BRIC Research Activities

The overall intent of this core is to provide the required research infrastructure to support our research objectives:

Conduct original and innovative biomedical/behavioral research aimed at eliminating health disparities as they relate to diabetes, HIV/AIDS, hypertension/cardiovascular disease, and sleep deprivation as it relates to alcoholism and drug addiction.
Translate health services research outcomes into improvements for Winston-Salem's sizeable minority population and throughout the 12-county Piedmont Triad by leveraging WSSU's long-standing community partnerships.
Create training opportunities for undergraduate/graduate students and junior faculty to pursue research interests in minority health or health disparities.

Dr. Adjei-Fremah’s current focus has been on optimizing xeno-free media supplemented with small molecules for culturing hepatocytes and neuronal cells.

Manju Bhat, M.V.Sc., Ph.D.

Collaborators: Wayne Silver, Ph.D Dept. of Biology, WFU; Vijay Gorantla, M.D. Ph.D. WFIRM

Project Titles:
Neurophysiology of calcium signaling in sensory neurons. Role of calcium channels in acute and chronic pain.

Dr. Ryan Fitzgerald is a postdoctoral research associate affiliated with Winston-Salem State University and Wake Forest School of Medicine. His work focuses on developing and testing compounds that cross the blood-brain barrier to target dopamine-related brain receptors, with potential applications in treating cocaine use disorder and age-related cognitive decline. He also contributes to PET imaging research, helping design and produce tracers for both clinical and experimental use at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Hospital.

Jill Keith, Ph.D.

Collaborators: Allyn Howlett, Ph.D. and Sara Jones, Ph.D. (Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, WFUSM), Tony Reeves, Ph.D. (Molecular Medicine WFUSM), Kiran Solingapuram Sai, PhD. (Radiology, WFUSM), Khalil Eldeeb (Campbell University), Victor Pulgar (Campbell University)

Project Titles:
UNC ROI: Piperidines as Potential Medications for CNS disorders.

Excellence in Research: Piperidines as Potential Molecular Tools.

Exazevia Logan, Ph.D.

Collaborators: N/A

Project Titles:
Neural control of blood pressure with a concentration in molecular mechanism responsible for the development and maintenance of hypertension.

Tennille Presley, Ph.D.

Collaborators: Daniel Kim-Shapiro, Ph.D. Department of Physics, WFU; Shay Soker, Wake Forest University Institute of Regenerative Medicine (WFIRM)

Project Titles:
Vascular dysfunction and blood disorders as they relate to overall functional health in diabetic individuals.

The impact of music on therapeutics and biophysical parameters in pathophysiologic conditions.

Chad Markert, Ph.D.

Collaborators: Stephen J. Walker, PhD and Hooman Sadri Ardekani, MD, PhD, WFRIM

Project Titles:
Mechanisms of sterile inflammation, in the context of skeletal muscle contraction-induced injury.

Current Research: Using human-induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to generate heart cells and heart organoids as a testing platform for newly developed universal culture media or candidate drugs for longevity and anti-cancer applications, helping to bridge the gap between preclinical and clinical research.