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2025
Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz mentioned in AZ Bio newsletter upon upcoming AZBio Researcher of the Year Award
Notably listed as a groundbreaker in women's health innovation, Dr. Melissa Herbst-Kralovetz is highlighted for her role in research on women's health across Arizona, with praise from Dr. Jennifer Barton, interim vice provost for health programs at University of Arizona. Read the article here on page 18.
Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz highlighted in Tucson Weekly
A news article focused on Breast Cancer Awareness month and World Menopause Day, highlights two researchers in Arizona making an impact on women's health through clinical trials and microbiome research. Check out the article here.
Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz was featured in "Leading Her Way" LinkedIn interview series
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Leading Her Way, A LinkedIn interview series hosted by Lauren, a Clinical Development and Executive Biotech headhunter working across Europe and North America. The series highlights the stories of female leaders in science, biotechnology, and pharma with the goal of inspiring the next generation of women in leadership. By showcasing diverse career pathways and experiences, Leading Her Way aims to increase accessibility and awareness of opportunities across the scientific and biotech industries. Lauren described Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz as “a women’s health pioneer, researcher, and Professor.” She highlighted Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz’s research, spanning women’s health, FemTech, and translational medicine, including bacterial vaginosis, gynecologic cancers, endometriosis, and adenomyosis, as well as her lab’s current focus on non-invasive technologies to improve access and bridge gaps in early detection and treatment. Lauren also underscored Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz’s commitment to mentoring the next generation of scientists, noting her long-standing placement partnership with the University of Bath, which has provided students with immersive research experiences that have led to multiple first-author publications.
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Herbst-Kralovetz lab highlighted by Tech Launch Arizona
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Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz was interviewed about her innovative non-invasive diagnostics in support of the Desert Regional National Science Foundation (NSF) iCorps program hosted by University of Arizona. https://lnkd.in/gJ_Spi-W
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Announcing Manuscript on the Evaluation of Various Biospecimen to Understand Gynecologic Health!
Former Bath Intern, Holly Chatenoud’s first first-author paper is now published in iScience! This pilot study, conducted during her time in our lab at the University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix, explores metabolic profiles of three non-invasive urogenital sample types to advance gynecologic health research. Congrats to Holly and our fantastic team of co-authors, including Drs. Paweł Łaniewski and Nichole Mahnert. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/g-B2rGyw
Highlight on Endometrial Cancer from University of Arizona Cancer Center
On World Microbiome Day, research highlighted the outstanding work of Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz and Dr. Greg Caporaso’s collaborative team co-led by Dr. Nicole Jimenez and Chloe Herman with support from Drs. Pawel Laniewski, Emily Cope, Keehoon Lee, Nichole Mahnert, and Dana Chase. “Researchers that are changing the paradigm of microbiome research and endometrial cancer”. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gsQXAvxz
Announcing Nature Reviews Bacterial Vaginosis Primer co-authored by Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz!
Out now is the Nature Reviews Disease Primer on Bacterial vaginosis. This collaborative review was written by Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz and experts in the field Drs. Catriona Bradshaw, Erica Plummer, Christina Muzny, Caroline Mitchell, and Dave Fredricks. This Primer provides an in-depth review of all the hot topics in BV research, including epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnostics, management, and prevention strategies. Much of the lab’s current research touches on these aspects and definitely a recommended read for those in vaginal microbiome space. Read More here: https://rdcu.be/erKBy
Herbst-Kralovetz lab attends 2025 ASM Microbe
Coming soon!
Announcing Manuscript on Infertility and the Vaginal Microbiome!
Proud to share new findings from our team’s research on the vaginal microbiome and fertility outcomes. In our prospective cohort study of women undergoing frozen embryo transfer (FET), the team found that a Lactobacillus-dominant vaginal microbiome was significantly associated with a higher chance of clinical pregnancy. These results underscore the importance of considering the microbiome in fertility evaluation and treatment, and the need to include racially and ethnically diverse populations in research. We are deeply grateful to the patients who participated, and thankful for the dedicated team members who made this study possible, particularly co-first authors-Addison Alley & Paweł Łaniewski, and our fantastic collaborative team members: Drew Moffitt, Leslie Farland, Gayatri Arani & Gabrielle Bruno. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gnV7Da7m
Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz attends 2025 World Congress on Endometriosis
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Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz presented at the World Congress on Endometriosis 2025, hosted by the World Endometriosis Society—a truly global gathering in Sydney, Australia, which advances the understanding of endometriosis and adenomyosis, and their impact on women’s lives worldwide. Herbst-Kralovetz attended a fantastic pre-congress workshop organized by Brett McKinnon and Caroline Gargett on embracing new technologies and collaborations with speakers including Cecilia Ng, Christian Becker, and Linda Griffith. Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz was invited to share how we’re leveraging clinical datasets and integrated multi-omics in women’s health research. In the main Congress Advances in Molecular Characterization session, Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz presented the lab’s progress on advancing a non-invasive diagnostic for adenomyosis—a critical step toward improving diagnosis and care.
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Announcing Manuscript on the Vaginal and Rectal Microbiome in Endometrial Cancer!
The Herbst-Kralovetz lab publishes article in npj Microbiomes and Biofilms on the vaginal and rectal microbiome in endometrial cancer — a major team effort that spans clinical coordination, intraoperative sample collection, and high-dimensional data analysis. Huge thanks to our clinical research coordinators, surgeons, and especially the patients who made this study possible. This work reflects a strong collaboration between my lab and Dr. Greg Caporaso’s group at NAU! Together, we applied advanced bioinformatics to uncover microbial signatures, inter-site dynamics, and predicted metabolic pathways associated with endometrial cancer. Grateful to co–first authors on this study- Dr. Nicole Jimenez and Chloe Herman and to work with a fantastic team: Dr. Paweł Łaniewski , Dr. Greg Caporaso, Dr. Nichole Mahnert , Dr. Dana Chase, Dr. Emily Cope and Dr. Keehoon Lee. Read here: https://rdcu.be/endsN
Women's Health and Herbst-Kralovetz lab Highlighted in ASM Article
The Herbst-Kralovetz lab was highlighted by the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) for sharing the lab’s work and bringing greater visibility to the urgent need to address known health disparities in cancer. Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz is honored to contribute to this important conversation and to represent the many researchers dedicated to closing the gap in women’s health through science, data, and innovation. The lab’s work on the vaginal microbiome and cervicovaginal environment strives to better understand—and ultimately reduce—risks for gynecologic cancers, especially in underserved populations. Read more here: https://brnw.ch/21wSJf8
Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz gives keynote talk at ABRC-Flinn Research Conference
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Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz was invited to give one of the keynote presentations at the 10th Annual ABRC-Flinn Research Conference. This outstanding event—hosted by the Arizona Biomedical Research Centre, the Flinn Foundation, and the University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix —brought together an inspiring group of researchers from across Arizona to highlight innovation and scientific discovery. Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz spoke about transforming women’s health through non-invasive diagnostics—a topic I’m deeply passionate about and one with the potential to change how we detect and manage disease. The lab also reconnected with colleagues from across the state and our Arizona universities. Proud of my team members, Anita Garwolinska and Dr. Paweł Łaniewski, who presented posters showcasing our research, supported by the ABRC and the Flinn Foundation!
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Herbst-Kralovetz lab Trainees attend UA-COM-P Research Week
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The Herbst-Kralovetz lab attended the Biomedical Research Day: Bridging Science and Health, held at the University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix. Five posters were presented by Dr. Nicole Jimenez, Natasha Aitchison, Briana Byrne, Vianney Mancilla, and Treena Teh. At the same time, Anita Garwolinska gave an oral presentation. All projects focused on women’s health research and innovation, spanning novel diagnostics to microbiome insights, reflect their dedication, curiosity, and passion for improving health outcomes for all women. Dr. Jimenez was also a part of the organizing committee for this event, led by Dr. Taben Hale. A big thank you to the Arizona Biomedical Research Centre and the Flinn Foundation for generously supporting this event and creating space for the next generation of researchers to shine.
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Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz Joins FemTechAZ at Phoenix Start-up WeeK
Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz joined FemTech AZ for a Femtech panel during PHX start-up week, bringing education on women’s health and the ecosystem that is growing in Phoenix, Arizona. Photo acknowledgement to Katie Sieker.
Equalize 2025 Cohort Workshop
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Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz visits Boston with the Equalize 2025 cohort! Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz participated in rapid-fire pitch coaching, networking with women academic entrepreneurs. Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz is “grateful for this community we’re building, and to the Equalize leadership team, volunteers, and generous sponsors for making it all possible!”. She also had the opportunity to hear from Expert panels and attend site visits to start-up incubators at LabCentral and Portal Innovations, LLC.
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Dr. Christina Muzny visits UA-COM-P
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Physician-scientist Christina Muzny visits the Herbst-Kralovetz lab at the University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix! Herbst-Kralovetz trainees loved chatting with Dr. Muzny and hearing about her journey blending clinical work with impactful research. Dr. Muzny gave a talk on bacterial vaginosis pathogenesis and the vaginal microbiome which was super engaging and full of important historical context. Herbst-Kralovetz lab thanks Dr. Muzny for spending the day with us and sharing her passion for women's health!
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Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz attends the 2025 Microbes in Women’s Health Congress
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Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz attended the Microbes in Women’s Health Congress in Amsterdam, where she spoke alongside an inspiring group of researchers from academia, foundations, and industry. Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz shared latest work on two of emerging pathogens—Fannyhessea vaginae (led by Dr. Nicole Jimenez). and Sneathia species (led by Dr. Paweł Łaniewski)—and how they may be impacting women’s health across disease states. Another highlight: a visit to Winclove Probiotics, where I got a fantastic tour from Mariya Ivanova Petrova and Elke Lievens of their facilities and learned more about their science-driven approach to probiotic development. It’s exciting to see the potential of industry-academic collaboration in this space!
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Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz visits INRAE and former Postdoc
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Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz spoke at the Micalis Institute at INRAE in Versailles, France, sharing the latest work on detecting cancer and benign gynecologic conditions—such as adenomyosis and endometriosis—using integrated multi-omics approaches. Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz is especially excited about expanding collaborative efforts on endocrine-disrupting compounds with Dr. Zehra Esra Ilhan’s group. This collaborative work between INRAE and the University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix has been supported by the Albertine Foundation. A real highlight of this visit was reconnecting with Esra—a former postdoctoral mentee who’s now thriving in this incredible environment.
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Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz Visits University of Bath
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The Herbst-Kralovetz lab has been honored to host students for 1-year placements from the University of Bath for nearly a decade, beginning in 2016 with James Baker. Since then, 11 incredible Bath students have passed through the Herbst-Kralovetz lab. Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz even had the chance to reconnect with James in Liverpool during this trip—a full-circle moment that meant so much. While in Bath, Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz had the privilege of giving a research seminar on women’s health, highlighting the important research contributions of my Bath students over the years. Most of them have gone on to grad school throughout the UK. What made the visit even more special—6 of my former students returned to Bath to attend the talk and reunite, and I was able to meet the 2 incoming students in person.
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Former Bath Intern is Highlighted for Microbiological Society's Podcast
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Phoebe Crossley, former University of Bath Undergraduate Intern was featured on the Microbe Talk podcast ahead of her talk at the Microbiology Society Annual Conference in Liverpool! Phoebe, now a graduate student at the University of Glasgow in Dr. Conor Feehily’s lab, presented her exciting research while in the Herbst-Kralovetz lab at University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix on the multi-omic analysis of the vaginal microenvironment and its impact on vulvovaginal and sexual health symptoms in women with benign gynecological conditions. Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz gushed over the podcast, "It’s incredibly rewarding to listen to Phoebe shine and awesome to hear her advocate for women’s health funding and research—way to go Phoebe! Listen to the podcast below". Listen to the episode here.
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Herbst-Kralovetz lab attends the 2025 Immunopathogenesis Conference in Tucson
The Herbst-Kralovetz lab celebrated the Immunopathogenesis Symposium in Tucson, Arizona! The University of Arizona's Immunobiology’s 20th Annual Frontiers in Immunobiology and Immunopathogenesis Symposium did not disappoint. It featured an all-star lineup of plenary speakers, showcasing cutting-edge research in the field. Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz praised, "I’m incredibly proud of my team for their outstanding contributions — four posters, two oral presentations, and a first-place prize for the best undergraduate poster awarded to Anita Garwolinska!"
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Phoenix Bioscience Core Highlights Postdoc Fellowship on Endometrial Cancer
Dr. Nicole Jimenez, a postdoctoral research associate in the Herbst-Kralovetz Laboratory and Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, received a Postdoctoral Fellowship from the American Cancer Society for her research plan focusing on endometrial cancer-associated bacteria. Read more about the project and what comes next: https://bit.ly/3CKwCKy
KJZZ Highlights Biomarker Study from Herbst-Kralovetz Lab
Local Radio station, KJZZ highlights Dr. Melissa Herbst-Kralovetz for the lab's recent work on endometrial cancer. The latest research discussed a patented non-invasive tool to diagnose endometrial cancer — the most common cancer of the female reproductive organs — that can be used at home. Previously, the only option required a surgical procedure, often without anesthesia. Listen to more on this research here.
Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz Invited to Speak at Harvard
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Dr. Smita G. hosted Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz for an invited IID seminar at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz truly appreciated the opportunity to share the lab's research, receive incredible feedback, and have thought-provoking discussions with Harvard faculty and students. Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz stated "The energy, curiosity, and expertise in the room made for an inspiring visit, and I’m excited about the potential new collaborations that could emerge from these conversations." The lab looks forward to continue and build upon the connections made during this trip!
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Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz Participates in Venture Cafe Panel on FemTech
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Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz took part "the Innovation and the World of FemTech" panel on Febuary's Phoenix Venture Cafe in Downtown Phoenix.
