News Release

Feinstein Institute, Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine at 36th Annual Conference on Shock

Grant and Award Announcement

Northwell Health

Twelve investigators from The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research and four researchers from the Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine attended and participated in the 36th Annual Conference on Shock on June 1-4 in San Diego, CA.; Kevin J. Tracey, MD, president of the Feinstein Institute, provided the keynote address, and Ping Wang, MD, served as the meeting's program chair.

"I am thrilled that so many from the Feinstein Institute and the Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine had a strong presence at this year's Shock Society," said Kevin J. Tracey, MD. "This demonstrates the strength in our research and dedication in the area of inflammation."

The Shock Society selects five out of approximately 60 applicants to receive the new investigator award, in which the finalists are recognized with a plaque, a cash award (first place $600, four other finalists $350) and a travel grant of $1,000. Sergio Valdes-Ferrer, MD, an investigator at the Feinstein Institute, was a finalist, and Matthew Giangola, MD, a post-doctoral research fellow at the Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine, won the second prize.

"Resident researchers from the Department of Surgery at the North Shore-LIJ Health System were finalists in the Shock Society's New Investigator Competition for the last three consecutive years. They took first prize in 2011 and 2012, and this year, Dr. Giangola won second prize," noted Jeffrey Michael Nicastro, MD, vice chair of surgery for the North Shore-LIJ Health System. "This acknowledgment of the Department of Surgery's prowess in scientific contributions is greatly appreciated and well deserved."

In addition, 40 travel grants of up to $1,000 for travel and lodging expenses are provided by the Shock Society to investigators based on scientific merit and financial need. Two Feinstein Institute investigators – Cletus Cheyuo, MD, PhD, and Sergio Valdes-Ferrer, MD – and two Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine investigators – Matthew Giangola, MD, and Michael Kuncewitch, MD – were awarded travel grants.

Details on what the twelve Feinstein Institute investigators presented at the annual meeting are below (in order of when they presented at the meeting):

  • Ping Wang, MD, program chair of the meeting, provided the welcome and introductions
  • Sangeeta Chavan, PhD, presented abstract 1, "Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation Attenuates Pro-Inflammatory Cytokine Response in Healthy Volunteers"
  • Cletus Cheyuo, MD, PhD, presented abstract 7, "MFG-E8 Regulates Neural Stem Cell Proliferation and Migration via Integrin AVB3/PPARGamma/Cyclin D2/Netrin-1 Pathway"
  • Kevin J. Tracey, MD, president of the Feinstein Institute, presented the keynote address entitled "Reflex Integration of Inflammasome Responses"
  • Sergio Valdes-Ferrer, MD, presented abstract 9, "HMGB1 Mediates Persistent Splenomegaly, Leukocytosis, and Splenocyte Priming in Sepsis Survivors"
  • Haichao Wang, PhD, presented a mini-symposium, entitled "Sepsis: Mechanism and Therapeutics"
  • Ben Lu, MD, presented abstract 19, "Cholinergic Neuronal Signals Attenuate Inflammasome Activation Through Inhibiting Mitochondrial Stress"
  • Barbara Sherry, PhD, presented a symposium, entitled "Parallel Symposium II: Cytokine and Chemokine Regulation" and "Dysregulated Cell Trafficking in Sepsis: Mechanisms and Clinical Consequences"
  • Wei Li, MD, PhD, presented abstract 35, "Carbenoxlone Blocks LPS-Induced HMGB1 Release by Impairing PKR Activation"
  • Christine Metz, PhD, presented a mini-symposium, entitled "Inflammation Signaling"
  • Huan Yang, PhD, presented abstract 37, "HMGB1 Binds to MD-2 in the TLR4/MD2 Complex to Elicit Inflammatory Responses"
  • Edmund J. Miller, PhD, presented a mini-symposium, entitled "Ischemia and Reperfusion Injury"

"Not only were there 12 investigators from the Feinstein Institute who made presentations at this meeting, there were also approximately 15 more investigators who demonstrated their research posters," noted Ping Wang, MD, an investigator at the Feinstein Institute and vice chair for research in the North Shore-LIJ Department of Surgery. "I am proud of this sizeable attendance, but moreover, I am proud of these investigator's achievements and the quality of their research presentations – these efforts placed the Feinstein Institute at the top in shock research."

Details on what the four Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine investigators presented at the annual meeting are below (in order of when they presented at the meeting):

  • Weng-Lang Yang, PhD, presented "Cold-Inducible RNA-Binding Protein (CIRP): A New Player in Inflammation"
  • Michael Kuncewitch, MD, presented abstract 6, "Inhibition of Fatty Acid Synthase with C75 Reduces Organ Injury After Hemorrhagic Shock"
  • Matthew Giangola, MD, presented abstract 11, "Growth Arrest-Specific Protein 6 (GAS6) Attenuates Neutrophil Migration and Acute Lung Injury in Sepsis"
  • Shingo Matsuo, MD, presented abstract 13, "PYR-41, a Ubiquitin-Activating Enzyme E1 Inhibitor, Attenuates Organ Injury in Sepsis"

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About The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research

Headquartered in Manhasset, NY, The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research is home to international scientific leaders in many areas including Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, psychiatric disorders, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, sepsis, human genetics, pulmonary hypertension, leukemia, neuroimmunology, and medicinal chemistry. The Feinstein Institute, part of the North Shore-LIJ Health System, ranks in the top 5th percentile of all National Institutes of Health grants awarded to research centers. For more information, visit http://www.FeinsteinInstitute.org.


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