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Pamela A. Padilla, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
University of North Texas
Departmental of Biological Sciences
Chestnut and Avenue C
Denton TX 76203-5220
Tel: Office (940)565-3614
Fax: (940) 565-3821
Email: ppadilla@unt.edu

Education:

NSF Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, Cell Biology, 1999-2002.
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Division of Basic Sciences, Seattle WA, 98109

Doctor of Philosophy, Biology (Eukaryotic Genetics)
University of New Mexico, Biology Department. Albuquerque NM, 1993-1998.
Dissertation Title: Characterization of the SNZ and SNO gene families in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Bachelor of Science Degree, Biology, With a Minor in Chemistry
University of New Mexico. 1993.

Professional Research Experience:

University of North Texas, Department of Biological Sciences
Assistant Faculty (2002-present)
The research goal of my lab is to use model systems (Caenorhabditis elegans and zebrafish) to understand at the genetic, molecular and cellular level how organisms respond to stressful environments. In particular, I am interested in understanding the mechanisms metazoans use to survive severe oxygen deprivation by entering into a reversible state of suspended animation, where all microscopically observable movement cease, including cell division, developmental progression and motility. This research is currently supported by NIH and has been supported by the National Science Foundation, UNT Junior Faculty Program, and UNTHSC American Cancer Research Grant.

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Division of Basic Sciences
NSF Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, in the Laboratory of Dr. Mark B. Roth (1999-2002)
We discovered that oxygen deprivation causes the zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryo and nematodes (C. elegans) to enter a state of reversible-suspended animation. See article about this research in the FHCRC Center News. This research was supported by an NSF post-doctoral fellow.

University of New Mexico, Biology Department
Graduate Student, in the Laboratory of Dr. Margaret Werner-Washburne (1994-Dec. 1998)
Research interest included yeast cellular responses to nutrient limitation, and the identification of gene products induced during stationary phase. I characterized two highly conserved gene families (SNZ and SNO), that are involved in nutrient limitation responses and vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) biosynthesis. This information increased our understanding of conserved biological pathways used to survive stressful environmental conditions.This research was supported by various graduate student fellowships including MBRS and NIH Roberts-Harris Graduate Fellowship

Grants and Fellowships:

Current Research Grant Support:

National Institutes of Health, (R01 grant, 2004-2009)

Completed Grant and Scholarship Support:
National Science Foundation Research Starter Grant, 2003-2004
UNT Health Science Center American Cancer Society Institional Research Grant, 2003
National Science Foundation Minority Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship,1999-2002
National Institute of Health Post-Doctoral Supplemental Research Fellowship, declined 1999
National Institute of Health Minority Biomedical Research Support Stipend, 1997-98
National Institute of Health P. Roberts-Harris Graduate Student Research Fellowship, 1993-96
National Science Foundation RIMI Graduate Student Research Fellowship, 1993
Howard Hughes Undergraduate Research Fellowship, 1992

Honors and Awards:

Oustanding Mentor for Siemens Scholarship Winners (Desh Mohan, Ranked 4th Place National Finalish (2005), Jemma Alarcorn Regional Semifinalist (2004))
FASEB/NIH MARC Grant Writing Seminar Travel Award, 2002
Phi Kappa Phi Honors Award for Outstanding Graduate Students, 1999
American Society of Cell Biology, Minority Graduate Student Travel Award, 1995
Graduate Student Poster Award, Biology Department UNM, 1995
Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science Graduate Student Travel Award, 1995
La Jolla Cancer Research Center (Burnham Institute) Graduate Student Travel Award, 1994

Peer Reviewed Publications:

A. Mendenhall, B. LaRue, P. Padilla, “Glyceraldeyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase mediates anoxia response and survival in Caenorhabditis elegans, Genetics, Sept. 15, 2006 (online), November, 2006 (Print).

V. Hajeri, J. Trejo, P. Padilla, 2005, “Characterization of sub-nuclear changes in Caenorhabditis elegans embryos exposed to brief, intermediate and long-term anoxia to analyze anoxia-induced cell cycle arrest.” BMC Cell Biology Dec 20; 6;47.

T. Nystul, J.P. Goldmark, P.A. Padilla, M.B. Roth, "Suspended Animation in Caenorhabditis elegans Requires the Spindle Checkpoint", Science, Volume 302, Number 5647, Issue of 7 Nov 2003, pp. 1038-1041.

P.A. Padilla, T. Nystul, R. Zager, A. Johnson, M.B. Roth, 2002 “Dephosphorylation of cell cycle-regulated proteins correlates with anoxia-induced suspended animation in Caenorhabditis elegans”  Mol Biol Cell, May;13(5):1473-83.  