Women's Health innovation could boost the global economy by $1 trillion annually by 2040 (McKinsey) and Arizona will be a hub for FemTech innovators and the ecosystem to help drive this growth. The panel consisted of Dr. Mitzi Krockover, Susan Sly, Sidnee Peck, Azin Radsan van Alebeek, and Dr. Melissa Herbst-Kralovetz. They discussed Women's Health, FemTech, why it matters, and how to become engaged in this booming area of science and venture capital. |
Postdoctoral Fellow Highlighted for Recently Received ACS Fellowship
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Dr. Nicole Jimenez, postdoctoral fellow in the lab, was recently awarded the American Cancer Society Postdoctoral fellowship. She was one of six highlighted for innovative research of the 77 newly awarded ACS fellowships. Dr. Jimenez will continue here research focused on endometrial microbiota and their pathogenic role in endometrial cancer progression. Learn more about the newly funded research here: www.cancer.org/research/acs-research-news/mentored-grantee-highlights-from-fall-2024-grant-slate.html
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Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz Enters New Program for Women Entrepreneurs
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Congratulations, Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz on being selected as part of the Equalize 2025 Cohort! She joins an amazing group of women academic entrepreneurs who are driving innovation and taking there research to the next level! Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz will focus on the use of non-invasive sampling and biomarker analysis to enhance early detection of gynecologic conditions like endometrial cancer, endometriosis, and adenomyosis. Learn more about the program and cohort here: equalizestartups.org/cohorts/
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UAHS Highlights Published Work on NACP Collaborative Project
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A recent study led by the Herbst-Kralovetz lab and Northern Arizona University found that Native American women were disproportionately affected by vaginal dysbiosis, a disruption in the balance of bacterial that increases the risk of human papillomavirus infection, which can cause cervical cancer. More: https://bit.ly/423zZXt
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2024
Recent Atopobiaceae Manuscript Highlighted by IPVS
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International Papillomavirus Society highlighted work by Herbst-Kralovetz lab as Paper of the Week. This study investigated how bacterial members of the Atopobiaceae family in the cervicovaginal microbiome modulate the microenvironment and contribute to cancer development. Read the paper https://bit.ly/3Oliwl1
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Announcing Immune Biomarker Manuscript on Endometrial Cancer
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Herbst-Kralovetz lab is excited to share the latest publication! Our lab, in collaboration with an incredible team of researchers and clinicians, has just published key findings in Molecular Biomedicine. Our study addresses an urgent unmet need for minimally invasive diagnostic methods for endometrial cancer (EC), the most common gynecologic cancer in the U.S. We identified growth factors, such as angiopoietin-2, VEGF-A, and fibroblast activation protein (FAP), as highly elevated in EC patients. A multivariate model combining 11 proteins with age and BMI achieved remarkable accuracy (AUC = 0.918), with 90.7% specificity and 87.8% sensitivity. Several biomarkers were significantly associated with critical tumor characteristics, including grade, size, and myometrial invasion. Our approach leverages cervicovaginal lavage (CVL) sampling, offering a less invasive alternative to traditional diagnostics, potentially reducing patient anxiety and discomfort. This work reflects the power of interdisciplinary collaboration to drive innovation in women’s health and cancer diagnostics. Read the complete study here: https://lnkd.in/g-iDB4Nt
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Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz attends 2024 IPV Conference
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Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz co-chaired the session, “Microbiomes Matter: Newest Insights on HPV-Associated Cancers,” at the International Papillomavirus Conference 2024 in Edinburgh, Scotland, with Dr. Mariano A. Molina Beitia. This session showcased incredible insights from distinguished international speakers, highlighting similarities and differences between anatomical sites impacted by HPV. Herbst-Kralovetz provided an overview of research on the cervicovaginal microenvironment features and the relationship between the microbiome, HPV, dysplasia, and cancer—highlighting work on Sneathia and F. vaginae at the University of Arizona. Dr. Mariano A. Molina Beitia from Amsterdam UMC -presented recent RNAseq data and integrated multi-omics analyses of HPV infection and predictive models. Dr. Sergio Serrano from University Hospital Ramón y Cajal in Madrid, Spain, highlighted his work on the anal microbiome and cancer, targeted metabolomics, and relationship to other mucosal sites. Dr. Harris Onywera from Africa CDC shared his pioneering research on the penile microbiome, including dominant taxa related to HPV-associated penile cancer in Africa. Finally, Dr. Juan Du from Karolinska Institutet —Summarized past research on her work in Swedish cohorts and provided insights on future studies and steps needed to advance the field. Each speaker brought valuable perspectives on the complex relationship between microbiomes and HPV-associated cancers, driving meaningful conversations and future steps!
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Announcing Cervical Cancer Study Highlighting the Importance of Atopobiaceae
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Herbst-Kralovetz lab is excited to announce our latest research on Atopobiaceae members and their role in altering the cervicovaginal microenvironment in the context of HPV and cervical cancer. Our study reveals that a higher prevalence of Atopobiaceae is associated with increased proinflammatory cytokines and oncogenic metabolites, particularly in Hispanic women with high-risk HPV. These findings suggest potential targets for monitoring HPV persistence and developing preventive strategies against cervical cancer. Link to paper: academic.oup.com/jid/advance-article/doi/10.1093/infdis/jiae533/7863217?searchresult=1&login=true
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Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz visits the University of Glasgow
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Dr. Melissa Herbst-Kralovetz visited the University of Glasgow hosted by Dr. Conor Feehily. Dr. Feehily’s research group is interested in the role of the vaginal microbiome in health and disease, specifically Community Ecology and Genomics, Mechanisms of Host-Microbe Interaction, and Intervention/Modulation. Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz presented the Herbst-Kralovetz lab’s latest integrated multi-omics research in seminar lecture. Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz also had the pleasure of reconnecting with my former University of Bath Intern, Phoebe Crossley, who is now a PhD student in Dr. Feehily’s lab working on a project related to lactobacilli genomics! Can’t wait to see what you accomplish, Phoebe!!
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Postdoctoral Fellow in Herbst-Kralovetz lab attends NDiSTEM 2024 Conference
Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz Gives Inspirational Talk at the HI POCT Conference
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Dr. Melissa Herbst-Kralovetz attended the IEEE-EMBS International Conference on Health Innovations in Point of Care Technology Conference. Where she kicked off the session on Women's Health and Point-of-Care Testing (POCT). Her talk entitled "Innovative Opportunities in Women’s Health: Non-Invasive Point-of-Care Testing for Early Detection, Prognosis and Personalized Care" received lots of feedback and praise! Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz stated, "It was a fantastic opportunity to highlight the importance of advancing women’s health diagnostics, particularly non-invasive approaches for conditions like endometrial cancer." Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz had meaningful exchanges with fellow participants which underscored the importance of improving women’s health outcomes through innovative diagnostic tools.
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Herbst-Kralovetz Lab Attends the NACP Summer Research Conference
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This August, 50 NACP participants gathered in Sedona, Arizona, for the annual Summer Research Conference, fostering collaboration and innovation in a stunning setting. The event focused on welcoming new research leaders and integrating the Two-Eyed Seeing approach, led by Drs. Jani Ingram and Melissa Herbst-Kralovetz. Key highlights included an engaging poster session, round-robin discussions to strengthen our Cores' synergy, and an insightful overview of the CPACHE program by Dr. LeeAnn Bailey. We also had the privilege of learning about Hawaiian culture through a hula dance session led by Celina Mahinalani Garza, which united and energized the group. The conference was a success, reinforcing commitment to equity and innovation. As we look to the year ahead, we remain hopeful for continued funding to support the UA and NAU mission.
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Announcing NACP Collaborative Study on Cervicovaginal Microbiome
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We're excited to share the findings from a recent collaborative study with NAU and NACP collaborators led by Dr. Pawel Laniewski, which explores the interplay between HPV, vaginal microbiota, and host defense, which may play a role in the cervical cancer disparity among Native American women. Future longitudinal studies are needed to determine the mechanistic role of vaginal microbiota in HPV persistence in the context of social determinants of health toward the long-term goal of reducing health disparities between non-Hispanic White and Native American populations. Link to open access AACR paper:tinyurl.com/588cfksz
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Partnership in Native American Cancer Prevention Highlight
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Researchers and Community members apart of the Partnership for Native American Cancer Prevention which includes University of Arizona Cancer Center and Northern Arizona University were highlighted in article by UACC. The NACP was created to reduce Native American cancer burden, increase cancer health equity and expand the number of Native American cancer investigators through research and community engagement. The Herbst-Kralovetz lab participates in this program with specific focus on trainee development and the prevention and education around HPV infection, the vaginal microbiome, and cervical cancer in Native American communities. Read the in-depth article here
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Herbst-Kralovetz Lab Congratulates Flinn Summer Intern
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Congratulations to Claire Njuguna on expertly delivering her research presentation on adenomyosis and metabolomics today after a successful 10-week summer internship in the Herbst-Kralovetz lab, supported by the Flinn Foundation in collaboration with the University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix! Her hard work and dedication were evident, and it's been a pleasure to witness her growth throughout this internship. A big thank you to the Flinn Foundation for their continued support and for providing such valuable opportunities for our future of research and medicine!
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The Herbst-Kralovetz Lab Says Goodbye to Exchange Students from University of Bath
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Hannah and Holly return to the UK this week after spending a year in the Herbst-Kralovetz lab as University of Bath undergraduate placement students. Their work while in the lab is now being turned into manuscripts, so be on the lookout! We will miss Hannah and Holly and wish them the best as they finish their undergraduate degrees!
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Herbst-Kralovetz Lab Attends the 2024 IDSOG Annual Meeting
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The Herbst-Kralovetz lab attended the 2024 annual Infectious Diseases Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology (IDSOG) conference in Portland, where team member Dr. Paweł Łaniewski gave an oral presentation on the emerging pathogen cervicovaginal genus Sneathia. Dr. Nicole Jimenez, Holly Chatenoud, and Hannah Harris presented posters on topics covering the impact of adenomyosis on quality of life, Phthalates, and COVID-19 on the cervicovaginal microenvironment. Special congratulations to Holly Chatenoud for earning an IDSOG travel scholar award and to Hannah Harris for receiving an Honorable Mention for her IDSOG poster presentation, along with a OneHealth travel award. Their hard work and commitment to advancing women's health are being recognized, and these recognitions are well-deserved. Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz serves as a council member for IDSOG and assisted in planning of the 2024 conference. The organization plays a crucial role in advancing knowledge in infectious diseases to improve health care for women and individuals assigned female sex at birth. Further, IDSOG fosters personal and collaborative relationships among investigators, driving innovations that enhance patient care and outcomes.
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Nursing Graduate Student in Herbst-Kralovetz lab Passes PhD Dissertation Defense!
Congratulations, Dr. Emerald Bell! The Herbst-Kralovetz lab is thrilled to announce that Emerald Bell has successfully defended her PhD thesis in the UA College of Nursing! Her research in my lab has been centered on investigating the interconnectedness between endometriosis, anxiety, and the microbiome. The wealth of data and insights that will emerge from her research will be impactful and manuscripts are on-going. Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz states, “Emerald's hard work, dedication, grit, and determination have been truly inspiring. I can't wait to see where her career takes her next!” Emerald’s committee members included an interdisciplinary team of Drs. Helena Morrison and Leslie Farland. Additional support for Emerald’s innovative study came from the minimally invasive gynecologic surgery team led by Dr. Nichole Mahnert, clinical research coordinators, Herbst-Kralovetz lab members, and the patients who participated in the study!
Announcing Herbst-Kralovetz Collaborative Study on Chronic Pelvic Pain and Endometriosis
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We're excited to share the findings from a recent study driven forward by Herbst-Kralovetz trainees Drs. Nicole Jimenez and Taylor Norton, that explores the differences in vaginal and gastrointestinal microbiomes and the cervicovaginal immune microenvironment among patients with chronic pelvic pain (CPP) and endometriosis. The study highlights significant differences in rectal microbiome diversity between CPP groups and controls, enrichment of irritable bowel syndrome-associated bacteria in CPP patients, increased vaginal Streptococcus, Lactobacillus, and Prevotella in patients with CPP and endometrioma, distinct immune profiles for CPP alone and CPP with endometriosis. This research lays the groundwork for studying CPP and endometriosis, particularly in the context of additional conditions like abnormal uterine bleeding and fibroids. A big thank you to our dedicated team of CPP and endometriosis experts, including surgeons, epidemiologists, researchers, and participants, for making this important study possible.Together, we're making strides in understanding the complexities of chronic pelvic pain. Link to open access BMC Medicine paper: https://lnkd.in/gr2gAVuq
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Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz Presents Translational Seminar at Baylor College of Medicine
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Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz presented her lab's work focused on vaginal dysbiosis, cervicovaginal environment, multi-omics integration and use of 3D cervical epithelial cell models to better understand the role of the cervicovaginal microbiome on HPV infection and cervical carcinogenesis. Her longstanding translational research program was presented to Baylor College of Medicine for the Bench-to-Bedside Seminar Series.
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Herbst-Kralovetz Lab Attends the 2024 ASRI Annual Conference
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The Herbst-Kralovetz lab attended the annual American Society for Reproductive Immunology Conference in Houston, Texas. Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz was one of the co-organizers of the event along with Drs. Indira Mysorekar & Ram Menon and were awarded an ASRI Leadership award! Dr. Nicole Jimenez gave an oral presentation entitled “Exploring the Immunometabolic Impact of Atopobiaceae and Role in HPV Infection, Cervical Dysplasia, and Cervical Cancer” at the Cervicovaginal Microenvironment session. While Dr. Paweł Łaniewski presented a poster on the lab’s latest work entitled “Cervicovaginal Lavages as Promising Biomarkers for Endometrial Cancer Detection and Prognosis”. Great conference full of positive feedback and discussions of collaboration.
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New Manuscript Investigates Bacterial-Produced Metabolite as a Potential Therapeutic
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Former Bath Intern Phoebe Crossley recently published a co-first authored manuscript with Dr. Yogesh Sutar on the development of phenyllactic acid ionic liquids and their cytotoxicity to human cervical epithelial cells! This highly collaborative study was conducted alongside our pharmacology colleagues at the R. Ken Coit College of Pharmacy, University of Arizona. The study demonstrated that phenyllactic acid ionic liquids have enhanced solubility and are non-toxic to human cervical epithelial cells. This will prove crucial for their future therapeutic potential as intravaginally delivered compounds for modulation of the vaginal microbiome. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/dXXuuP3t
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UA-COM-P Highlights Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz's Research on Endometrial Cancer
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University of Arizona-College of Medicine-Phoenix writes an article about the Herbst-Kralovetz lab manuscript that suggests the development of non-invasive diagnostic of endometrial cancer is possible! The article also entails the impotence of the study and how the work is truly impactful to the lives of women. Read more about the study and findings here: https://bit.ly/44REymY
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New Manuscript Alert: Impact of Surgical Prep Solutions on Vaginal Health
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Our study, driven by team members Drs. Gabriella Smith and Paweł Łaniewski investigated the effects of chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) and povidone-iodine (PI) on the vaginal microenvironment in premenopausal women undergoing laparoscopic hysterectomy. This study identified PI did not alter the overall vaginal microbiome, CHG affects Lactobacillus iners-dominant profiles, shifting some to other lactobacilli or dysbiotic anaerobes. Lactobacillus crispatus profiles remained stable with both CHG and PI. Lactobacillus iners in both clinical and in vitro datasets, L. iners was more susceptible to vaginal prep. CHG was bactericidal to L. iners, whereas it was bacteriostatic to other lactobacilli species. Our study indicates that CHG does not increase post-operative vaginal dysbiosis or inflammation compared to PI. However, CHG’s specific effects on certain lactobacilli species (L. iners) need further exploration. Future studies are crucial for optimizing surgical prep solutions and ensuring vaginal health! Read more here: https://rdcu.be/dIjye
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Postdoc Fellow in Herbst-Kralovetz Lab Showcases Women's Health Focused Art Piece
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Postdoctoral fellow Nicole Jimenez, in the Herbst-Kralovetz lab, was awarded a trainee art grant from the Phoenix Bioscience Core Art Committee and Art in Medicine program last September. Nicole debuted her artwork at the Venture Café Phoenix this Thursday. Inspired by women's health researchers, her piece includes messages of impact, encouragement, and inspiration while highlighting the role of the vaginal microbiome in Women’s Health. Congrats, Nicole, on showcasing your artistic talent and dedication to advancing women’s health awareness through art!
