kb upstream of the transcription start site” J. Bacteriol. 191: 4047-4050
INVITED LECTURES AND INTERNATIONAL/NATIONAL SYMPOSIA PRESENTATIONS
SERVICE
Profession:
2006 – to date Treasurer/Secretary, AZ/Southern NV branch of ASM
2006 Co-organizer, Local branch meeting of AZ/NV ASM branch meeting in Las Vegas, NV
2006 Judge, Graduate Research Talks and Posters at the Wind River Conference on Prokaryotic Biology, CO
2005 Ad hoc reviewer of NSF grant
2005 Session Chair at Wind River Conference on Prokaryotic Biology, Estes Park, CO
2005 Judge, Undergraduate & Graduate Research Talks at Arizona/Southern Nevada Branch Meeting
2003 Chair, 10th Boston Bacterial Meeting
2002 Fundraiser, 9th Boston Bacterial Meeting
System:
2008 Mentored Clark County High School Teacher in Summer project sponsored by the NSF
2006 Petitioned Colleges in the Nevada System Higher Education about the introduction of a new microbiology course Biol 351X
2005 - to date Adjunct Assistant Professor at Touro University, Henderson, NV
2005 - to date INBRE Faculty Mentor for Undergraduate Projects
2005 - to date EPSCoR Faculty Mentor for Undergraduate Projects
University:
2008 Attended Graduate & Professional Student Association Meeting
2008 New Graduate Course approved Biol 664
2006 Interview with Erin O’Donnell, UNLV magazine
2005 Ad hoc reviewer of UNLV SITE proposals
College:
2008 Presented poster at Nev BIO’s Award Ceremony (Harry Reid present)
2008 Attended seminars during the COS Dean Search
2006 Coordinator, Science and Engineering Building, UNLV proposal
2005 Presenter, Association of PreHealth Professionals at UNLV
School:
2005-to date Graduate Operations Committee. Monitored all graduate students’ progress through the graduate program. Co-revised Graduate Handbook and Catalog
2006-2008 Personnel Committee. Co-revised new bylaws for the School of Life Sciences
2006 Judge, Undergraduate and Graduate talks at BIOS Symposium
2006 Microbiology Search Committee. Resulted in the hiring of Dr. Dennis Bazyliski
2005-to date Ad hoc committee for autoclave maintenance and safety training
Unit:
2005- to date Maintenance of the Microbiology group website (www.unlv.edu/faculty/hjwing/microbiology.htm)
2005 Member, Ad hoc Committee Member for Integrated Cell Biology and Microbiology Graduate Program Reform
2005 Member, Ad hoc Committee for Undergraduate Microbiology Curriculum reform
2005 - to date Host, 5 School Seminar Speakers: Dr. Gudmundur Gudmundsson, Dr. Lawrence Goodridge and Dr. Carolyn Hovde-Bohach, Dr. Doug Crabb, Dr. Marty Roop
Public:
2005 Television Interview for Channel 13 News-Expert on Bacterial Pathogenesis. Story concerned bacterial contamination on shopping cart trolleys
TEACHING
Course Development
Microbiology (formerly Microbial Systems): Survey of general microbiology including microbiological prokaryotic cell structure and function, genetics, ecology, and pathogenesis. Three hours lecture three hours laboratory.
Bacterial Pathogenesis: This course addresses the molecular mechanisms by which bacterial pathogens cause disease. Basic principles of bacterial pathogenesis will be considered before a survey of bacterial pathogens and their specific virulence factors is conducted. This course includes aspects of bacterial genetics, physiology, immunology and the cell biology of host-parasite interactions.