P.A. Padilla and M.B. Roth, 2001 “Oxygen deprivation causes suspended animation in the zebrafish embryo” Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 98(13): 7331-5. This article was highlighted in the "Editor's Choice" section of Science, Vol, 292. 29 June 2001, p2399.

P.A. Padilla, E.K. Fuge, M. E. Crawford, A. Errett, M. Werner-Washburne, 1998. “The highly conserved, coregulated SNO and SNZ gene families in Saccharomyces cerevisiae respond to nutrient limitation,” J. Bacteriology, 180: 5718-5726.

V.M. Peck, E.K. Fuge, P.A. Padilla, M.A. Gomez, M. Werner-Washburne, 1997. “Yeast bcy1 mutants with stationary phase-specific defects,” Current Genetics, 32:83-92.

E.L. Braun, E.K. Fuge, P.A. Padilla, M. Werner-Washburne, 1996. “A stationary-phase gene in Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a member of a novel, highly conserved gene family,” J. Bacteriology, 178:6865-6872.

Primary Research Interests:

Metabolic Arrest (Hypometabolism, Dormancy, Suspended Animation, Diapause, Torpor)
Stress Responses (Oxygen Deprivation, Starvation, Temperature)
Human Health Issues (Ischemia, Blood Loss, Cell Growth and Division)

Specific Research Projects:

Enhanced Survival of Oxygen Deprivation
Spindle checkpoint function in C. elegans embryo exposed to anoxia
Genetics of Anoxia Survival
Physiology of nematodes exposed to oxygen deprivation
Evolution of Nematodes
Cellular markers to identify stress responses
Oxygen deprivation in the zebrafish embryo

Selection of Invited Talks:

Invited Talks and Conference Poster Presentations During Appointment to UNT: 

Hypoxia and Development, Physiology and Disease, Keystone Symposia, “Cellular and Genetic Responses to Oxygen Deprivation in C. elegans”, 2006. Poster.

Genetics Society of American, San Diego, “Oxygen deprivation in C. elegans”, 2006. Poster.

UNTHSC, Invited Seminar, Cell Biology and Genetics Department, “Oxygen deprivation in C. elegans”, 2005

University of New Mexico, Invited Seminar, Department of Biology, “Genetic and Cellular Approaches for Studying Oxygen Deprivation in C. elegans”, 2005.

National Academy of Sciences, Seventh Annual Japanese-American Beckman Frontiers of Science Symposium, Irving, CA, Invited Poster Presentation, “Genetic and Cellular Approaches for Studying Oxygen Deprivation in C. elegans” P. Padilla, Irvine CA, 2004.

American Society for Cell Biology, Washington DC, Poster Presentation, “Investigating the Signaling Pathway between Anoxia, Spindle Checkpoint Activation and Cell Cycle Arrest in C. elegans”, Vinita Prabhu, Jesus Trejo, Pamela A. Padilla, 2004.

University of Texas at San Antonio, Department of Biological Sciences Invited MBRS Seminar Speaker, “Suspended Animation: Anoxia Induced Cell Cycle and Developmental Arrest in C. elegans”, November 2003.

Texas Women’s University, Biology Department Seminar Speaker, Invited Seminar Speaker, “Anoxia Induced Cell Cycle and Developmental Arrest in C. elegans”, October 2003.

C. elegans International Meeting, UCLA, Oral Presentation,  “Anoxia-Induced Suspended Animation in C. elegans”, July 2003.

UNT Health Science Center, Ft. Worth, Invited Seminar by UNTHSC Graduate Students, “Oxygen Deprivation in C. elegans and Zebrafish”, 2003. . 

University of California Los Angeles,  “Oxygen Deprivation in C. elegans and Zebrafish” November 2002, Invited talk by MBRS/MARC Undergraduate Students.

Talks and presentations by graduate and undergraduate students in my laboratory:

Developmental and Evolutionary Biology of C. elegans Meeting, three poster presentations from students in my laboratory, 2006, Madison WI.

Siemens Westinghous National Scholarship Competition, “Anoxia response of male C. elegans”, New York, Desh Mohan, Fall 2005.

C. elegans International Worm Meeting, “Subcellular responses to anoxia-induced suspended animation”, UCLA, Vinita A Hajeri, Jesus Trejo, Pamela A Padilla, Summer 2005.

C. elegans International Worm Meeting, “C. elegans survival guide for anoxia: the requirement of metabolic and heat shock gene products”, UCLA,  Alex Mendennhall, Bobby LaRue, Pamela A. Padilla, Summer 2005.

University of Houston Undergraduate Research Competition, “Investigating the effect of anoxia on chromosomes and microtubules in the C. elegans embryo”, Jesus Trejo, Vinita Prabhu, Pamela A. Padilla, Fall 2004.