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Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz Participates in Artist and Scientist Panel at Venture Cafe-Phoenix
A New Publication on Metabolic Cervicovaginal Environment in Endometrial Cancer
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Former Bath intern in the Herbst-Kralovetz lab, Georgia Lorentzen, just published a new article in the American Association for Cancer Research’s Clinical Cancer Research Journal titled “Cervicovaginal metabolome and tumor characteristics for endometrial cancer detection and risk stratification.” This was a highly collaborative project of biostatisticians, surgeons, oncologists & our amazing participants who made this study possible! Utilizing minimally-invasive sampling coupled with a global metabolomic approach to investigate endometrial cancer. This work is clinically translational, demonstrating promising progress toward moving away from painful diagnostics and towards non-invasive testing for endometrial cancer diagnostics. Further, Cervicovaginal metabolites not only predicted endometrial cancer but also tumor characteristics, including tumor size, grade, and myometrial invasion, therefore serving as a potential prognostic tool for risk stratification.
Read more at: https://lnkd.in/ePNJmrmG |
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Medical Student Awarded 1st Place at Phoenix Obstetrical and Gynecological Society's Research Symposium
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Herbst-Kralovetz lab attends the Phoenix Obstetrical and Gynecological Society’s Research Symposium! Where MS4 student in the lab, Rachel Mendoza, presented her outstanding work on her longitudinal scholarly project on “Characterizing Endometrial Cancer Disease Burden Among Hispanic and Native American Patients”. Rachel earned 1st place in oral presentations! Congratulations, Rachel!
Additionally, the evening was spent with wonderful OB/GYN collaborators and colleagues. Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz said it was “truly inspiring to see the incredible work being done in our field here in Arizona.” |
University of Arizona Cancer Center Highlights Herbst-Kralovetz Lab Systematic Review
The research team were interviewed on their experience with the latest systematic review on Latinas, the vaginal microbiome, HPV infection and cervical cancer. “Our studies and this systematic review suggest that persistence and cancer is influenced by specific vaginal bacteria,” said lead researcher Melissa Herbst-Kralovetz, PhD. “There were seven bacteria that were consistently reported across studies, and that gives us insights on what to focus on moving forward.” For more from the author's and this article, read here!
Herbst-Kralovetz Lab Attends the ABRC/Flinn Foundation Research Conference
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The Herbst-Kralovetz lab members presented at the 2024 9th Annual ABRC-Flinn Research Conference held at UA-College of Medicine-Phoenix. This meeting brings funders/supporters from Arizona Biomedical Research Centre and the Flinn Foundation to see the work they fund presented by researchers across Arizona. Lab members Pawel Laniewski, Nicole Jimenez, Nina Gautam, Holly Chatenoud, Hannah Harris, and Asiya Falak presented posters at the meeting. Covering topics from emerging pathogens, biomarkers in endometrial cancer, immunometabolic differences between specimens collected, and patient-reported quality of life relating to the microbiome. Lots of feedback was received and will be utilized for many of these manuscripts in preparation.
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Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz Highlighted as Tech Innovator for Women's History Month
In the spirit of Women's History Month, Tech Launch Arizona curated a piece on the women who lead, innovate, and inspire at the University of Arizona. Three women were highlighted including Rakhi Gibbons, Dr. Joyce Schroeder, and Dr. Melissa Herbst-Kralovetz. The piece highlighted their contributions to the innovation space and their passion for improving the lives of Arizonans and crafting a better tomorrow. Find out more about their inspiration and their work at this link here.
Postdoc in Herbst-Kralovetz Lab is Highlighted by American Society for Microbiology
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Nicole Jimenez, postdoctoral fellow in the Herbst-Kralovetz lab, embarked on a trajectory that led her to explore the intricate relationships between the vaginal microbiome and gynecologic health. Through her extensive research on various gynecologic conditions, Jimenez underscores the critical need for research in this under-studied domain to develop non-invasive diagnostics and effective treatment plans for patients. To further dive into Dr. Jimenez’s journey, check out this link https://brnw.ch/21wIjdr.
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Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz Presents for Australian Genital Microbiome Consortium
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Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz reconnect with microbiome researchers while visiting Monash University & the Melbourne Sexual Health Centre hosted by Drs. Catriona Bradshaw, Lenka Vodstrcil, and Erica Plummer. The MSHC facilities were impressive and equipped for large-scale studies and impactful research. Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz gave a presentation for the Australian Genital Microbiome Consortium, where she shared insights into our work on integrating multi-omics to unravel host-vaginal microbe interactions, HPV, and cervical cancer. Dr. Herbst is thankful for the invite and to all attendees for their engaging questions. She states, “It was incredibly rewarding to connect with global experts who are equally as passionate about the vaginal microbiome and women’s health! “
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Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz Attends World Indigenous Cancer Conference
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Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz was honored to have been part of the World Indigenous Cancer Conference 2024 in Melbourne/Naarm this past week. Witnessing global dedication to promoting health in Indigenous communities. Dr. Jani Ingram, Marquis Yazzie, and Jennifer Hudson gave outstanding presentations. Further showcased was the NCI-funded Partnership for Native American Cancer Prevention between Northern Arizona University and the University of Arizona. Eye-opening to Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz was “learning about New Zealand and Australia's initiatives to eradicate cervical cancer through self-sampling for screening [in Indigenous Communities].”
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Herbst-Kralovetz Lab Attends the 19th Annual Immunopathogenesis Symposium
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On International Women's Day, the Herbst-Karlovetz lab had an incredible day of scientific discovery at the Annual Immunopathogenesis Symposium in Tucson hosted by the immunobiology department! Our team had the privilege of showcasing six posters and delivering one oral presentation by Dr. Paweł Łaniewski. Dr. Nicole Jimenez and soon-to-be medical student Gurbeen Dadiala received awards for their poster presentations.
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Medical Student in Herbst-Kralovetz Lab Presents Scholarly Project
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Rachel Mendoza, a current MS4 student just matched in Obstetrics and Gynecology! Additionally, she presented her four-year scholarly project on endometrial cancer prevalence and patient characteristics in Arizona last week at the University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix annual Scholarly Project Day. Her dedication to women's health and health equity is truly inspiring. Congratulations, Rachel!!
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A New Systematic Review on the Cervicovaginal Microbiota, HPV infection, and Cervical Cancer in Hispanic Women
Post-Baccalaureate lab member Vianney Mancilla publishes a first-author systematic review on the cervicovaginal microbiome in HPV infection, cervical dysplasia, and cervical cancer, specifically focusing on studies in Hispanic populations. The study reviewed 365 articles, of which 25 fit the inclusion criteria, and identified 42 unique bacteria associated with HPV infection, cervical dysplasia, or cervical cancer. Findings provided an emphasis on conducting more cervicovaginal microbiome research with Hispanic populations, as well as the inclusion of standardized microbiome methods to treat cervical cancer better and overcome health disparities in this population.
2023
Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz Provides Comments for Scientific American
Dr. Melissa Herbst-Kralovetz recently provided input for a piece by Scientific American reporting on a newly published article entitled “Integrating compositional and functional content to describe vaginal microbiomes in health and disease” in the journal Microbiome first-authored by Dr. Johanna B. Holm. The piece can be found at The Vaginal Microbiome May Affect Health More than We Thought | Scientific American as well as a brief report by UA-College of Medicine-Phoenix.
Herbst-Kralovetz Lab Attends AACR Endometrial Cancer Conference
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Drs. Melissa Herbst-Kralovetz and Nicole Jimenez attended the AACR Special Conference in Cancer Research: Endometrial Cancer: Transforming Care Through Science in Boston, Massachusetts. Dr. Jimenez’s abstract entitled “Patients with endometrial cancer and benign gynecologic conditions exhibit unique vaginal and rectal microbiomes” was top-rated and selected by the organizers for a short talk during the Immune Landscape Plenary Session. Dr. Jimenez gave a talk about her involvement with the highly collaborative and multidisciplinary project between Northern Arizona University and the University of Arizona on the vagina-gut axis and how the microbiome may contribute to endometrial cancer development. The meeting was an excellent opportunity for the Herbst-Kralovetz lab to interact with researchers studying endometrial cancer, the fourth most common women’s cancer. The collaborative project between the Herbst-Kralovetz and Caparaso’s Teams is currently under submission, so be on the lookout for this work soon!
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Herbst-Kralovetz Lab Highlighted as BIO5 Institute Expands to Phoenix
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Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz mentioned the importance of BIO5 institutes' support for the Herbst-Kralovetz lab and women's health research in general: “Visibility is key for increasing awareness about gaps in women’s health research, particularly aging and menopause, two topics that are understudied.” We look forward to events, engagement, collaboration, and support from the BIO5 as they grow in the Phoenix area! For more information about the Herbst-Kralovetz lab and BIO5 Institute, read the article here.
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A New Study on Patient Reported Quality of Life Published in AJOG Global Reports
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A new study by the Herbst-Kralovetz lab on patient-reported quality of life amongst endometrial cancer and benign patients was published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology Global Reports. The study entitled “Preoperative quality of life at the time of gynecologic surgery: considerations for postoperative management” revealed that despite substantial differences in preoperative diagnosis, preoperative quality of life is highly influenced by age, body mass index, and comorbidities. Dr. Dana Chase, a clinical collaborator with the Herbst-Kralovetz laboratory, and Dr. Lelan McCann, a former resident of the University of Arizona Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, led this manuscript. You can read the full article here.
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Emerald Bell Awarded Dean's Dissertation Research Award and Frederick Lange Memorial Endowment
Emerald Bell, a graduate research associate in the Herbst-Kralovetz Lab, was recently was awarded the Laurence B. Emmons - Dean's Dissertation Research Award ($5,000) and the Frederick Lange Memorial Endowment ($3,000). Both competitive funding opportunities through the University of Arizona-College of Nursing. The Emmons proposal was given an overall excellent score! Congratulations, Emerald!
Herbst-Kralovetz lab attends AACR Health Disparities Conference
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Drs. Paweł Łaniewski and Nicole Jimenez, a research scientist and postdoc in the Herbst-Kralovetz’s lab, attended the 16th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved in Orlando, Florida. Dr. Łaniewski’s abstract entitled “Viewing Native American cervical cancer disparities through the lens of the vaginal microbiome: A pilot study” was top-rated and selected by the organizers for a short talk during the Hot Topics and Recent Discoveries Session. Dr. Łaniewski gave the overview of the NACP’s vaginal microbiome study conducted in collaboration with the Native Americans for Community Action Clinic in Flagstaff. He and other team members (Tawnjarae Joe and Dr. Nicole Jimenez) also presented posters on vaginal microbiomes in Native women. The meeting was an excellent opportunity for NACP’s trainees to interact with other researchers studying health disparities in Native American communities and other underserved populations.
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NACP Collaborators are Keynote Speakers at Arizona Postdoctoral Research Conference
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Dr. Melissa Herbst-Kralovetz and Native American Cancer Prevention collaborator Dr. Naomi Lee were keynote speakers at the Arizona Postdoctoral Research Conference hosted at the University of Arizona-College of Medicine-Phoenix campus. This year's theme was “Decolonizing Research: Challenging Assumptions and Fostering Inclusivity.” The speakers gave talks about their career progression and words of advice for postdoctoral fellows. Current postdoc in the lab, Dr. Nicole Jimenez, was one of the lead organizers for the event. This year’s organizing committee also facilitated a discussion activity on ethical issues encountered and assumptions made by scientists and indigenous communities. Talks and activities were well-received and inspired many postdocs to curate self-advocacy and change in their lives and labs.
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Transatlantic Research Partnership
Congratulations to the Herbst-Kralovetz Lab current and past! Dr. Esra Ilhan, a former postdoctoral fellow in the Herbst-Kralovetz lab, and Dr. Melissa Herbst-Kralovetz were recently awarded a Transatlantic Research Partnership grant between the U.S. and France. Dr. Ilhan is a research scientist at the French National Institute for Agriculture, Food, and Environment (INRAE). These grants were awarded to cutting-edge projects of great originality where an initial investment can make a substantial difference by putting American and French partners at the forefront of a novel science. This duo is researching the role of endocrine-disrupting compounds such as parabens and phthalates in gynecologic cancers. Some of the grant funds will go towards visits to each laboratory site, publishing collaborative manuscripts, and attending conferences together in the near future. More information here.
Weaving Time and Gilding Canyons – an Art and Science Collaboration
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The Artist + Researcher program (ARx) pairs local Phoenix artists with researchers and scientists from Phoenix Bioscience Core, of which the University of Arizona – College of Medicine–Phoenix is located. Charmagne Vasquez and Dr. Melissa Herbst-Kralovetz were paired into a collaborative team in November 2022. They worked together over the course of nine months to transform the groundbreaking biomedical research happening in the Herbst-Kralovetz lab into an art piece entitled “Weaving Time and Gliding Canyons.” Charmagne reflected, “I chose to work with Dr. Melissa Herbst-Kralovetz because her work is critical to the saving of women’s lives through better understanding the powerful bacteria, lactobacilli.” This symbolic painting had ties to the Southwest, where Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz grew up and resides, and the work being conducted in the lab involving Indigenous women’s health. Learn more about the collaborative projects at https://phoenixbiosciencecore.com/arx2/ !
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American Society for Microbiology Awards Career Development Grant to Dr. Jimenez
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Dr. Nicole Jimenez, a postdoc in the Herbst-Kralovetz lab, received one of the American Society for Microbiology Career Development Grants for Postdoctoral Women in August of 2023. The Subcommittee was impressed with Dr. Jimenez’s “qualifications and experience and supports her intention to use the grant to attend the American Association for Cancer Research’s Special Conference on Endometrial Cancer: Transforming Care Through Science” where she hopes to present her co-first author work on the rectal and vaginal microbiome between patients diagnosed with endometrial cancer or benign gynecologic conditions. The second phase of the award is a 3-part workshop training series that will cover essential skills focused on well-being, time management, and leveraging networks to become a leader in the microbial sciences.
