HHMI Faculty Research

Faculty Research Opportunities: West Michigan is rapidly becoming a hub of world-class biomedical and life-science research with the establishment of the Van Andel Institute, the move of the Michigan State Medical School to Grand Rapids, and the formation of the Center for Molecular Medicine. Thus there are many new and exciting opportunities for Hope college faculty to engage in collaborative biomedical research. We will strengthen relationships with these institutions by providing grants to faculty to establish new collaborative research partnerships with scientists at these institutions. This will also provide exciting new biomedical research opportunities for Hope students. Opportunities for faculty to expand their own knowledge base into new biomedical areas will also be made available through support for training courses and professional workshops.

The HHMI Steering Committee awarded to the following faculty members:

2012 Awards

Drs. Jeff Brown and Ryan McFall, Departments of Engineering and Computer Science, collaborative research with Engineers Without Borders: Drinking Water Resources Projects in Developing Countries: Integrated Data Management to Enhance Student Learning and Facilitate Communication with Partner Communities.

Dr. Katharine Polasek, Department of Engineering, collaborative research with Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital: Feasibility of a non-invasive treatement for phantom limb pain in upper extremity amputees.

Dr. Aaron Putzke, Department of Biology, collaborative research with the Dr. Jeff MacKeigan at Van Andel Institute: Whole genome gene expression changes in absence of a non-receptor tyrosine kinase: evolutionary comparisons between invertebrates (nematodes) and vertebrates (zebrafish).

Dr. Gwenda Schmidt, Department of Psychology, collaborative research with Dr. Anjan Chatterjee at the University of Pennsylvania Medical School: The Breakdown of Figurative Language Processing.

2011 Awards

Drs. Elizabeth Sanford and Ken Brown, Department of Chemistry, collaborative research with Biotectix: Probing Interfaces: A Collaboration between Academics and Industry on Electrode Surfaces for Biomedical Devices
Dr. Jianhua Li, Department of Biology and Dr. Ken Brown, Department of Chemistry, collaborative research with the Beijing Institute of Botany:Biological and phytochemical investigations of Apios, a promising new root crop with great nutirional and medicinal values

Dr. Sonja Trent-Brown, Department of Psychology and Dr. Vicki Voskuil, Department of Nursing, collaborative research with Holland Hospital, Holland/Zeeland Community Foundation Ready for School Initiative, and W.K. Kellogg Foundation: Evaluation of the Healthy Beginnings - Ready for School Access to Healthcare Pilot Project

2010 Awards

Dr. Jonathan Peterson, Department of Geology and Environmental Sciences, together with collaborative research of Dr. Jeffrey Wilcox of the University of North Carolina-Asheville and Dr. Michael Seymour of Hope College: Reconnaissance for Pharmaceutical and Personal Care Product (PPCP) Contaminants in the Macatawa Watershed and Experiments to Investigate Potential PCPP-Nanoparticle Transport Interactions

Dr. Gregory Fraley, Department of Biology, with the collaborative research of Dr. German Torres of the New York College of Osteopathic Medicine: Identification of Neutraceuticals for Reducing Traumatic Brain Injury

Dr. Susan Dunn, Department of Nursing, with collaborative research with Dr. Nathan Tintle, Dr. Maureen Dunn and Dr. Patricia Rohling, all of Hope College: Home Exercise, Cardiac Rehabilitation Exercise, and No Exercise and Their Relationship with Hopelessness and Depression in Individuals with Coronary Heart Disease

Dr. Sonja Trent-Brown, Department of Psychology, with collaborative research with Dr. Jean Martin of Grand Valley: Effects of a Preschool Intervention Using Nature-Based Activities on Children’s Self-Efficacy and Preferences for Outdoor Activity

2009 Awards

Dr. Brent Krueger, Department of Chemistry: Understanding the Role of Structural Dynamics in Single-Molecule FRET Experiments

Drs. Aaron Best, Dereje Desta and Greg Murray, Department of Biology: Screening of Natural Seed Extracts from Tropical and Domestic Plants for Anti-Parasitic Activity

Dr. Maria Hledin, Department of Chemistry: Use of VACM-1/cul5 as a Biomarker for Anti-Cancer Drug Resistance

2008 Awards

Dr. Christopher Barney & Dr. Leah Chase, Departments of Biology and Biochemistry, Investigating Neurotoxicity in Rats Using Microdialysis and High Performance Liquid Chromatography.

