Diane Barber, PhD
Professor – Cell and Tissue Biology
School of Dentistry
Pilot for Established Investigators
New Direction to Identify Regulators of Lysosome pH Dynamics
Awarded $ 50K – Fall, 2017
- How did the RAP grant allow for further funding and/or publications?
Our RAP award provided seed funding for a new direction in lysosome biology and the regulation of lysosome pH dynamics. Our award supported:
1). Further development and validation of a genetically encoded fluorescent lysosome pH biosensor we generated
2). Identifying resident regulators of lysosome pH dynamics by using a limited CRISPR/Cas9 screen targeting lysosome membrane ion transporters.
Progress in 1). above is included in our publication pHLARE: a new biosensor reveals decreased lysosome pH in cancer cellshttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33237838/.
Progress in 2). above identified the lysosomal membrane Cl-H exchanger ClC7 as a major regulator of luminal pH (manuscript in preparation)
- What was the type of follow-up funding since the initial RAP award?
We subsequently received 2 awards with supporting data generated with our RAP funding
UCSF Catalyst 07/01/2020-11/01/2021
New technology and therapeutic discovery targeting dysregulated lysosomes in cancer and neurodegenerative disorders
- What is the focus of your research today?
Our current research focuses on cytosolic and organelle pH dynamics in cancer, neurodegeneration, and stem cell differentiation. - Any additional/final comments:
A very useful award!
Raquel Gardner, MD
Associate Professor – Neurology
School of Medicine
Pilot for Early Career Investigators (formerly: Junior Investigators in Basic & Clinical/Translational Sciences)
Transforming Research in Geriatric Traumatic Brain Injury (TaRGET)
Awarded $ 40K – Fall, 2017
- How did the RAP grant allow for further funding and/or publications?
I received a RAP grant to enroll a pilot cohort of N=30 older adults presenting to ZSFG with acute traumatic brain injury. With data from this successful pilot project (which did indeed enroll the N=30), I was able to successfully apply for a 5-year NINDS R01 to support a larger 2-site study that proposed to enroll N=270 older adults and N=90 controls. This study is now entering Y4 of funding and is enrolling briskly at both sites. We have one publication that has been provisionally accepted and another 3-4 that are in preparation, all stemming from this work. These 2 projects additionally led directly to the successful application for a 4-year VA Merit Award that recently launched in January 2022. So, overall, this RAP grant led directly to the acquisition of 2 R01 equivalent grants that built directly upon the RAP pilot cohort.
- What was the type of follow-up funding since the initial RAP award?
RAP led directly to successful application for an NIH R01 and a VA Merit that both proposed larger more comprehensive versions of the RAP pilot project. - What is the focus of your research today?
Geriatric Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). Same focus as described for the above RAP grant. - Any additional/final comments:
While my NIH K23 certainly was instrumental in my career development into an independent investigator, it was actually the RAP grant that gave me the final push to independence and directly facilitated my first two independent grants from the NIH and VA.
Rachel Rutishauser, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor – Experimental Medicine
School of Medicine
GILEAD HIV Cure Mentored Scientist Award
Exploring the role of TCF-7 in the regulation of HIV-specific CD8+ T cell regenerative capacity
Awarded $ 45K – Fall, 2017
- How did the RAP grant allow for further funding and/or publications?
This RAP grant, which was awarded while as a post-doctorate in the Infectious Diseases fellowship program at UCSF. I have continued to study the role of the transcription factor TCF-1/TCF7 in regulating HIV-specific CD8+ T cell regenerative capacity in different cohorts of people with HIV in natural infection and after therapeutic intervention. The studies funded by RAP formed the basis of my main postdoctoral paper (Rutishauser et al., JCI Insight, 2021: "TCF-1 regulates HIV-specific CD8+ T cell expansion capacity"). The award provided important salary support and directly allowed me to fund key experiments that were distinct from the ongoing work in my mentors' labs. Ultimately, the RAP award supported my gaining an in-residence faculty position in November 2020 in the Division of Experimental Medicine where I continue to lead research in an independent lab. - What was the type of follow-up funding since the initial RAP award?
The RAP award directly supported studies that formed the basis of my K23 award (funded in 2018) and then my R01 award (funded in 2022). - What is the focus of your research today?
My laboratory research focuses on understanding the mechanisms that promote the formation of effective and durable CD8+ T cell immunity to viral pathogens (e.g. HIV, SARS-CoV-2) and vaccination at different stages of human development.
Licia Selleri, PhD, MD
Professor – Orofacial Sciences
School of Dentistry
Team Science Grant
Genomic regulation of midfacial outgrowth variation in evolution and pathology
Awarded $ 75K – Fall, 2017
- How did the RAP grant allow for further funding and/or publications?
The RAP award allowed me to start a new project on face morphogenesis in different species that generated exciting preliminary results. These were subsequently used as Preliminary Data for an R01 grant application that was funded by the NIDCR.
- What was the type of follow-up funding since the initial RAP award?
We subsequently received an RO1 Grant from the NIDCR
- What is the focus of your research today?
The project spearheaded by the RAP Award is still being pursued in my laboratory - a manuscript is now in preparation on mechanisms underlying face morphogenesis and outgrowth in different species. Using the funds allotted by the RAP award, we discovered a transcription factor as yet poorly characterized that regulates outgrowth of the maxilla in mammals, but not in avians, and that, when mutated, causes cleft palate in humans.