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Herbst-Kralovetz Nursing Graduate Candidate Discuss Needs for Women's Health Research Field
Emerald Bell, nursing graduate candidate in the Herbst-Kralovetz Lab, was interviewed by the University of Arizona’s College of Nursing on her recent Travel Award and research advocacy at the Infectious Diseases Society for Obstetrics and Gynecology Annual Meeting. Emerald also opened up about why she is interested in women’s health and the microbiome. Learn more about Emerald's advocacy work and research here. |
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Herbst-Kralovetz Lab Attended the Infectious Diseases Society for Obstetrics and Gynecology Annual Meeting
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Herbst-Kralovetz Lab members attended the Infectious Diseases Society for Obstetrics and Gynecology Annual Meeting in Denver, Colorado, this past July and presented our highly collaborative work with colleagues in our UA COM-Phx OB/GYN dept. Dr. Łaniewski gave an oral presentation on his work on the impact of chlorhexidine and povidone-iodine antiseptic solutions on the vaginal microbiome in Women Undergoing Gynecologic Surgeries. Emerald Bell, a UA nursing Ph.D. Candidate, and Phoebe Crossley, a University of Bath intern, were both awarded the ISDOG Travel Scholar Award to attend IDSOG. Additionally, Emerald and Phoebe presented posters entitled “Vaginal and Gastrointestinal Microbiome in Patients with Chronic Pelvic Pain” and “Revealing Mechanisms of Female Sexual Dysfunction through Multi-Omics Analysis of the Vaginal Microenvironment”. The Herbst-Kralovetz lab had a wonderful time networking with Obstetricians and Gynecologists from around the United States.
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The Herbst-Kralovetz Lab Celebrates Flinn Foundation Summer Intern
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Eiven Mugo, a rising sophomore majoring in Biomedical Engineering at Arizona State University, spent eight weeks in the MHK lab through the inaugural Flinn Foundation Summer Intern Program. Eiven spent his time in the lab working on two mentored projects: A wet bench - culturomics project and a bioinformatic-metabolomics project. During his time, He learned how to cultivate bacteria from clinical samples and explore metabolic profiles from women with gynecologic cancer. He delivered a great presentation at the Flinn Foundation Summer Symposia and shared some of his lessons learned in this article by the UA-CoM-P Press! Way to go, Eiven, and good luck on your next biomedical adventures!
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The Herbst-Kralovetz Lab Attended the Annual American Society for Reproductive Immunology Meeting
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In May 2023, Drs. Herbst-Kralovetz, Jimenez and Laniewski attended the Annual American Society for Reproductive Immunology (ASRI) Meeting in Santa Fe, NM. Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz as Herr Awardee was invited to give a lecture on multi-omics, vaginal microbiome and women's health conditions. Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz also co-chaired a session on microbiomes of pregnancy and was a panelist discussing empowerment of women leaders in science. Drs. Jimenez and Laniewski were both finalists in the poster competition and presented on role of Fannyhessea species and endometrial cancer biomarkers, respectively. Dr. Laniewski was awarded a second best poster! The meeting was also a great opportunity to network with reproductive immunologists from all over the world.
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Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz Presented at the World Congress on Endometriosis
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In May 2023, Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz attended the 15th World Congress on Endometriosis in Edinburgh, UK and presented a poster on immunometabolic profiling of cervicovaginal lavages to identify key signatures associated with adenomyosis. The poster was recognized by the conference organizers as highly recommended! If you want to learn more about this work, check this link.
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The Herbst-Kralovetz Lab Presented at the Local American Society for Microbiology Meeting
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The Herbst-Kralovetz lab members presented at the 2023 AZ/Southern Nevada American Society for Microbiology (ASM) Branch Meeting held at UArizona in Tucson, AZ. This meeting brings researchers and students together from across Arizona and the Las Vegas area to present research on bacteriology, virology, and infection and immunity. Hajer Rahee was invited to give a talk and was awarded the best undergrad oral presentation! Phoebe Crossley, Vianney Mancilla and Dr. Laniewski presented posters at the meeting. Dr. Laniewski was also awarded the best post-graduate poster.
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The Herbst-Kralovetz Lab Presented at the 18th Annual Immunopathogenesis Symposium
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Awesome day of science at the 18th Annual Frontiers in Immunobiology and Immunopathogenesis Symposium in Tucson, AZ. The Herbst-Kralovetz Lab participated in the symposium and presented 6 posters and 2 oral presentations... lots of first-time presenters from our team. Great opportunity to share our research!
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A New Study on Vaginal Lactobacilli and Cervical Homeostasis Published in mSystems
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A new study by the Herbst-Kralovetz lab on the metabolic contributions of vaginal Lactobacillus species to the cervical epithelial homeostasis was published in mSystems. The study revealed that lactobacilli alter metabolites related to amino acid metabolism such as N-acetyl amino acids & aromatic lactic acids. Dr. Nicole Jimenez, a postdoctoral research associate in the Herbst-Kralovetz laboratory, is the first author of the paper. You can read the full article here.
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Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz Interviewed on Mycoplasma genitalium Infections
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Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz was interviewed by Salon about a new STI on the rise - Mycoplasma genitalium. In the interview Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz shared some findings from her previous research on this emerging STI using a 3D model of the human cervix. If you interested in the topic, you can read full article here.
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2022
A New Study on COVID-19 Vaccination and Menstrual Cycle Published in Fertility and Sterility
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Highly collaborative work led by Drs. Leslie Farland and Beth Jacobs was recently published in Fertility and Sterility based volunteers that enrolled in the Arizona COVID-19 Cohort (CoVHORT) Study and consented to participate in a Reproductive Sub-Cohort that received a COVID-19 vaccine in 2021. Among vaccinate participants, ~25% reported temporary changes to the menstrual cycle. Overall the COVID-19 vaccines have been shown to be safe and effective for everyone, including pregnant individuals and people trying to conceive; these findings should not discourage vaccination. See the full report here.
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A New Study on Less Invasive Way to Detect Endometrial Cancer Published in Biomarker Research
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A new study by the Herbst-Kralovetz lab on the detection of endometrial cancer using minimally invasive cervicovaginal lavage samples was published in Biomarker Research. This highly translational work was conducted in collaboration with UA Cancer Center, Banner University Medical Center and Arizona Center for Cancer Care. The study provides a proof-of-principle that protein biomarkers associated with endometrial cancer are present in the lower reproductive tract and can be quantified via minimally invasive sampling. You can read the full article here.
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A New Study on Immunometabolic Signatures of Adenomyosis Published in iScience
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iScience recently published a new translational and highly collaborative work from the Herbst-Kralovetz lab on the immunometabolic signatures of patients with adenomyosis, which is a complex and understudied conditions negatively impacting women's health. Georgia Lorentzen, an exchange student from the University of Bath Placement Program in the Herbst-Kralovetz laboratory, was the article's first author. It is Georgia's first publication. Congrats, Georgia! If you interested in the topic, you can directly access the article here.
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Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz Speaks about the Microbiome at Women's Wellness Retreat Organized by WISH
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Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz was invited by Women Investing in Science and Health (WISH) to participate in their Women’s Wellness Retreat and give a talk about the microbiome and women's health. WISH is a premier organization of women leaders providing philanthropic support to Banner Health and leading-edge educational programs using evidence-based research to promote and enhance women’s and families’ health and wellness. WISH is a highly regarded affinity group of women leaders in Arizona that promotes and supports women’s and family health by offering evidence-based research, trusted resources and leading-edge, educational opportunities. Each year members vote to fund one or more innovative and leading edge program that directly impacts women and their families within our community.
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The Herbst-Kralovetz Lab Says Goodbye to an Exchange Student from University of Bath
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Georgia returns to the UK this week after spending 9 months in the Herbst-Kralovetz lab as University of Bath undergraduate placement student. We will miss Georgia and wish her the best!
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Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz Interviewed on Her Research and J. Christian Herr Reproductive Immunology Award
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Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz was interviewed by the Health Sciences Connect on her recent J. Christian Herr Award, which is given annually to a member of the American Society of Reproductive Immunology, International Society for Immunology of Reproduction or European Society for Reproductive Immunology who has made notable achievements in basic or applied research in reproductive immunology. You can read the interview here.
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A Collaborative Review Article on HPV Vaccines and Cervical Cancer Health Disparities among Native American Women Published in Medical Sciences
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A new review article entitled "Novel Vaccine Strategies and Factors to Consider in Addressing Health Disparities of HPV Infection and Cervical Cancer Development among Native American Women" has been published in Medical Sciences as part of the Special Issue Gynecologic Oncology - Old Controversies and New Strategies. This collaborative work between Dr. Lee's group at Northern Arizona University and Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz's lab at University of Arizona was supported by the Partnership for Native American Cancer Prevention (NACP). You can access the article here.
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The Herbst-Kralovetz Lab Awarded a Grant to Investigate Quality of Life in Patients with Adenomyosis
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Drs. McCann and Jimenez received the UA College of Medicine-Phoenix OB/Gyn Section of Research Award. This award will support their collaborative project on adenomyosis and patient reported quality of life outcomes. Congratulations!
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The Herbst-Kralovetz Lab at the Partnership for Native American Cancer Prevention Summer Research Retreat
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Drs. Herbst-Kralovetz, Laniewski and Jimenez participated in the Partnership for Native American Cancer Prevention (NACP) Summer Research Retreat in Scottsdale this year. It was amazing to get our collaborative NACP team with Drs. Caporaso & Lee Labs together in person after years! Drs. Herbst-Kralovetz, Caporaso and Lee presented on our ongoing and future projects. The retreat also included student poster presentations, round robin sessions with the NACP leadership and cores, as well as an outreach dissemination workshop.
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A Student in the Herbst-Kralovetz Lab Participated in the Frontera 2022 Program
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Vianney Mancilla presented her research project for the Frontera/Blaiser program. The 10-week summer internship aims to equip racially and ethnically underrepresented undergraduate students with mentorship by a UA biomedical researcher, translational research experience, and the skills necessary to become competitive applicants in their pursuit of post-secondary education and research. With the guidance of her mentor, Dr. Melissa Herbst-Kralovetz, Vianney successfully presented her project, “Cervicovaginal Bacteria Associated with Bacterial Vaginosis, Human Papillomavirus, and Cervical Cancer Studied in the Latinx Community” at the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Consortium (UROC) poster session.
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Dr. Jimenez Presents at the Infectious Disease Society for Obstetrics and Gynecology (IDSOG) Annual Meeting
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Drs. Herbst-Kralovetz and Jimenez attended the 2022 Infectious Disease Society for Obstetrics and Gynecology (IDSOG) annual meeting in Boston, Massachusetts this summer. Dr. Jimenez was honored at the meeting as an IDSOG Scholar and received a travel award to attend the meeting. Dr. Jimenez was selected for oral abstract session and presented on metabolic contributions of vaginal lactobacilli to the cervicovaginal environment using human 3D cervical epithelial cell models. See the conference program here.
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Nature Portfolio Cancer Community Invites Drs. Maarsingh and Herbst-Kralovetz to Contribute a "Behind the Paper" Blog
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Nature Portfolio Cancer Community: "Behind the Paper" published a blog-type article co-authored by Drs. Maarsingh and Herbst-Kralovetz. The article, titled "Leveraging 3-D models and immunometabolic profiling to understand how vaginal bacteria may promote cancer development", is a short article that provides behind the paper insights into the study and implications from a recent report published by the Herbst-Kralovetz lab in Communications Biology journal. See the link to the original research article and check out the blog here.
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A New Study by the Herbst-Kralovetz Lab on Putative Oncobacteria Published in Communications Biology
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Communications Biology recently published a new metabolomics study by the Herbst-Kralovetz lab on the tumor promoting changes that occur following infection with putative oncobacteria in the female reproductive tract. You can directly access our article here.
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A Book Chapter on Microbial Drug Interactions Published by Royal Society of Chemistry
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Drs. Ilhan and Herbst-Kralovetz recently published a book chapter entitled "Microbial Drug Interactions and Human Health" in Metabolism of Nutrients by Gut Microbiota published by the Royal Society of Chemistry.
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Dr. Jimenez Awarded the Postdoctoral Scholarship from the Community Foundation for Southern Arizona
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Dr. Nicole Jimenez, a postdoctoral research associate in the Herbst-Kralovetz Lab, was recently awarded the two-year Sidney Hopkins, Mayola B. Vail and Patricia Ann Hanson Postdoctoral Fellowship from the Community Foundation for Southern Arizona to study impact of vaginal bacteria on gynecologic cancers. Congratulations, Nicole! To learn more about Dr. Jimenez's research, see the article here.
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The Future of Translational Research is in Great Hands
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Dr. Nicole Jimenez has been highlighted in the Young Investigator Series. Investigations performed by researchers at UA College of Medicine-Phoenix have accelerated medical innovation and impacted patient lives in Arizona and elsewhere. Young investigators are paving the way to answer complex questions in biomedical research. Read the full story here.
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Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz Honored J. Christian Herr Award For Her Contributions to Reproductive Immunology
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Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz participated in the Annual American Society for Reproductive Immunology (ASRI) Meeting in Nashville, TN and presented on human 3D epithelial cell models and immunometabolic impact of vaginal microbiota in gynecologic and reproductive health. During the meeting, Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz was honored J. Christian Herr Award for her outstanding contributions to reproductive immunology. Congratulations!
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The Herbst-Kralovetz Lab Members Presented at the 61st Annual Regional ASM Meeting
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The Herbst-Kralovetz lab members Dr. Nicole Jimenez, Georgia Lorentzen and Michael Khnanisho, participated in the 61st Annual Regional American Society for Microbiology (ASM) Meeting held at Arizona State University on Saturday, April 16th, 2022. Georgia Lorentzen, our University of Bath placement student, was awarded 3rd place for her poster presentation at the meeting. Congratulations Georgia!
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Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz Interviewed at Women Centered for Beyond The Paper Gown Podcast
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Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz was interviewed at Women Centered for Beyond The Paper Gown Podcast. In this episode, Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz explains what the biome is, how it changes as women age, and why it’s important to women's health. She also talks about what women can do to keep their biome in balance.
Listen to the podcast and interview here: https://www.womancentered.com/podcasts/episode/1e82c06a/the-vaginal-microbiome-explained You can also read a blog article summarizing the interview here: https://www.womancentered.com/post/the-vaginal-biome |
Roadtrip Nation Documentary Is Live
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Last year, Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz shared her story with a group of three young Arizonans—and the interview is part of a Roadtrip Nation two-episode series called All Paths Arizona! You can watch it online here.
