Jeffrey Catania, PhD
Postdoctorate Research Fellow
Texas A & M University
PhD (2006) Advisor: Dr. A. Jay Gandolfi
I recently completed the PhD program in pharmacology and toxicology.
My research focused on creating methods to maximize the use of animal tissues while also creating more rapid methods for toxicant evaluation. Through the use of smaller-diameter tissue chips (created from tissue slices), we were able to increase the number of experimental data 3-fold. Coupled with the use of fluorescent probes for specific cellular targets, we were also able to realize a per-experiment time-savings of at least 12 hours. Taken together, these findings will help to increase the pace of organotypical research.
I am currently working on two different projects at Texas A&M University. My main project uses advanced imaging techniques to study how toxicants alter calcium oscillations in tissue slices, while also studying where the toxicant, and its metabolites, are partitioning in cellular compartments. My second project involves aging in the kidney and how matrix metalloproteinases are involved in tissue re-organization in young, aged, and calorically-restricted rats.