School of Life Sciences, UNLV (status, enrollment, average student evaluative GPA from 0 to 4)
2008, Fall BIOL 464x: Bacterial Pathogenesis (NEW COURSE for NSHE) (lecture, 43, 3.65)
BIO 730C: Graduate Problems in Biology: Bacterial Pathogenesis (lecture, 2, 4.0)
BIOL 492: Undergraduate Research: Maria Castellanos
2008, Spring BIOL 351: Microbiology (lecture, 69, 3.64)
2007, Fall BIOL 464x: Bacterial Pathogenesis (NEW COURSE for NSHE) (lecture, 32, 3.54)
BIO 730C: Graduate Problems in Biology: Bacterial Pathogenesis (lecture, 4, 4.0)
BIOL 492: Undergraduate Research: William Ingersoll and Karen Levy
2007, Spring BIOL 493: Undergraduate Seminar “Current topics in Microbiology” (seminar, 4, N.D.)
BIOL 492: Undergraduate Research: Tara Sutherland
BIO 796: Graduate Seminar “Current topics in Microbiology” (seminar, 6, N.D.)
2006, Fall BIOL 464x: Bacterial Pathogenesis (NEW COURSE for NSHE) (lecture, 32, 3.54)
BIO 730C: Graduate Problems in Biology: Bacterial Pathogenesis (lecture, 4, 4.0)
BIOL 492: Undergraduate Research: Ashley Connell
2006, Summer BIOL 492: Undergraduate Research: Ashley Connell
2006, Spring BIOL 351X: Microbial Systems (NEW COURSE for NHSE) (lecture, 45, 2.82)
BIOL 492: Undergraduate Research: Tim Struve
2005, Fall BIOL 493: Undergraduate Seminar “Current topics in Microbiology” (seminar,4, 4.0)
BIOL 492: Undergraduate Research: Noam Moas
BIO 796: Graduate Seminar “Current topics in Microbiology” (Seminar, 6, 4.0)
2005, Summer BIO 492: Undergraduate Research: Lisa Locaynia and Julius de Leon
2005, Spring New Investigator Teaching release
TRAINEES:
Graduate Students Mentored:
Lt. Dustin Harrison (Ph.D. in progress)
Christopher Hensley (Ph.D. in progress)
Sara M. Kienzle (M.S. in progress)
Eun-Hae Kim (M.S. graduated 2008)
Bilal Zaatiti (Ph.D. Left program)
Other Graduate Student Committee Memberships:
Holly Martin (M.S. School of Life Sciences, UNLV in progress)
Caitlin Murphy (M.S. School of Life Sciences, UNLV in progress)
Adelbert Villoso (M.S. School of Life Sciences, UNLV in progress)
Tom Welch (Internship, School of Public Health, UNLV in progress)
Andy Phui (M.S. Department of Chemistry, UNLV in progress)
Zadkiel Alvarez (M.S. Department of Chemistry, UNLV in progress)
Yasmin Younas (Ph.D. School of Life Sciences, UNLV left program)
Randy Boyles (Ph.D. School of Life Sciences, UNLV in progress)
Nicole Bond (Ph.D. School of Life Sciences, UNLV in progress)
Linh Nguyen (Ph.D. School of Life Sciences, UNLV in progress)
Vanja Velickovska (Ph.D. School of Life Sciences, UNLV in progress)
Katila Varivarn (M.S. School of Life Sciences, UNLV in progress)
Rowena Manalang (M.S. School of Life Sciences, UNLV in progress)
Robin Miller (M.S. School of Life Sciences, graduated 2008)
Ryan MacDonald (Ph.D. School of Life Sciences, UNLV left program)
Undergraduate Students:
Lisa Locaynia*, Julius de Leon‡>, Noam Moas, Tim Struve, Meghann Ditsworth, Aerial Carlson, Young Park, Ashley Connell‡, Jennifer Smith¨, Tara Sutherland^, William Ingersoll, Karen Levy$, Maria Castellanos$, David Basta, Lia Africa, Amanda Yates¨
* 2005 Recipient of Summer INBRE Undergraduate Fellowship
>2005 Recipient of Center for Math and Science Education EPSCoR Undergraduate Research Award
‡2006 Recipient of Summer INBRE Undergraduate Fellowship
^2007 Recipient of Summer INBRE Undergraduate Fellowship
$2008 Recipient of Summer INBRE Undergraduate Fellowship
¨Recipient of NSF “Research Experience for Undergraduates” (REU) fellowship