See the hidden gems and inspiring career possibilities available in Arizona. Meet Allisyn “Meeks,” Ezequias “Zeek,” and Jasmin—three young people on a mission to meet and learn from other Arizonans working in education, marketing, government, and more—and follow them as they travel across their home state in search of fulfilling and inspiring career paths. Fueled by Helios Education Foundation, they’ll also explore how they can connect their ambitions and interests to the state’s educational pathways. Along the way, you’ll hear the inspiring stories of other Arizonans who have made an incredible impact on their home state. |
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A New Collaborative Study on Cervicovaginal Virome Published in mSystems
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mSystems recently published a new original research study by the Herbst-Kralovetz lab in collaboration with Dr. Lim from the Biodesign Institute (Arizona State University) and our clinical partner Dr. Chase. In this study, we conducted metagenomic next-generation sequencing of cervicovaginal lavage specimens to investigate the relationship between DNA virome, bacterial microbiome, genital inflammation, and HPV infection. Our results revealed prominent virome interactions with features of the cervicovaginal microenvironment that are associated with HPV and cervical cancer, such as genital inflammation and microbiota composition. You can find the original article here.
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The Herbst-Kralovetz Lab Contributed to Nature Microbiology Issue Marking the International Women's Day
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Happy International Women's Day! To celebrate this day and the Women's History Month, the March issue of Nature Microbiology journal focused on women in microbiology and women's health. Drs. Laniewski and Herbst-Kralovetz contributed to this special topic issue with a comment on healthy ageing, menopause and microbiome. Follow this link to see all specially commissioned articles highlighting gender inequalities that impact women in academia, clinical research and healthcare, and celebrate the achievements of female microbiologists, as well as research related to women's health. Check out our article here.
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Bringing Discoveries to the Patient’s Bedside
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Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz was interviewed on the importance of translational science along with colleagues across University of Arizona. Check out the UAHS Connect article here.
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Increased Funding for Research in Women’s Health Issues Could Unleash Staggering Returns
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Check out a commentary in Fortune magazine discussing funding for research in women's health. The article was highlighted in the February newsletter from the NIH Office of Research on Women's Health (ORWH). You can access it here.
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A New Collaborative Study on Multi-Omics Published in PLoS Computational Biology
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PLoS Computational Biology recently published a new original research study by the Herbst-Kralovetz lab in collaboration with Northern Arizona University (Dr. Caporaso), ETH Zurich (Dr. Bokulich and his team) and our clinical partner (Dr. Chase). The study utilized a multi-omics approach to predict the features of local microenvironment, such as vaginal microbiome, genital inflammation and cervical neoplasm. The analyses revealed metabolome as the top predictor of the cervicovaginal microenvironment . You can access the original article here.
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2021
Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz Interviewed by Contemporary OB/GYN
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Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz was interviewed by Contemporary OB/GYN about her recent review article in Human Reproduction Update on connection between endometriosis and the microbiome in collaboration with Drs. Nichole Mahnert and Leslie Farland and trainee Mary Salliss. Contemporary OB/GYN is a monthly publication dedicated to translating science into sound clinical practice for its audience of more than 45,000 obstetricians and gynecologists. If you are interested in the topic you can read the interview here. You can also access the review article by following this link.
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A New Study by the Herbst-Kralovetz Lab Published in Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology
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Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology recently published a new study by the Herbst-Kralovetz lab on the immunometabolic contributions of Mobiluncus mulieris and Eggerthella spp. to the hallmarks of bacterial vaginosis. Ross McKenzie, an exchange student from the Bath University Placement Program in the Herbst-Kralovetz laboratory, was the article's first author. The article is a part of the research topic: "The Female Reproductive Tract Microbiome - Gatekeeper for Sexual and Reproductive Health" (follow the link to see all articles included in this topic). You can directly access our article here.
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Nature Portfolio Microbiology Community Invites Drs. Pawel Laniewski and Melissa Herbst-Kralovetz to Contribute a "Behind the Paper" Blog
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Nature Portfolio Microbiology Community: "Behind the Paper" published a blog-type article co-authored by Drs. Laniewski and Herbst-Kralovetz. The article, titled "The power of 3D tissue models and omics technologies for studying bacterial vaginosis and the functional impact of the vaginal microbiome", is a short article that provides behind the paper insights into the study and implications from a recent report published by the Herbst-Kralovetz lab in the journal NPJ Biofilms and Microbiomes. See the link to the original research article and check out the blog here.
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A New Study by the Herbst-Kralovetz Lab Published in NPJ Biofilms and Microbiomes
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NPJ Biofilms and Microbiomes recently published a new original research study by the Herbst-Kralovetz lab on the immunometabolic function of vaginal lactobacilli and key microbes associated with bacterial vaginosis (BV). The study utilized a 3D model of the human cervix, omics, and polymicrobial infection to better understand mechanisms linking BV with poor gynecologic and obstetric health outcomes. You can access the article here.
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A Collaborative Review Article on Microbiome, Endometriosis, Infertility and Chronic Pelvic Pain Published in Human Reproduction Update
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Our highly collaborative work between UA College of Medicine-Phoenix (Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz), UA Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, Tucson (Dr. Farland) and Banner University Medical Center-Phoenix (Dr. Mahnert) on the role of microbiome and estrobolome in patients with endometriosis, infertility and chronic pelvic pain is out in Human Reproduction Update. Mary Salliss, an exchange student from the Bath University Placement Program in the Herbst-Kralovetz lab, was the article's first author. You can read the article here.
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A Medical Student in the Herbst-Kralovetz Lab Awarded a Research Grant from the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
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Rachel Mendoza (MS2) in the Herbst-Kralovetz Lab has been selected for the College of Medicine-Phoenix Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Diversity, Equity and Inclusive Excellence & Innovation Research Grant. Her project will focus on healthcare disparities of women with endometrial cancer.
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A Review Article on HPV Vaccines among Native Americans Published in Current Oncology
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Our highly collaborative Native American Cancer Prevention Project between Northern Arizona University and UArizona College of Medicine-Phoenix and the UArizona Cancer Center has led to a review in Current Oncology entitled “Designing Inclusive HPV Cancer Vaccines and Increasing Uptake among Native Americans—A Cultural Perspective Review”—check it out here.
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Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz Featured by the UA Health Sciences in Honor of Women in Medicine Month
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Throughout the month of September we will feature women at the University of Arizona Health Sciences in honor of Women in Medicine Month. We asked these women about their inspirations, mentoring experience, professional goals and what advice they would give their younger selves. Join us as we celebrate some of our amazing health science professional women. See the interview on Linkedin, Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.
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Dr. Kate Rhodes visits the Herbst-Kralovetz Lab
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Dr. Kate Rhodes from the So lab in Tucson visited the Herbst-Kralovetz lab up in Phoenix to conduct highly collaborative work sponsored by the UA BIO5 Institute Postdoctoral Fellowship and UAHS Precision Defense Initiative!
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The Herbst-Kralovetz Lab Says Goodbye to an Exchange Student from University of Bath
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Ross returned to the UK this week after spending 8 months in the Herbst-Kralovetz lab as University of Bath undergraduate placement student. We will miss Ross and wish him the best back in the UK!
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The Herbst-Kralovetz Lab Reatreat
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On Aug. 13th, the Herbst-Kralovetz Lab had an all day research retreat and planning session for the Fall semester ahead. Grateful for this team and the opportunity to come together and geek out on science all day!
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A Student in the Herbst-Kralovetz Lab Participated in the Frontera 2021 Program
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On Aug. 6th, Airam Mellisa Arce Parra presented on our her research from the Herbst-Kralovetz lab for the Frontera Program. The FRONTERA 2021 program selects students from rural and US-Mexico border origins, first-generation college, socio-economically disadvantaged, federally-recognized Native American tribes, and racial and ethnic groups traditionally underrepresented in medicine (Hispanic, Native American, and African American) to complete a 10-week summer internship program culminating in presenting their research at the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Consortium (UROC) poster session. See the link to the program for more details.
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A Student in the Herbst-Kralovetz Lab Awarded an IDSOG Scholarship
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Ross McKenzie, an exchange student from the Bath University Placement Program in the Herbst-Kralovetz lab, was honored to be the Infectious Diseases Society for Obstetrics and Gynecology (IDSOG) scholar. At the IDSOG 2021 Virtual Annual Meeting this summer, Ross will present a poster entitled "Immunometabolic Analysis of Mobiluncus mulieris and Eggerthella sp. Reveals Novel Insights into Their Pathogenic Contributions to the Hallmarks of Bacterial Vaginosis". See the conference program here.
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Dr Laniewski presents at the STI & HIV 2021 World Congress
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Dr Laniewski was selected to give an oral presentation at the STI & HIV 2021 World Congress (virtual from Amsterdam, the Netherlands) this summer. Dr Laniewski presented on how cervicovaginal microbiota distinctly modulate the immunometabolic microenvironment in a human three-dimensional cervical model. See the conference program here.
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A New Study by the Herbst-Kralovetz Lab Published in NPJ Biofilms and Microbiomes
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NPJ Biofilms and Microbiomes, a journal of the Nature Publishing Group, recently published a new study by the Herbst-Kralovetz lab entitled "Veillonellaceae family members uniquely alter the cervicovaginal metabolic microenvironment in a human three-dimensional epithelial model". Mary Salliss, an exchange student from the Bath University Placement Program in the Herbst-Kralovetz laboratory, was the article's first author. The study reveals unique insights into the specific contributions of Veillonellaceae members, such as Veillonella atypica, Veillonella montpellierensis and Megasphaera micronuciformis, to the pathogenesis of BV and women’s health. The article was highlighted by the BIO5 and UAHS newsrooms (to read the full story see the links). You can also access the original NPJ article here.
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Fixing the ‘Leaky Pipeline’ to Elevate Women to Leadership
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Health Sciences professional women’s groups are helping to create campus cultures where female faculty can thrive at all levels. See the full article on the Health Science Connect.
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Road Trip Nation Visited the Herbst-Kralovetz Lab
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In May Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz filmed with Road Trip Nation crew on the Phoenix Biomedical Campus. Roadtrippers interviewed Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz about her career path in biomedical sciences and toured her lab. Stay tuned for the episode to air on PBS in fall 2021.
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Women's Health Update Presented by the Department of OBGYN
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Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz highlights work from the Women's Health Microbiome Initiative in this issue of Women's Health Update newsletter. See the newsletter here.
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Our Recent Review Article Highlighted in the Nature Portfolio Women's Health Collection
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Our recent Nature Reviews Urology article entitled "The microbiome and gynaecological cancer development, prevention and therapy" was highlighted in the Nature portfolio Women's Health collection, which provides in-depth discussions of recent research and medical advances in fields covering women’s health in the broadest sense. Topics covered include sexual function, sexual and reproductive health, pregnancy and childbirth, breast and gynecological cancers, as well as organ-specific diseases and conditions that exclusively, predominantly or differentially affect people with female-specific organs and hormonal cycles. The collection was published on Mar 8, 2021. See the collection of articles here.
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An Undergraduate Student in the Herbst-Kralovetz Lab Awarded a GFRP Fellowship from the NSF
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Camryn Garza, an ASU Honors College undergraduate student in the Herbst-Kralovetz laboratory at UA COM-Phoenix, recently applied and was awarded a graduate research fellowship from the National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GFRP). Camryn is applying to graduate programs across the nation and the NSF GFRP will provide her with three-year funding, including stipend and tuition assistance, for her graduate studies in bioengineering. Camryn recently defended her Honor's thesis based on research performed in the Herbst-Kralovetz lab and will graduating in May. We wish Camryn all the best in her future endeavors!
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Endometriosis: Improving Women’s Health by Studying Disease Association
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During National Endometriosis Awareness Month, The BIO5 Institute is highlighting researchers’ efforts to tackle this common women’s health problem. Dr. Leslie Farland from the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health is collaborating with Dr. Melissa Herbst-Kralovetz and Dr. Nichole Mahnert from the UArizona College of Medicine - Phoenix on future projects to assess the relationship between endometriosis and the microbiome. Results from these studies may help to inform better disease detection and treatment methods. See the article here.
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The Immunity, Inflammation and Aging Link: Building Better Defense against Disease
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Drs. Herbst-Kralovetz and Ken Knox at UA College of Medicine-Phoenix serve on an UArizona Strategic Initiative advisory committee led by Dr. Nikolich-Zugich to study immunity, inflammation and aging. According to Dr. Nikolich-Zugich, "all degenerative diseases have two things in common--aging and inflammation. See the full story here.
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January Is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month
2020
The Herbst-Kralovetz Laboratory awarded by the Women Investing in Science and Health (WISH) at Banner to develop an innovative screening for endometriosis
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In December, Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz participated in a fast-pitch competition sponsored by the Women Investing in Science and Health (WISH) at Banner Health awarded the Herbst-Kralovetz Lab $50,000 to develop an innovative health screen for endometriosis. WISH, is a giving circle dedicated to health issues affecting women and their families, including Alzheimer's disease and care giving. Members of WISH pool their gifts and decide together how best to invest their collective funds in programs important to women and their families. See Twitter
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Two postdoctoral fellows awarded BIO5 Fellowships to conduct collaborative work with the Herbst-Kralovetz Lab on human 3D in vitro models
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Drs. Kate Rhodes (So Lab) and Rob Jackson (Van Doorslaer Lab) were both awarded BIO5 Postdoctoral Fellowships to support travel to the Herbst-Kralovetz lab to conduct collaborative research using our 3D bioreactor technology and models. For more information on the awardees and projects see Twitter.
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A new protocol paper by the Van Doorslaer and Herbst-Kralovetz Laboratories on 3D models to study papillomavirus-host interactions
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The Van Doorslaer and Herbst-Kralovetz Laboratories collaborated on a recent Current Protocols paper entitled "3D Oral and Cervical Tissue Models for Studying Papillomavirus Host-Pathogen Interactions". Drs. Rob Jackson (Van Doorslaer Lab) and Jason Maarsingh (Herbst-Kralovetz Lab) are co-first authors. You can access the protocol here.
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UACC highlights work from the Herbst-Kralovetz lab related to a recent report on detection of cancer biomarkers in the cervicovaginal microenvironment
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The University of Arizona Cancer Center (UACC) published a news article that highlights recent discoveries from the Herbst-Kralovetz lab related to cancer biomarkers in the cervicovaginal microenvironment. Our findings have important implications for the development of minimally invasive diagnostic tools that may be used to screen patients for cervical cancer and evaluate the effectiveness of immune checkpoint blockade therapy. You can read the UACC article here and access the research article here.
