Palenski, Tammy - Date Last Updated: 10/12/2011

Tammy (Elmergreen) Palenski - Email
Hometown: Shawano, WI
PhD Candidate - Started Fall 2008
Lab of Nader Sheibani

Undergraduate Work
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Bachelor of Science - Clinical Laboratory Science 2007 - Advisor Colin Jefcoate

Work Experience
2007-2008 - ACL Laboratory - Aurora Health Care, West Allis, WI

Interests/Hobbies
I like to spend my free time outdoors running, swimming, biking, and camping. I also love ceramics, cooking, baking, playing guitar, Nintendo and reading books.

Program Involvement
2011-2012 - New Student
Mentoring Program Coordination

Professional Memberships

Society of Toxicology - Student Member - Position Held: Graduate Student Leadership Committee – Subcommittee Chair May 2011 – May 2012
Midwest Regional Chapter – SOT - Student Member - Position Held: Student Representative May 2011 – May 2012
Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology - Student Member

Awards

Victor Drill Award for Second place poster presentation MRC-SOT Spring Meeting 2011 - Vascular Cell Specific Function of Cytochrome P450 1B1. Authors: T. L. Elmergreen, E. A. Scheef, C.M. Sorenson, N. Sheibani
National Institute of Health, Ruth L. Kirschstein National Service Award to Promote Diversity in Health Care - August 2010-Sept 2012
Advanced Opportunity Fellowship - Science and Medicine Research Scholars (SciMed GRS) - Fall 2008 - Present
2010 Awarded Individual Predoctoral Fellowship from National Institute of Health

Research Spring 2010
The growth of new blood vessels from pre-existing capillaries, a process known as angiogenesis, is required for organ growth during development and repair processes in the adult. Angiogenesis is tightly regulated by a balanced production of numerous stimulatory and inhibitory factors, including VEGF and thrombospondins. This tightly regulated process is disturbed under various pathological conditions including diabetes, age-related macular degeneration, and cancer, resulting in growth of new abnormal vessels. There is a great interest in a better understanding of the regulatory mechanisms that keep angiogenesis in check and how their alterations result in growth of abnormal vessels. This knowledge is instrumental in the development of new and more effective therapies for various diseases with a neovascular component.

Recently, Cytochrome P450 enzymes have been shown to be expressed within the cardiovascular system and shown to play a crucial role in the modulation of vascular tone, blood flow, and angiogenesis. Our laboratory has recently shown that CYP1B1 plays a significant role in the development of retinal vasculature and neovascularization during oxygen-induced ischemic retinopathy. We have also shown that a Cyp1B1 deficiency in retinal endothelial cells results in increased oxidative stress and an increase in the production of an endogenous inhibitor of angiogenesis, Thrombospondin-2. However, the molecular and cellular events that mediate CYP1B1 activity in vascular development and angiogenesis require further investigation. My current work focuses on the role of Cyp1B1 in both retinal endothelial cells and recently isolated retinal perivascular supporting cells from the mouse.

Why I Joined METC

I attended UW-Madison as an undergraduate and loved the research atmosphere and the expertise this University offers. I chose the Molecular and Environmental Toxicology program because it is an interdisciplinary program. Graduate students have access to a diverse number of faculty in many different departments across campus and are able to tailor their course work to their specific research interests. I am excited to be part of the METC program as a graduate student.

Publications

Grutzmacher C, Park S, Elmergreen TL, Tang Y, Scheef EA, Sheibani N, Sorenson CM. Opposing Effects of Bim and Bcl-2 on Lung Endothelial Cell Migration. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol. 2010 Jul 23
"Cyp1b1 exerts opposing effects on intestinal tumorigenesis via exogenous and endogenous substrates." Richard B. Halberg, Michele Campaigne Larsen, Tammy L. Elmergreen, Alex Y. Ko, Amy A. Irving, Linda Clipson and Colin R. Jefcoate. Cancer Research, 68(18): 7394-402, Sept 2008

Posters

Society of Toxicology (SOT) 2011 National Meeting Washington, DC - Vascular Cell Specific Function of Cytochrome P450 1B1 - Authors: T. L. Elmergreen1, E. A. Scheef1, C.M. Sorenson2, N. Sheibani1,3. Departments of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences1, Pediatrics2, and Pharmacology3, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI
Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) 2011 National Meeting, Fort Lauderdale, FL- Cyp1B1 is Expressed in Retinal Pericytes and Modulates their Adhesive and Migratory Properties - Authors: T. L. Elmergreen1, E. A. Scheef1, C.M. Sorenson2, N. Sheibani1,3. Departments of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences1, Pediatrics2, and Pharmacology3, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI
Cytochrome P450 1B1 Modulates the Adhesive and Migratory Properties of Retinal Perivascular Supporting Cells - Authors: Tammy Elmergreen & Nader Sheibani - Presented at MRC-SOT May 21, 2010

Graduate Seminars Presentations

02/16/12
Attenuation of the Angiogenic Properties of Endothelial Cells by Inflammatory Cytokines

06/03/11Department of Ophthalmology Grand Rounds - Function of Cytochrome P450 1B1 in the Retinal Vasculature

11/18/10
Thrombospondin 2: Temporal and Spatial Localization during Postnatal Development of Retinal Vasculature

01/28/10
Vascular Function of Cytochrome P450 1B1

Date Last Updated: 10/12/2011 webteam@med.wisc.edu