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Free Radical and Radiation Biology

Director

  • Douglas R. Spitz

Professors

  • Mark Anderson, John Buatti, Garry R. Buettner, Gary E. Christensen, Joseph Cullen, Frederick E. Domann Jr., John F. Engelhardt, Gerry Funk, Prabhat C. Goswami, Michael Graham, Richard Hichwa, Henry T. Hoffman, Kevin C. Kregel, Larry W. Robertson, Milan Sonka, Douglas R. Spitz, Timothy Tewson, Marc Wold

Professors emeriti

  • Frank Hsieh-Fu Cheng, James W. Osborne

Adjunct clinical professor

  • Geraldine Jacobson

Associate professors

  • Kyle E. Brown, Brent Carter, Aloysius J. Klingelhutz, Michael Knudson, Yusuf Menda, Francis J. Miller, John Sunderland, Aliye Uc, Douglas Van Dael, M. Todd Washington, Xiaodong Wu

Adjunct associate professors

  • Sanford Meeks, Timothy Ryken

Clinical associate professor

  • Gordan Watkins

Assistant professors

  • Paloma Giangrande, Apollina Goel, Mathews Jacob, Michael Schultz

Adjunct assistant professors

  • Nukhet Aykin-Burns, Andrian L. Burnett, Melissa Fath, Michael L. McCormick, Ehab Sarsour, Melissa Laitee Teoh
Graduate degrees: M.S.in free radical and radiation biology; Ph.D. in free radical and radiation biology
Web site: http://www.uiowa.edu/~frrbp/

The Free Radical and Radiation Biology Program provides in-depth training and research experience in the physical, chemical, and biological effects of radiation. It also focuses on free radical biology. Free radicals, which are generated in great number by radiation, play a major role in the interaction of radiation with biological systems. Free radicals are of great interest to basic researchers and clinicians because of their role in a variety of diseases and pathological states, including aging and cancer. The program stresses the importance of all of these areas to scientific research, clinical medicine, and public health.

Undergraduate Education

Three courses offered by the Free Radical and Radiation Biology Program are open to University of Iowa undergraduate students: 077:103 (FRRB:5000) Radiation Biology, 077:107 (FRRB:4000) Special Topics: Advanced Undergraduates, and 077:108 (FRRB:4001) Special Topics: Advanced Undergraduates. Students looking for an overview of the biological effects of radiation, including the role of free radicals, will find 077:103 (FRRB:5000) Radiation Biology especially appropriate. All three courses are appropriate for students who plan to enter medicine, nuclear medicine technology, environmental health, or related programs.

Graduate Programs

  • Master of Science in free radical and radiation biology
  • Doctor of Philosophy in free radical and radiation biology

The Carver College of Medicine administers graduate programs in free radical and radiation biology; graduate degrees are granted through the Graduate College. See Carver College of Medicine and Graduate College in the Catalog for general information about study in medicine and graduate study at the University.

Master of Science, Doctor of Philosophy

The Master of Science in free radical and radiation biology requires a minimum of 30 s.h. of graduate credit; the Doctor of Philosophy requires a minimum of 72 s.h. of graduate credit.

The M.S. and Ph.D. programs are open to graduate students with a background in physics, chemistry, mathematics, biology, health sciences, veterinary medicine, or engineering.

After completing the introductory course 077:103 (FRRB:5000) Radiation Biology, students typically concentrate on a particular aspect of the field. Some students elect to focus on radiation biology, while others choose to emphasize free radical biology.

In addition to formal lectures and some structured laboratory exercises, plans of study for free radical and radiation biology students involve small-group conferences, discussions, and seminars. Students are encouraged to spend at least one semester as a teaching assistant, for which no registration is required and no academic credit is given.

Many of the department’s graduate students elect to take 077:120 (FRRB:3130) Radiation Safety and Radiobiology, a course that covers safe operation of radiation-producing equipment and handling of radioactive materials, regulations and regulatory agencies, formulas and techniques in radiation protection programs, radiation protection, and other topics.