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Women in Medicine and Science Month: College Recognizes Remarkable Women Fighting COVID-19
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The University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix (UA COM-P) Newsroom published an online article that highlights both the incredible efforts led by women in science and the hurdles women disproportionately face from during the COVID-19 crisis. "According to Dr. Gallitano, now that schools, daycares, elder-care services and other resources are closed, families have to take on this work that was previously done by others. This extra work more often falls on women whose to-do lists are typically already maxed-out." The article features interviews from UA COM-P female researchers, including Dr. Amelia Gallitano, Dr. Taben Hale, and Dr. Melissa Herbst-Kralovetz. Additionally, we celebrate Women in Medicine and Science during the month of September. You can read the full article here.
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Integrated multi-omics study by Herbst-Kralovetz lab and collaborators at Northern Arizona University (NAU) is available on medRxiv.
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Highly collaborative work with our collaborators at NAU is now available by preprint on the medRxiv website. The study, titled "Integration of multi-omics data improves prediction of cervicovaginal microenvironment in cervical cancer" is a culmination and integration of multiple projects that utilized diverse cutting-edge "omics" technologies to predict features of the cervicovaginal microenvironment (genital inflammation, disease status, etc). We thank our collaborators from NAU (Dr. Greg Caporaso), AZ Oncology (Dr. Dana Chase), and Institute of Food, Nutrition, and Health in Zurich, Switzerland (Dr. Bokulich for working with us on this exciting project!) Stay tuned for the publication. Until then, you can download and cite the preprint article here.
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New collaborative study by the Herbst-Kralovetz lab and Dr. Brotman at University of Maryland investigates how lubricants impact healthy vaginal bacteria
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The journal Sexually Transmitted Diseases published a new report by the Herbst-Kralovetz lab and collaborator Dr. Rebecca Brotman of the University of Maryland. This paper describes how personal and clinical vaginal lubricants impact the viability of health-associated lactobacilli, a group of bacteria that provide protective functions in the cervicovaginal microenvironment. The study demonstrates that vaginally applied personal and clinical lubricants containing chlorhexidine gluconate or nonoxynol-9 significantly inhibited lactobacilli growth and may therefore deplete these health-associated bacteria. Clinically, depletion of lactobacilli can lead to overgrowth of diverse anaerobic bacteria, leading to a polymicrobial infection called bacterial vaginosis. Bacterial vaginosis is associated with a broad range of gynecological disorders, such as preterm birth, spontaneous abortion, and increased susceptibility to infection with human papillomavirus (HPV), the latter of which causes cervical cancer. You can access the article here.
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Nature Research Cancer Community invites Drs. Melissa Herbst-Kralovetz and Pawel Laniewski to contribute a "Behind the Paper" post
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Nature Research Cancer Community: "Behind the Paper" published a blog-type article co-authored by Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz and Dr. Laniewski. The article, titled "Immune checkpoint proteins in the local cervicovaginal cancer microenvironment", is a short article that provides behind the paper insights into the study and implications from a recent report published by the Herbst-Kralovetz lab and collaborators in the journal Nature Precision Oncology (access the article here). We reported for the first time that key cancer biomarkers can be detected in cervicovaginal lavages. Importantly, quantitative levels of these proteins can discriminate between women with or without cervical cancer. You can read the full blog-type article here.
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A new study by the Herbst-Kralovetz lab published in NPJ Precision Oncology
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Precision Oncology, a journal of the Nature Publishing Group (NPJ), recently published a new study by the Herbst-Kralovetz lab titled "Vaginal microbiota, genital inflammation, and neoplasia impact immune checkpoint protein profiles in the cervicovaginal microenvironment". Dr. Pawel Laniewski, a Research Scientist in the Herbst-Kralovetz lab, was the article's lead author and included collaborators from the University of Arizona in Tucson. The study reveals biomarkers that may be used for the early detection of cervical cancer in a minimally invasive manner. You can access the article here.
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UArizona First newsroom features a recent publication by the Herbst-Kralovetz lab
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The UArizona First newsroom highlighted a recent article by the Herbst-Kralovetz lab published in the Journal of Infectious Disease. The study describes how different species within the genus Prevotella, a bacterium frequently found in women suffering from bacterial vaginosis (BV), influence the disease process. BV is the most common gynecological disorder in women and is associated with preterm birth, spontaneous abortions and increased susceptibility to viral infections, such as HIV and HPV. Dr. Esra Ilhan, a former postdoctoral researcher in the Herbst-Kralovetz lab, lead the study and discovered that Prevotella exhibit species-specific cytotoxicity and negatively impact the barrier function of 3-D endometrial cells. You can read the full UArizona First article here and access the JID journal article here.
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UA Health Sciences showcases the Herbst-Kralovetz lab research efforts and interviews Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz
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The UA Health Sciences department published an interview with Dr. Melissa Herbst-Kralovetz that highlights our lab's research interests. In this article, Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz describes how "good" or "bad" bacteria of the cervicovaginal environment may help to prevent or promote, respectively, HPV-mediated cervical cancer. The interview also spotlights an ongoing study by the Herbst-Kralovetz lab which aims to provide correlations between the vaginal microbiome and endometrial cancer. This will be the largest study of its kind and the data will provide important clues into how specific bacteria of the cervicovaginal environment impact the development of endometrial cancer. You can read the article here and view the video interview here. Photos courtesy of the University of Arizona Health Sciences .
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The Journal of Infectious Disease publishes a new study by the Herbst-Kralovetz lab
On June 9, 2020, The Journal of Infectious Disease (JID) published a report from the Herbst-Kralovetz lab titled "Members of Prevotella genus distinctively modulate innate immune and barrier functions in a human three-dimensional endometrial epithelial cell model". Dr. Esra Ilhan was the first author on this study and was co-authored by Dr. Pawel Laniewski, Adriana Tonachio, and Dr. Melissa Herbst-Kralovetz, all members of the Herbst-Kralovetz laboratory. The article investigated how members of the genus Prevotella, a group of bacteria that are frequently isolated from women suffering from bacterial vaginosis, negatively impact 3-D biomimetic endometrial cells in vitro. This study provides novel and valuable mechanistic insights into how Prevotella promote disease processes in bacterial vaginosis. You can access and read the full-length article here.
Phoenix mayor Kate Gallego speaks at the Spring WIMS meeting
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The Women in Medicine and Science (WIMS) 3rd Annual Spring Dinner was reimagined as a virtual gathering focused on leadership development, self-discovery and networking. The event theme's was Leadership, Equity & Resilience with special guest keynote speaker, City of Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego. Mayor Gallego is the second elected woman Mayor in Phoenix history and the youngest big city Mayor in the United States. The event was held on May 28, 2020
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Senator Martha McSally discusses women's health with UA researchers
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Arizona senator Martha McSally spent time via an online Zoom meeting with the Executive Committee of The Women in Medicine and Science at UA COM-P to discuss important challenges facing women researchers, promote women’s health research, NIH funding inequities for women and the COVID-19 response in Arizona. We appreciate the support our Arizona legislative leaders provide as we continually strive to improve women’s health and equality and bring these important issues to light!
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A Herbst-Kralovetz lab publication was in the top 100 downloaded cancer articles in 2019!
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We are proud to announce that a 2019 article published by the Herbst-Kralovetz lab and collaborators titled "Features of the cervicovaginal microenvironment drive cancer biomarker signatures in patients across cervical carcinogenesis" was among the top 100 downloaded cancer articles in Scientific Reports last year! Scientific Reports, a peer-reviewed journal from the Nature Research group, published more than 1,024 cancer papers in 2019. Dr. Pawel Laniewski, the Herbst-Kralovetz lab's Research Scientist, was the study's lead author. You can read the full article here.
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UA spotlights the Herbst-Kralovetz Nature Reviews Urology article
The UA College of Medicine-Phoenix Newsroom showcased the recently-published Nature Reviews Urology article authored by the Herbst-Kralovetz lab. The Newsroom article interviewed Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz and emphasizes the need for additional funding and research in the field of women's health and gynecological cancers. Read the full Newsroom article here.
Herbst-Kralovetz lab members present at the UA IMB Symposium
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The UA hosted the Frontiers in Immunobiology & Immunopathogenesis Symposium in at the BIO5 Institute in Tucson, AZ on March 6, 2020. Herbst-Kralovetz undergraduate researchers Camryn Garza, Michael Khnanisho, and Mary Salliss along with postdoctoral researcher Dr. Jason Maarsingh each presented a poster highlighting their most recent research activities. The event was marked by a panel of speakers providing excellent discussions on how the immune system interacts with and responds to pathogens, tumorigenesis, and the microbiome.
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JID choses Herbst-Kralovetz lab SEM image for the March 2020 cover
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The latest issue of The Journal of Infectious Disease features an image generated by the Herbst-Kralovetz lab! The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) image shows 3-D human cervical cells infected and colonized by a polymicrobial cocktail consisting of common bacteria recovered from women suffering from bacterial vaginosis (Gardnerella vaginalis, Prevotella bivia, Atopobium vaginae, and Sneathia amnii). We are proud to be represented in a respected journal that we ourselves has been published in numerous times! To see the cover, access the JID main website here.
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Herbst-Kralovetz undergraduate researcher Camryn Garza accepted into John Hopkins summer research program
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Camryn Garza, an undergraduate researcher in the Herbst-Kralovetz lab, was recently accepted into the prestigious Johns Hopkins Summer Research Experience for Undergraduates Program! Camryn will be participating in state-of-the art NanoBioTechnology research. We will miss her presence over the summer, but wish her the best of luck!
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The Herbst-Kralovetz lab published in Nature Review Urology
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Nature Reviews Urology published "The microbiome and gynaecological cancer development, prevention and therapy", an extensive review authored by Herbst-Kralovetz lab members Drs. Pawel Laniewski, Esra Ihlan, and Melissa Herbst-Kralovetz. This literature review covers fundamental aspects of the female reproductive tract microbiota and implications for cancer development and progression. Get the full article here or a read-only version here.
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The UA and NASEM promote minority education and employment in STEM fields
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The University of Arizona and the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering & Medicine (NASEM) held a town hall meeting on January 23, 2020 to advance STEM equity at Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs). The town hall attracted faculty, staff, students and administrators to openly discuss strategies to promote STEM education and workforce preparation in STEM fields. Racial equality is needed now more than ever. When minority students are dissuaded from embarking upon STEM careers, we miss out on important societal contributions afforded by thousands of brilliant minds. We are proud to uphold the University of Arizona's mission to provide inclusive educational and work place environments for people of all racial, ethnic, and religious backgrounds!
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Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz speaks on STEM equity at the UA in Tucson
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Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz gave a speech on gender equity in STEM fields at the University of Arizona in Tucson. The town hall meeting promoted the advancement of equity across genders, ethnic minorities, and first-generation students. Breaking barriers one speech at a time!
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Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz presents for WISP
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Women Inspiring Scientific Progress (WISP) held the Refresh Recharge Renew YOU charity event at the Seasons 52 in Phoenix on January 9, 2020. Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz was invited to give a speech titled "Microbiome Research and Women's Health". WISP, a giving circle affiliated with Banner Health, is dedicated to addressing health issues affecting women and their families and sponsors scholarships to promote women seeking education in science and medicine. Discover how you can donate to WISP and enjoy the benefits associated with membership at their website.
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UA Cancer Center awarded NCI grant
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The University of Arizona Cancer Center was awarded a $6.85 million grant from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to study cancer in Native Americans and promote training and outreach services for Arizona Native Americans. The award is sponsored though the Partnership for Native American Cancer Prevention (NACP) and is a partnership with Northern Arizona University (NAU). You can read the announcement here. The Herbst-Kralovetz lab is excited to embark on a collaborative project with the Caporaso and Lee labs from NAU to address Native American cancer health disparities.
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2019
Dr. Jameson Gardner graduates from ASU
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Dr. Jameson Gardner officially earned his Ph.D. in Molecular and Cellular Biology from ASU! The hooding ceremony, held at Desert Financial Arena on the ASU campus on December 16, 2019, is a culmination of all the hard work and accomplishments during Dr. Gardner's graduate studies. Dr. Gardner becomes the first Ph.D. student graduated by Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz and is currently studying patent law at BYU. We are excited for Dr. Gardner's new trajectory and with him the best of luck in his future endeavors!
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The AAAS recognizes the Herbst-Kralovetz lab's work on IL-36gamma
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EurekAlert!, an online news source hosted by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), published an article on December 13, 2019 that highlights findings from the Herbst-Kralovetz's lab regarding the proinflammatory cytokine, IL-36gamma, in the female reproductive tract and its role in bacterial vaginosis. This work, which was published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases on October 5, 2019, was a collaborative effort of the Herbst-Kralovetz lab with Emory University and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. You can read the full article here.
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Herbst-Kralovetz lab members present at the UA reImagine Health Conference
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The UA hosted the second annual reImagine Health Conference on the Phoenix Biomedical Campus on November 20th, 2019. As an invited speaker for the Gene-Environment panel, Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz highlighted the exciting work performed in her lab (Tackling Cancer Health Disparities in Women through Integrated Multi-Omics Approaches) while undergraduate lab members Sylvia Karjala, Michael Khnanisho, and Mary Salliss, along with Postdoctoral Research Assistant, Jason Maarsingh, each presented a poster describing their current research endeavors. Congratulations to Michael Khnanisho as the recipient of the Best Undergraduate Abstract! Michael received a $100 prize and a plaque for his outstanding effort. We're proud to have his talents in our lab!
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The University of Arizona hosts the National Leaders of Women in Medicine and Science Symposium
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The University of Arizona, in conjunction with the American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC), hosted the National Leaders of Women in Medicine and Science (WIMS) Symposium on November 8, 2019. WIMS, which is part of the UA Office of Diversity and Inclusion, promotes the advancement, leadership and success for women faculty in all roles within academic medicine an science. The symposium brought speakers from around the country to share their insights and guidance on fostering a thriving WIMS program. Highlighted by keynote speaker, Dr. Elizabeth L. Travis, other presenters included Diana Lautenberger, MAT, and Drs. Cheryl O'Malley, Martha Gulati, Indu Partha, Jaime D. Lewis, and Amparo Villablanca.
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Lab members Mary Salliss and Danyelle Pain represent the Herbst-Kralovetz lab at the AAMC Arizona Nights Colors of the Desert reception
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Undergraduate student, Mary Salliss, and graduate student, Danyelle Pain, showcase the research efforts of the Herbst-Kralovetz members during the AAMC reception on Saturday, November 6, 2019. This open-house event highlights the talented scientists, medical staff, and local artists of the University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix. Shown in the slideshow to the left are examples of our lab's bioreactor cell culture apparatus, which is used to grow 3-D human cells which better resemble feature of in vivo tissue and allow us to more accurately study the physiology and infectious outcomes of tissue from the femal reproductive tract.