University of Houston Undergraduate Research Competition, “Identification and characterization of a gene required for chromosome condensation”, Nicole Parker, Jeremy Holman, Pamela Padilla, Fall 2004

Midwest C. elegans Meeting , “Analysis of C. elegans embryos exposed to anoxia”, Vinita Prabhu and Pamela Padilla, , Summer 2004.

Presentations with collaborators:

1.     FASEB, “Metabolic Rate in Wild-type and hif-1 mutant in Caenorhabditis elegans”, Tammy Chan, Warren Burggren, Pamela Padilla, 2004.

2.     C. elegans International Meeting, UCLA, Poster Presentation, “Spindle Checkpoint is Required for Suspended Animation”, T. Nystul, J. Goldmark, P. Padilla, M. Roth, July 2003.

3.   American Society for Cell Biology Meeting, San Francisco, Poster Presentation, “Oxygen Deprivation in C. elegans- Is the Spindle Checkpoint Involved?”, P. Padilla, T. Nystul, J. Goldmark, M. Roth, 2002.

Selection of talks and presentations prior to UNT appointment:

 University of Washington, Guest Speaker for Scientific Journalism Class, Seattle WA, 2001.

Society for Developmental Biology 60^th Annual Meeting, “Oxygen Deprivation Causes Suspended Animation in the Zebrafish Embryo,” P.A. Padilla, M.B. Roth, UW, Seattle WA, 2001.

13^th International C. elegans Conference, UCLA, Los Angeles CA “Oxygen Deprivation in C. elegans,” P.A. Padilla, T. Nystul, M.B. Roth, , 2001.

Yeast Genetics Conference, Collage Park, MD, “The Function of Snz1 and Sno1 Proteins in Yeast,” P.A. Padilla, M. Werner-Washburne, 1998.

United States Senate, Washington D.C., “The Need For the United States Senate to Continue Support of Basic Scientific Research,” P.A. Padilla (one of three graduate student speakers on behalf of the Science Coalition), 1996.

Advisor for Science Education in Local Denton Schools (2005-present)

External Grant Reviewer, NSF (Genes and Genomes Division, Integrative Organismal Biology Division)

Mid-West C. elegans Regional Meeting, Seminar Moderator, 2004

SACNAS Undergraduate Research Poster Presentation Abstract Reviewer and Judge, 2002, 2004

Journal Reviewer: Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, 2003, 2005; Genetics, 2006

External Grant Reviewer: U.S. EPA- ORD-NCER

Faculty Advisor for UNT Biology Department Undergraduate Club, Alpha Delta, (2002-2006)

Graduate Student Research Day Faculty Advisor (2004-2006)

Biology Graduate Student Association Faculty Advisor (2003 – present)

McNair Scholar Research Judge, 2003

Communications:

U.S. Patent, 2001, Methods for inducing reversible stasis, P. Padilla and M. Roth.

PBS Television Documentary on Scientific Research and Education, "Mysteries of an Ancient Gene", M. Werner-Washburne, P.A. Padilla, E.K Fuge, E. Braun, 1997.

Patent Application, 1998, Werner-Washburne, P.A. Padilla, E.K Fuge, E. Braun.

Interviewed for the American Women In Science (AWIS) book: "A Hands Up Women Mentoring Women"

Teaching and Mentoring Experience:

University of North Texas:

Primary Instructor:
Eukaryotic Genetics (Fall Semesters 2003, 2004, 2005)
Genetics (Spring Semesters 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007)
Developmental Genetics (Fall 2002)
Molecular, Cellular and Physiological Response to Environmental Stress (Fall 2006)

Guest Lecturer:
Development, 2003
Medical Genetics (Fall 2006)

Graduate/Undergraduate Student Journal Clubs:
Developmental Genetics-Cell Cycle and Development, 2002
Developmental Physiology and Genetics Journal Club, 2002-2004

Community Service:
SACNAS Undergraduate Research Poster Presentation Judge, 2002
K-5 Science Fair Judge, 2003

University of New Mexico:
Guest Lecturer in Undergraduate Cell Biology, 1998
Teaching Assistant for Cell Biology, 1996
K-12 Science Fair Judge, 1996-1998
Undergraduate Mentor in M. Werner-Washburne’s laboratory, 1995-98
Middle School Tutor, 1996-1997
Genetics Tutor for Undergraduates, 1993

Professional Associations:

Society for Developmental Biology
Genetics Society of America
American Society of Cell Biology
Society for Advancement of Chicano and Native Americans in Science
American Association for the Advancement of Science

Professional Committee and Service:

UNT Faculty Senate Committee on the Status of Women
Journal Reviewer: Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology
Faculty Advisor for Alpha Delta Student Organization
Faculty Advisor for Biology Graduate Student Association

Last Modified: 18 September 2002