Postgraduate Training

Postdoctoral training is available by arrangement with the program's director and individual faculty members. Contact the Free Radical and Radiation Biology Program.

Financial Support

Graduate students are supported as graduate assistants from funds available through research grants and contracts or from departmental funds. Individual postdoctoral awards also may be available; the candidate and his or her faculty sponsor apply for them jointly.

Facilities

The Free Radical and Radiation Biology Program has a 300 kVp orthovoltage X-ray generator and other radiation sources, including a kilo-Curie Cs-137 irradiator. Students and staff also have access to other radiation sources, such as the Co-60 gamma source and linear accelerators in the Department of Radiation Oncology.

The program has a number of radiation detectors and counters, including liquid scintillation counters. It also has ultraviolet/visible spectrophotometers; various types of equipment for densitometry, chromatography, and electrophoresis; molecular biology equipment, including thermal cyclers; an automatic cell counter and particle sizer; tissue culture facilities; Typhoon Phosphoimager; HPLC; Electron Spin Resonance Spectrometers; and nitric oxide analyzers.

Courses

077:103 (FRRB:5000) Radiation Biology4 s.h.
Characteristics and biological effects of ionizing radiations. Offered fall semesters. Prerequisites: 004:121 (CHEM:2210), 029:240 (PHYS:6002), and 099:120 (BIOC:3120).
 
077:107 (FRRB:4000) Special Topics: Advanced Undergraduatesarr.
Readings and/or laboratory experience. Offered fall semesters.
 
077:108 (FRRB:4001) Special Topics: Advanced Undergraduatesarr.
Readings and/or laboratory experience. Offered spring semesters.
 
077:120 (FRRB:3130) Radiation Safety and Radiobiology2 s.h.
Instruction on safe operation of radiation producing equipment and handling of radioactive materials; origin and/or derivation of certain formulae and techniques useful in radiation protection programs; regulatory agencies, regulations, and regulatory guides pertinent to student's field; emphasis on applied aspects of radiation protection; characteristics and biological effects of ionizing radiations, properties and uses of radioisotopes, medical applications, and biological basis for protection procedures. Requirements: Radiation Science Program enrollment. Same as 107:120 (RSNM:3130).
 
077:207 (FRRB:6000) Seminar: Free Radical and Radiation Biology1 s.h.
Offered fall semesters.
 
077:211 (FRRB:6002) Medical Physics4 s.h.
Characteristics of X‑ray machines, nuclear accelerators, teletherapy devices; properties of X‑rays and gamma rays, their interaction with matter; radiation exposure, depth dose measurements; radiation therapy. Offered spring semesters of even years. Requirements: 8 s.h. of physics. Same as 029:240 (PHYS:6002).
 
077:222 (FRRB:7000) Free Radicals in Biology and Medicine4 s.h.
Chemistry of free radicals, antioxidants; antioxidant enzymes—their structure, function, regulation; targets of free radicals—lipids, proteins, DNA; free radicals in health and disease. Offered spring semesters of odd years. Prerequisites: 004:121 (CHEM:2210) or 099:120 (BIOC:3120).
 
077:288 (FRRB:7001) Molecular and Cellular Biology of Cancer3 s.h.
Fundamental aspects of oncology at the cellular and molecular levels; mechanisms of cancer initiation and progression, oncogene action, DNA damage and repair, carcinogenesis by radiation, chemicals, viruses; tumor immunology, anticancer therapies. Offered spring semesters of odd years. Requirements: strong basic science background. Same as 069:288 (PATH:7001).
 
077:305 (FRRB:6004) Research: Free Radical and Radiation Biologyarr.
 
077:307 (FRRB:5001) Research: Special Topicsarr.
 
077:308 (FRRB:5002) Research: Special Topicsarr.
 
077:545 (FRRB:6006) Topics in Free Radical Biology and Medicine1 s.h.
New literature in area of free radicals. Offered fall semesters.
 
077:547 (FRRB:6008) Topics in Radiation and Cancer Biology1 s.h.
Emerging concepts in the biological effects of radiation and cancer biology; current topics in journal club format. Offered fall semesters.
 

 
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Updated October 2012