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UA Health Sciences Strategic Initiative highlights the work of Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz
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The UA Tomorrow is Here, a new TV, digital, and social media campaign, highlights the Health Sciences Strategic Initiative. In this issue, Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz was interviewed for an article titled Bad Bugs: The Vaginal Microbiome and Cancer, where she describes how the vaginal bacterial community may impact the development and progression of cervical cancer. Read the full article here.
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UA BMS researcher, Dr. Taben Hale, selected as a recipient of the Arizona Capitol Times’ inaugural Women Achievers of Arizona award
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Congratulations to Dr. Taben Hale! This award recognizes women who excel in their profession and impart positive impacts in the community to better the lives of Arizonans.
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Dr. Jameson Gardner and Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz recognized by the US News & World Report, Futurity, and Health Day for their work in IL-36gamma
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Three news sources, The US News & World Report, Futurity, and HealthDay, recently published articles based on the research of Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz and Dr. Gardner, a recent graduate of the Herbst-Kralovetz lab. The article highlights the contributions both researchers made toward elucidating how an immune protein, IL-36γ, protects against Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) infection in the female reproductive tract. Their research was recently published in The Journal of Immunology. To read each report, click on the links for US News & World Report, Futurity, and HealthDay.
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Herbst-Kralovetz undergraduate, Camryn Garza, awarded the ASU Quesada Scholarship
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Congratulations to Camryn for being selected as a recipient of the 2019 Quesada Scholarship offered through Arizona State University Barrett’s Honors College! This award provides research funding for the honors research projects of outstanding undergraduate students. The Quesada Scholarship was created to improve understanding and well-being of the Hispanic community while assisting interdisciplinary work of Hispanic researchers.
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Dr. Pawel Laniewski presents at the AACR conference in San Francisco, CA
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Drs. Melissa Herbst-Kralovetz and Pawel Laniewski attended the 12th American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) conference on The Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved in September. Dr. Laniewski presented a poster titled "Integrative multi-omics approach reveals complex interplay between HPV, host and microbiome during cervical carcinogenesis in Hispanic women and non-Hispanic women".
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Herbst-Kralovetz lab member, Dr. Jason Maarsingh, presents at the first annual Arizona Postdoctoral Research Conference at the UofA College of Medicine-Phoenix
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Herbst-Kralovetz postdoc, Dr. Jason Maarsingh, presented "Comparative transcriptomics reveals PrrAB-mediated control of metabolic, respiration, energy-generating, and dormancy pathways in Mycobacterium smegmatis". The manuscript for this data was recently accepted for publication in BMC Genomics and was part of his doctoral dissertation project in the lab of Dr. Shelley Haydel and the Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University.
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New paper published in The Journal of Infectious Diseases highlights the influence of lubricants on the vaginal microenvironment and epithelial barrier
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This work was a collaborative research effort between Drs. Rebecca Brotman and Herbst-Kralovetz. Herbst-Kralovetz lab members, Ellen Wilkinson and Dr. Pawel Laniewski co-authored "Personal and clinical vaginal lubricants: Impact on local vaginal microenvironment and implications for epithelial cell host response and barrier function". The manuscript was recently published in JID. This was an NIH NIAID supported project and we are proud of Ellen, as this is her first original research article!
Read the paper here: https://academic.oup.com/jid/advance-article/doi/10.1093/infdis/jiz412/5563809 |
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12th Annual American Association for Cancer Research (AARC) Meeting on Health Disparities
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Drs. Herbst-Kralovetz and Łaniewski will be presenting at the 12th Annual AACR Conference of The Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and Medically Underserved. They will be presenting at poster session A on Friday evening, September 20th. Come check it out to learn more about our work on cervical cancer in Hispanic women. Details about the conference webpage can be found at https://www.aacr.org/Meetings/Pages/MeetingDetail.aspx?EventItemID=183.
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Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz speaks at Banner University Medical Center in Phoenix
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On September 5th, 2019, Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz gave a presentation at the Banner University Medical Center in Phoenix to the Obstetrics and Gynecology Residents regarding ongoing collaborative research projects and opportunities to participate in research.
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September is Gynecologic Cancer Awareness month!
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This is a great time to promote the education, importance, and awareness of cancers occurring in the female reproductive tract. Our lab is generously supported by the Flinn Foundation and Mary Kay Foundation to study how the microbiome (bacterial communities) of the female reproductive tract impacts cervical and endometrial cancer. Follow Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz on Twitter @HerbstKralovetz to access public resources to increase your knowledge of these devastating diseases (#GynecologicCancerAwarenessMonth, #WomensHealth). Educate yourself and loved ones about the symptoms of gynecologic cancer!
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Jameson Gardner, Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz's first grad student, earns his Ph.D.
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Congratulations to Dr. Jameson Gardner, who successfully defended his Ph.D. dissertation on August 29th, 2019! Jameson is currently attending BYU law school to pursue a career in patent law. The Herbst-Kralovetz lab will miss Jameson as he embarks on his new career and adventure, but are very proud of his accomplishments during his time in the lab.
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The Herbst-Kralovetz lab says goodbye to some members and welcomes new members
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We had lunch at Taco Chelo in Phoenix to celebrate the accomplishments and contributions of undergraduate Kimberly Owens (University of Bath exchange program), Lab Technician Erin Jackson, and graduate student Jameson Gardner (ASU) as they move on to new and exciting opportunities! At the same time, we welcome incoming undergraduate students Mary Salliss (University of Bath exchange program), Michael Khnanisho (ASU), Sylvia Karjala (ASU, not in picture), and Camryn Garza (ASU, not in picture) along with our new postdoctoral researcher, Jason Maarsingh. We're excited to get to work as a team as we tackle important diseases affecting women's health.
Pictured left-to-right: Kimberly Owens, Mary Salliss, Erin Jackson, Dr. Melissa Herbst-Kralovetz, Michael Khnanisho, Dr. Pawel Łaniewski, Dr. Jameson Gardner, Dr. Jason Maarsingh |
Drs. Herbst-Kralovetz and Laniewski present at 2019 IDSOG Meeting
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Drs. Herbst-Kralovetz and Laniewski presented at the 2019 Infectious Disease Society for Obstetrics and Gynecology (IDSOG) annual meeting in Big Sky, Montana. Dr. Laniewski was honored at the meeting as an IDSOG Scholar and received a travel award to attend the meeting. |
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2019 BMS Summer Internship Wraps Up
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The 2019 BMS Summer Internship Program ended on July 19th with a poster session for all of the interns in the program. Elena D'Avanzo presented on her work in the Herbst-Kralovetz lab on vaginal bacteria and lubricants. |
Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz speaks at the 2019 STI & HIV World Congress
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Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz gave a talk at the 2019 STI and HIV World Congress in Vancouver, British Columbia. At the meeting Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz stopped by the Giant Microbes booth to take a picture with HSV-2 as part of their campaign to #StopSTIgma.
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Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz selected for the 2019-2020 Academic Leadership Institute
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Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz was selected as one of 27 incoming participants in the Academic Leadership Institute (ALI) for 2019-2020. The ALI is a yearlong program through the Office of the Provost and the Division of Human Resources that includes half-day and full-day workshops, along with individualized leadership coaching to train and prepare current and future University leaders.
Read the press release for more information about the ALI program here: https://tinyurl.com/y6lgnsm5 |
UA College of Medicine - Phoenix WIMS holds 2nd Annual Dinner
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The UA College of Medicine - Phoenix Women in Medicine and Science (WIMS) held its 2nd Annual Dinner on June 26th. Dr. Allison Vaillancourt gave a thought-provoking keynote address titled "What Are Your Sources of Power?" |
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NIH Director calls for the end of "Manels"
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Dr. Francis Collins, Direction of the National Institutes of Health released a statement on July 12th calling for the end of "manels" at scientific meetings and other high-level conferences. The call for the end of "manels" comes as part of a push to create an inclusive and diverse scientific community and is coupled with a recent report from the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine titled, "Sexual Harassment of Women: Climate, Culture, and Consequence in Academic Science, Engineering, and Medicine."
Read the statement from Dr. Collins here: https://www.nih.gov/about-nih/who-we-are/nih-director/statements/time-end-manel-tradition Read the National Academy report here: https://www.nap.edu/catalog/24994/sexual-harassment-of-women-climate-culture-and-consequences-in-academic |
2019 BMS High School Summer Internship Program Begins
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The 2019 BMS High School Summer Internship program started on June 10th. Elena D'Avanzo, a high school senior will be working in the Herbst-Kralovetz lab during the 6-week program. |
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Arizona Symposium on Virology, Immunology, Microbiomes and Infectious Disease held at UA COM-P
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The 2019 Arizona Symposium on Virology, Immunology, Microbiomes and Infectious Disease (VIMID) was held at the UA College of Medicine Phoenix on Friday June 7th. This annual meeting is part of the Arizona Wellbeing Commons. Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz and Dr. Greg Caporaso co-chaired a session titled "Apply Microbiome Research to Enhance Health Outcomes." At the meeting Dr. Pawel Laniewski presented recent research findings in a "rapid fire" talk and on a poster, and Kim Owen also presented a poster. |
Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz interviewed by Nature Podcast
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Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz was interviewed by Nature Podcast and provided commentary on a new publication from Zimmerman et al. titled, "Mapping human microbiome drug metabolism by gut bacteria and their genes."
Listen to the podcast and interview here: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-01775-6 Read the paper from Zimmerman et al. here: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-019-1291-3 |
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Pawel Laniewski awarded IDSOG Trainee Travel Scholar Award
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Research scientist Dr. Pawel Laniewski has been awarded the IDSOG Trainee Travel Scholar Award to attend the Infectious Diseases Society for Obstetrics and Gynecology (IDSOG) 2019 Annual Meeting in Big Sky, MT this August.
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Mary Kay Foundation social media features Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz
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The Mary Kay Foundation recently featured Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz as one of their grant awardees on their Facebook page. Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz received a Mary Kay Foundation Cancer Research Grant in 2018 to investigate links between the genital microbiome, immune mediators, and endometrial cancer.
See the post here: https://tinyurl.com/y5vnvtm |
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New paper published in JCI Insight in collaboration with the CDC and Emory University
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Former University of Bath placement student James Baker and Dr. Melissa Herbst-Kralovetz co-authored a report titled "Chronic immune barrier dysregulation among women with a history of violence victimization" that was recently published in JCI Insight. The paper was published as part of a collaboration led by research teams at the CDC and Emory University.
Read the paper here: https://tinyurl.com/y2wjn57h |
New publication in Scientific Reports on cancer biomarkers and cervical carcinogenesis
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The Herbst-Kralovetz lab in collaboration with statisticians, scientists, and physicians from UACC, Dignity Health, and MIHS published a new paper in Scientific Reports on May 14th titled "Features of the cervicovaginal microenvironment drive cancer biomarker signatures in patients across cervical carcinogenesis" in Scientific Reports.
Read the paper here: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-43849-5 |
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Graduate student invited to speak at Immunology 2019
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Jameson Gardner, a 4th year graduate student in the Herbst-Kralovetz lab, was selected to give an oral presentation during the "Viruses and Innate Immune Effectors" session of the Immunology 2019 conference in San Diego, CA. Jameson was awarded the AAI Trainee Abstract Award, ASU SOLS Graduate Student Travel Award, and the ASU GPSA Individual Travel Grant to provide funding to attend the conference.
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Herbst-Kralovetz lab publishes paper on "Metabolic Fingerprinting" and cervical carcinogenesis
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Members of the Herbst-Kralovetz lab recently published a novel study in EBioMedicine utilizing metabolic fingerprinting to distinguish patients with HPV, pre-cancerous cervical conditions, and cancer. The study integrated microbiome data, immunoproteomics, and metabolomics to effectively discriminate between health and disease.
Read the full length paper, "Deciphering the complex interplay between microbiota, HPV, inflammation and cancer through cervicovaginal metabolic profiling" here: https://tinyurl.com/y6e5s7uf Read the UA COM-P press release here: https://tinyurl.com/yyx6yfyh |
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Book chapter on using 3-D model to study Neisseria gonorrhoeae infection published
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Drs. Laniewski and Herbst-Kralovetz recently co-authored a chapter for Neisseria gonorrhoeae Methods and Protocols titled "Analysis of Host Responses to Neisseria gonorrhoeae Using a Human Three-Dimensional Endometrial Epithelial Cell Mode." A pseudocolored electron micrograph taken in the Herbst-Kralovetz lab was also selected as the cover photo for the book. Link for the book: https://www.springer.com/us/book/9781493994953 |
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Herbst-Kralovetz lab members present at the 2019 ABRC Research Conference
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Members of the Herbst-Kralovetz lab attended the 4th Annual ABRC Research Conference on May 2nd, 2019. The conference highlighted research projects supported by the Arizona Biomedical Research Centre, Flinn Foundation, and Valley Research Partnership. Graduate Student Jameson Gardner was invited to give a talk at the meeting, and Drs. Pawel Laniewski and Esra Ilhan presented posters at the meeting.
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Herbst-Kralovetz lab members present at 2019 AZ/Southern Nevada ASM Branch Meeting
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The Herbst-Kralovetz lab presented at the 2019 AZ/Southern Nevada ASM Branch Meeting held at NAU in Flagstaff, AZ on April 13, 2019. Kim Owen (undergraduate), Jameson Gardner (graduate student), and Drs. Esra Ilhan and Pawel Laniewski were invited to give talks, and Tess Alexander (undergraduate) presented a poster at the meeting. This meeting brought researchers and students together from across Arizona and the Las Vegas area to present research on environmental microbiology, medical microbiology, and infection and immunity. |
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Undergraduate researcher presents at the 2019 Barrett Honors Symposia
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Tess Alexander, an undergraduate researcher in the Herbst-Kralovetz lab presented at the 2019 Celebrating Honors Symposium on Wednesday April 10th at Barrett, The Honors College at Arizona State University. Tess is a senior at ASU and graduating this year with a degree in Biomedical Sciences. |
Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz invited as a plenary speaker at 3D Tissue Infection Symposium
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Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz was invited to speak at the 3D Tissue Infection Symposium in Würzburg, Germany as a plenary speaker on April 5-7. The meeting focused on the utilization of 3D tissue models for investigating host-pathogen interactions, and Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz presented on the 3D female reproductive tract models developed in the Herbst-Kralovetz lab. Read more about the symposium here: www.uni-wuerzburg.de/grk2157/3d-tissue-infection-symposium/ |
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Herbst-Kralovetz lab attends Frontiers in Immunobiology & Immunopathogenesis Symposium
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The 14th Annual Frontiers in Immunobiology & Immunopathogenesis Symposium was held in Tucson, AZ on March 8th. Dr. Esra Ilhan gave a talk on her work on the cervicovaginal metabolome and lab members Jameson Gardner, Tess Alexander, and Kim Owen presented posters during the poster session.