Dr. Aaron Best & Dr. Michael Pikaart, Departments of Biology and Biochemistry, Nucleosome dynamics in Giardia lamblia: A preliminary search for histone modifications in a primitive eukaryote.

Dr. Gregory Fraley & Ms. Linda Graham, Departments of Biology and Dance, Effects of Dance and Martial arts Performance on Salivary Cortisol Levels.

Dr. Scott VanderStoep & Dr. Kirk Brumels, Departments of Psychology and Kinesiology, The Psychological Profile of Young Athletes with Overuse Injuries.

2007 Awards

Dr. Airat Bekmetjev (Mathematics) and Dr. Charles Cusak (Computer Science), Simulations and Probabilistic Algorithms in Graph Pebbling.

Dr. Susan Dunn (Nursing) and Dr. Nathan Tintle (Mathematics), Development and Testing of a New State-Trait Hopelessness Scale.

Dr. Edward Hansen (Geological and Environmental Sciences), Dr. Timothy Evans (Biology), and Prof. Suzanne DeVries-Zimmerman (Geological and Environmental Sciences), The use of Pollen from Lake Sediment Cores to Reconstruct Dune History and Ecology.

Dr. Ryan McFall (Computer Science) and Dr. Catherine Mader (Physics), Evaluating the Impact on Student Learning of a Collaborative, Interactive Textbook.

2006 Awards

Dr. Mary Inman & Dr. Christopher Barney, Departments of Psychology and Biology, Physiological Changes Related to Perceiving Racism.

Dr. Jeff Brown & Prof. Amanda Barton, Departments of Engineering and Nursing, Improving Drinking Water Quality for Rural Villages in West Africa: A Case Study of Nkuff, Kumbo Province, Cameroon.

Dr. Aaron Best, Dr. Matthew DeJongh, & Dr. Nathan Tintle, Departments of Biology, Computer Science and Mathematics, Evaluation and Implementation of Structural Equation Modeling as a Statistical Method for Refining Theoretical Genome-Scale Models with Experimental Data.

Prof. Paulette Chaponniere & Dr. Lorna Jarvis, Departments of Nursing and Psychology, Coping, Acculturation and Preterm Labor among Hispanic Immigrants, Mexican Americans and Non-Hispanic Women.

Dr. Brent Krueger & Dr. Michael Pikaart, Departments of Biology and Chemistry, Understanding the Biological Function and Biophysical Details of Gata/DNA Binding Using Time-Resolved Fluorescence and Computational Modeling.

Dr. Graham Peaslee, Ms. Carolina Contreras, & Dr. Greg Murray, Departments of Chemistry, Geological & Environmental Sciences and Biology, Characterization of Water Quality Problems in Human-made Ponds in the Macatawa Watershed.

2005 Awards

Dr. Janet Andersen & Dr. Leah Chase, Departments of Mathematics and Biology/Chemistry, Use of Kinetics to Characterize the Mechanism of Cystine/Glutamate Exchange by the Transporter, System Xc

Dr. Matt DeJongh & Dr. Aaron Best, Departments of Computer Science and Biology, Development of a Software Environment for Comparative Genome Analysis and Annotation.

Dr. Greg Murray & Dr. William Mungall, Departments of Biology and Chemistry, Antifungal Compounds in Seeds of Pioneer Plants: Effects on Community-level Processes in a Costa Rican Cloud Forest.

Dr. Jonathan Peterson & Dr. Mike Seymour, Departments of Geological & Environmental Sciences and Chemistry, Identification, Quantification and Fate of Antibiotics and Estrogens in Surface and Ground Water.