Oakland University Center for Biomedical Research

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Oakland University Center for Biomedical Research

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The mission of the Center for Biomedical Research is to vigorously promote and support biomedical research and education at Oakland University

10/05/2026

CBR member, Dr. Mi Hye Song, in the Department of Biological Sciences, has been awarded a $573,750 NIH R15 grant for the project, “Phospho-Regulation of Centrosome Assembly and Function.” This award will support Dr. Song’s ongoing research on centrosome biology. Centrosomes help cells divide correctly, and defects in their duplication can contribute to cancer and developmental disorders. The project will investigate how CK2 and PP2A regulate SAS-5, a key centrosome protein, to ensure proper centrosome duplication and cell divisions. This work may provide new insights into how centrosome defects contribute to human disease and identify potential targets for future treatments.

09/14/2026

CBR member Dr. Ngong Kodiah Beyeh, in the Department of Chemistry, recently published an article titled, "Engineering Host–Guest Interactions for Next-Generation Heparin Biosensors," in the journal Small.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/smll.74588
Heparin is a widely used blood-thinning medicine, but its effects sometimes need to be reversed quickly. The standard reversal agent, protamine sulfate, has important limitations, particularly with some forms of heparin. We developed a positively charged organic macrocycle that can neutralize and detect heparin. This molecule performs as well as or better than the current antidote, protamine sulfate, including for forms of heparin that are difficult to reverse. It also shows low toxicity and can detect very small amounts of heparin in human plasma, suggesting potential for future applications in safer anticoagulant monitoring and reversal.
Dr. Beyeh and first author, Frank Osei, a graduate student in his lab, are pictured. CBR members, Drs. Washington (Biology) and Trivedi (Chemistry) are also co-authors on the paper.

09/02/2026

Help Biomedical Research Thrive at Oakland University!

Please consider supporting the Center for Biomedical Research (CBR) Gift Fund. Your generosity directly helps advance biomedical research and train the next generation of scientists at Oakland University.

Your gift helps CBR:

Support student researchers gaining hands-on research experience

Fund innovative pilot projects and essential research equipment

Provide researchers with resources to pursue new ideas and discoveries

Strengthen OU’s path toward achieving R1 Carnegie Research Classification

Together, We Can Help OU Reach R1

Oakland University’s Pathway to R1 initiative is a key component of Strategic Vision 2030. Achieving R1 status would elevate OU’s national research profile, strengthen its reputation for scientific excellence, and help attract outstanding researchers and students from across the country.

Please consider making a gift to the CBR Gift Fund and helping biomedical research grow at Oakland University.

Giving Link: https://securelb.imodules.com/s/1001/g20/form.aspx?sid=1001&gid=4&pgid=1902&cid=4186&bledit=1&dids=2502

For more information, please reach out to CBR Director, Dr. Adam Avery. Email: [email protected] Phone: 248-370-3088

08/25/2026

Dr. Mohamed Al-Shabrawey's lab just published a paper in the respected journal, "Diabetes." The paper, "Deletion of 12/15-Lipoxygenase Preserves Retinal Thickness and Function and Selectively Restores Dysregulated miRNAs in Experimental Diabetes Mice," and can be found here: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42485567/
Mohamed Moustafa (oictured here), is first author and a PhD student in Dr. Al-Shabrawey's group.
This paper highlights the important role of bioactive lipids derived from 12/15-lipoxygenase enzyme in the pathogenesis of neurodegeneration associated with diabetic retinopathy, a leading cause of legal blindness in diabetic patients. The presented data provides evidence that supports this enzyme as a possible therapeutic target to protect retina and save vision in diabetic patients. Particularly the manuscript is built on our previous studies that demonstrated significant increase in the levels of this enzyme and its metabolites in the retina and vitreous of patients with diabetic retinopathy.

08/18/2026

Dr. Mohamed Al-Shabrawey of OU's Eye Research Institute recently received an NIH R01 award, titled, "BMP2/ALK Signaling in diabetic Retinopathy." This four year grant totals $2.3 million. Dr. Al-Shabrawey's research will shed light on mechanisms contributing to pathological retinal neovascularization, a feature of diabetic retinopathy. Congratulations!

08/17/2026

OU's Summer Undergraduate Research Programs foster growth of young biomedical researchers. Many of these students make important research contribution at OU. 2026 SURP students from Biological Science and Chemistry are shown in this picture. ERI also runs a Summer Undergrad Research Program in Eye Research (SUPER). Further, the American Heart Association sponsors an additional Summer Undergrad Research Program (AHA-SURP).

02/07/2026

The APS Topical Group on Medical Physics awards two Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Awards on an annual basis. This year the award goes to Christopher McDonough, a PhD student in our Medical Physics program, working with Professor Alexey Tonyushkin. Christopher will receive the award at the APS Global Physics Summit that will be held on March 15-20, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. He will present an invited talk in the “Medical Physics Analysis and GMED Dissertation Awards” session. Congratulations!

Address

Oakland University
Rochester, MI
48309

Telephone

+12483704871

Website

http://www.oakland.edu/cbr, https://securelb.imodules.com/s/1001/g20/form.aspx?sid=1001&gid=4&pgid=1902&cid=4186&bledit=

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