The Frontiers in Immunobiology & Immunopathogenesis Symposium is an annual research conference sponsored by the University of Arizona Immunobiology department and includes sessions on bacteriology, immunology, and virology. |
NIH Publishes Strategic Plan for Women's Health Research
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The National Institutes of Health recently published the strategic plan entitled "Advancing Science for the Health of Women." The plan runs from 2019-2023 and focuses on five main goals:
1) Advance rigorous research that is relevant 2) Develop methods and leverage data sources 3) Enhance dissemination and implementation 4) Promote training and careers 5) Improve evaluation See the full plan here: Trans-NIH Strategic Plan |
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Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz named a Bizwoman Headliner
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Melissa M. Herbst-Kralovetz, PhD, director of the Women’s Health Microbiome Initiative, was named a Bizwoman Headliner by American City Business Journals.
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2018
Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz speaking at Keystone Symposia in South Africa
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Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz will be attending and participating at the Keystone Symposia "Role of Genital Microbiome in Sexual and Reproductive Health" in Cape Town, South Africa. She will speak in the Genital Tract Mucosal Defenses and Biofilms session on our cutting edge research entitled "Human in vitro Systems to Study Genital Tract Mucosal Defenses" on December 13.
Learn more about the symposia here: https://tinyurl.com/yao9qyps |
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Undergraduate researcher receives awards from Barrett, the Honors College at ASU
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Tess Alexander, a senior at Arizona State University, was recently awarded two grants from the Honors Thesis Reimbursement Fund and the Honors Project Fund from Barrett, the Honors College at ASU for her thesis research project on IL-36gamma and HSV-2. |
Cosmopolitan Magazine highlights Herbst-Kralovetz lab findings
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The December 2018 issue of Cosmopolitan magazine highlighted our recent findings from Scientific Reports in their article entitled "What Throws Your Vag Out of Whack".
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Drs. Laniewski and Ilhan presenting at UA Research Symposium
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Drs. Pawel Laniewski and Esra Ilhan will be presenting posters on recent vaginal microbiome and metabolomics work at the UA COM-Phoenix Research Symposium "Biomarkers: From Specimen to Clinical Impact". |
Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz attends the Mid-Career Women Faculty Leadership Seminar
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Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz was selected by the American Association of Medical Colleges to attend the AAMC Mid-Career Women Faculty Leadership Seminar and was supported to attend the meeting by the UA COM-Phoenix WIMS under the Office of Diversity and Inclusion. Learn more about the UA COM-Phoenix WIMS here: http://phoenixmed.arizona.edu/diversity/women-medicine-science |
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Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz talks about cervical cancer at the UA Cancer Center Tucson
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Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz was invited to the UA Cancer Center in Tucson to give a Cancer Prevention and Control seminar entitled "Deciphering Mechanisms of Cervical Carcinogenesis using a Multi-Omics Approach" on November 14, 2018.
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Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz speaks at UA COM Tucson CME event
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Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz was invited by the University of Arizona College of Medicine Tucson to participate and speak at their Continuing Medical Education event to kickoff Homecoming Week on October 26th. Her talk was titled "Translating Microbiome Research to Improve Women's Health" |
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Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz gives Mini-Med School lecture
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On November 7th, Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz gave a lecture for the 2018 Mini-Medical School titled, "'Good' Bacteria and Cervical Health and 'Bad' Bacteria and Increased Cancer Risk."
The Mini-Medical School is a free to the public community lecture series covering exciting topics. Learn more about the Mini-Medical School series here: http://phoenixmed.arizona.edu/minimed |
Presentation at the 2018 IGCS MeetingDr. Herbst-Kralovetz presented our collaborative work entitled "Does Vaginal Microbiome Composition Alter Local Cancer Biomarker Expression in Cervical Dysplasia and Cancer?" at the 2018 International Gynecologic Cancer Society meeting in Kyoto, Japan.
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Herbst-Kralovetz lab review articles among the most downloaded and most read on Maturitas
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The journal Maturitas recently posted a list of the most downloaded articles in the last 90 days. On that list was "Microbiota-drug interactions: Impact on metabolism and efficacy of therapeutics" an article published in June 2018 by Ellen Wilkinson, Dr. Esra Ilhan, and Dr. Melissa Herbst-Kralovetz.
Another review article, "Estrogen-gut microbiome axis: Physiological and clinical implications" published in September 2017 by James Baker, Dr. Layla Al-Nakkash, and Dr. Melissa Herbst-Kralovetz is #2 on the most read papers for Maturitas. See the list of most downloaded articles here: https://tinyurl.com/yazxtnrg |
Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz featured in Women in Medicine and the Mini Medical School lecture series
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The University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix is featuring Dr. Melissa Herbst-Kralovetz along with Drs. Amelia Gallitano, and Rebecca Fisher this September to promote Women in Medicine and Science and for the Fall 2018 Mini Medical School. The Mini Medical School is an interactive community lecture series with events on September 5th, November 7th, and December 5th. Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz will lead the lecture on November 7th titled, ""Good" Bacteria and Cervical Health and "Bad" Bacterial and Increased Cancer Risk."
Read more about Women in Medicine here: https://tinyurl.com/y9xmamsg |
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New paper published in Cytokine on IL-36gamma and HSV-2
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Graduate student Jameson Gardner and Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz recently published a study in the journal Cytokine titled "IL-36gamma induces a transient HSV-2 resistant environment that protects against genital disease and pathogenesis."
Read the paper here: https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1XZ5K3jGS17dDU |
Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz receives "40 Under 40" award
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The Phoenix Business Journal recognized Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz as a recipient of the "40 Under 40" class for 2018. The "40 Under 40" award honors business and community leaders in the Phoenix area. The awards dinner was held on Aug. 2nd and The Phoenix Business Journal profiled all of the awardees in their publication on Aug. 3rd and online here: https://tinyurl.com/yb3whlcb |
Chapter published in Encyclopedia of Reproduction
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Drs. Pawel Laniewski and Melissa Herbst-Kralovetz recently published a chapter entitled "Vagina" in the 2nd edition of the Encyclopedia of Reproduction.
Find the Encyclopedia of Reproduction here: https://tinyurl.com/y7j68num |
2018 BMS High School Summer Internship
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The 2018 BMS Summer High School Internship program started in June. Cynthia Ianova, a high school senior worked in the Herbst-Kralovetz lab during the 6-week program. Learn more about the BMS High School Internship program and Cynthia's experience here: http://phoenixmed.arizona.edu/about/news/college-hosts-summer-research-internship The summer internship program was also recently featured in the Arizona Republic. |
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Ellen Wilkinson awarded IDSOG Trainee Travel Scholar Award
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University of Bath placement student Ellen Wilkinson has been awarded the IDSOG Trainee Travel Scholar Award to attend and give an invited talk at the Infectious Diseases Society for Obstetrics and Gynecology (IDSOG) 2018 Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, PA this August. |
Help eliminate HPV-related cancers
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The University of Arizona Cancer Center has partnered with National Cancer Institute-designated cancer centers around the country to increase HPV vaccination and eliminate HPR-related cancers. Across the nation, only 43% of 13- to 17-year-olds are up-to-date on their HPV vaccinations. Help us raise that number to 80% by 2020!
Read the story here: https://tinyurl.com/ycl9hbsh Additional coverage of this story AZBio Pharmacy Choice |
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Do Bad Bugs Drive Cervical Cancer?
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The University of Arizona Cancer Center published a story highlighting the recent publication from the Herbst-Kralovetz lab in Scientific Reports linking the microbiome and cervical cancer.
Read the story from the UA Cancer Center here: https://tinyurl.com/y9w2rroq Additional coverage of the study KJZZ/NPR AZBio Medical News Today June 24th Biomedical Picture of the Day |
Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz named to the 40 Under 40
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The Phoenix Business Journal named Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz to the 40 Under 40 for 2018. The award highlights those in local businesses under the age of 40 who are making a difference in their companies/organizations, as well as the greater community.
Read the full story from the Phoenix Business Journal: https://tinyurl.com/yb3whlcb See the announcement from the College of Medicine Phoenix: https://tinyurl.com/y9nqeh46 |
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New paper published in Scientific Reports
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The Herbst-Kralovetz lab recently published a new study in Scientific Reports linking cervicovaginal immune signatures, HPV and microbiota composition in cervical carcinogenesis.
Read the paper here: https://rdcu.be/OjVe |
University of Arizona designated a Hispanic Serving Institution
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The University was recently designated as a Hispanic Serving Institution by the U.S. Department of Education.
Learn more about this historic designation here: https://uanews.arizona.edu/story/ua-recognized-service-hispanic-students |
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April is National Minority Health Month
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April is National Minority Health Month! Learn more about the National Cancer Institute's mission to reduce cancer health disparities here: www.cancer.gov/about-nci/organization/crchd/blog/2018/nmhm18
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Review article on the list of most downloaded articles from Maturitas
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The journal Maturitas recently posted a list of the most downloaded articles in the last 90 days. On that list was "Estrogen-gut microbiome axis: Physiological and clinical implications" an article published in September 2017 by James Baker, Dr. Layla Al-Nakkash, and Dr. Melissa Herbst-Kralovetz.
See the list of most downloaded articles here: https://tinyurl.com/yc8g7sbh and read the paper here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378512217306503 |
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New article on Microbiota-Drug Interactions
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Maturitas recently published a new review article written by Ellen Wilkinson, Dr. Esra Ilhan, and Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz discussing microbiota-drug interactions.
Read the article here: https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1Wt5q1M44~KAEa |
Drs. Herbst-Kralovetz and Laniewski awarded grant from ARDF
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Drs. Herbst-Kralovetz and Laniewski have been awarded an AiR Challenge Grant from the Alternatives Research and Development Foundation to study vaginal bacteria as oncogenic drivers using innovative 3-D human models.
More information on the AiR challenge can be found here: http://www.ardf-online.org/air-challenge.html |
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New publication on the uterine microbiome
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Frontiers in Immunology recently published a new review article from the Herbst-Kralovetz lab titled "Uterine Microbiota: Residents, Tourists, or Invaders? This article reviews the history and current status regarding the uterine microbiome and potential implications in health and disease. Read the paper here: https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2018.00208
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2017
Graduate student awarded Harry Lowell Swift Advancing Health Scholarship
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Jameson Gardner, a third-year graduate student in the Herbst-Kralovetz lab was recently awarded the Harry Lowell Swift Advancing Health Scholarship through the School of Life Sciences at ASU for his research into the role of IL-36gamma in genital herpes. The Swift Scholarship is awarded annually to outstanding graduate students pursuing ground-breaking research in biomedical and biotechnological fields to advance human health. |
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Exploring the link between Cancer and Vaginal Bacteria
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The Healthy Dose blog from the University of Arizona Health Sciences recently published a Q&A with Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz discussing work to determine the link between the Vaginal Microbiome and Cancer. Read the article here: https://tinyurl.com/ybev8kc7 |
September is Gynecologic Cancer Awareness MonthSeptember is Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Month, and the University of Arizona Cancer Center has highlighted our vaginal microbiome and endometrial cancer work - read more here: http://tinyurl.com/y852khp2 |
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Herbst-Kralovetz laboratory receives grant from The Mary Kay FoundationThe Mary Kay Foundation recently awarded the Herbst-Kralovetz lab a grant to study the genital microbiome and local immune microenvironment in endometrial cancer patients.
Read more about this story here: http://tinyurl.com/y95o5mdy Read about the Mary Kay Foundation and Cancer Grant recipients here: http://tinyurl.com/ybhhdww5 |
Herbst-Kralovetz lab awarded research grant from the University of Arizona Office of Diversity and InclusionThe University of Arizona College of Medicine Phoenix Office of Diversity and Inclusion awarded the Herbst-Kralovetz lab a Diversity, Equity and Inclusive Excellence and Innovation Research Grant to investigate the vaginal microbiota and immune signatures in Arizona Latinas.
Learn about the Diversity, Equity and Inclusive Excellence and Innovation Research Grant here: http://tinyurl.com/y88tab3q |
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New publication on interactions between the gut microbiome and sex hormonesThe Herbst-Kralovetz laboratory published a review article this June highlighting the interactions between the gut microbiome and sex hormones in the journal Maturitas in collaboration with Dr. Layla Al-Nakkash from Midwestern University. This article was selected as the Editor's Choice for September.
Read the article here: http://tinyurl.com/y8euczlo |
2017 BMS High School InternshipThe 2017 BMS Summer High School Internship program started on Monday, June 5th. Anamika Basu, a high school senior worked in the Herbst-Kralovetz lab during the 6-week program.
Learn more about the BMS High School Internship program and Anamika's experience here: http://tinyurl.com/yd8fjyof |
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New publication on 3-D endometrial epithelial cell modelThis February the Herbst-Kralovetz lab published a paper characterizing a new 3-D endometrial epithelial cell model in collaboration with Dr. Maggie So from the University of Arizona in Tucson.
Read the article here: http://tinyurl.com/y7kvum9 |
2016
SEM micrograph taken by undergraduate student makes cover image of JIDA special supplemental issue of The Journal of Infectious Diseases on Bacterial Vaginosis was recently published and a pseudo-colored SEM micrograph showing bacterial colonization on a 3-D aggregate taken by Adriana Gomez and Pawel Laniewski was selected as the cover image for the issue.
Read more about Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz's article on BV, and Pawel and Adriana's cover image here: http://tinyurl.com/j6aeyst |
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New publications from the Herbst-Kralovetz LaboratoryThe Herbst-Kralovetz lab recently published papers in Maturitas and Frontiers in Microbiology. Read the articles below.
Menopause and the Vaginal Microbiome IL-36gamma Augments Host Defense and Immune Responses in Human Female Reproductive Tract Epithelial Cells |
2016 BMS High School InternshipThe 2016 BMS High School Internship program started on Monday, June 6th. Jasmin Menjivar, a high school senior, joined the Herbst-Kralovetz laboratory for the six-week program.
Learn more about the BMS High School Internship program here: http://tinyurl.com/hsrpj69 |
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55th Annual AZ/Southern Nevada ASM MeetingPawel Laniewski and Jameson Gardner were both invited to present submitted abstracts as oral presentations at the conference in the Medical Bacteriology and Virology/Immunology sessions.
Jameson was awarded Best Oral Presentation for the Virology/Immunology Session. See the announcement here - http://tinyurl.com/j4fkb5j |
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