NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology

Love, Cara N, Raleigh NC

Investigators

Abstract

This action funds an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology for FY 2022, Integrative Research Investigating the Rules of Life Governing Interactions Between Genomes, Environment and Phenotypes. The fellowship supports research and training of the fellow that will contribute to the area of Rules of Life in innovative ways. The occurrence of emerging infectious diseases and diagnosed cancer cases are increasing globally in wildlife and humans alike. By examining patterns of natural selection in wild populations, we can provide excellent models to understand complex biological questions such as disease dynamics and cancer physiology. The proposed research works with gray wolves (Canis lupus) that have experienced multigenerational exposure to environmental ionizing radiation contamination within the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. These data will work to inform adaptive mitigation strategies to cancer formation and resilience to radiation exposure, and can inform the study of cancer in humans. Throughout the fellowship, the fellow will also expand their efforts in providing educational and professional development opportunities to a diverse audience through mentorship, teaching, and outreach endeavors that will highlight the utility of model systems in addressing complex and societally relevant questions. Elevated ionizing radiation exposure is widely recognized to cause deleterious conditions though altered immune function, increased cancer risk, and/or increased oxidative stress. This study will explore adaptive evolution in gray wolves (Canis lupus) from a radiation contaminated region, the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, as a model system for examining adaptive innovation of resilience to chronic oncogenic stress. By combining a variety of genomic and epigenetic techniques, this project will shed light on how pathogen infection, immune function, and mutagenic responses functionally modulate adaptive resilience to oncogenic stress. Collectively these findings will inform evolutionary effects of multigenerational radiation exposure in oncogenesis and immune response and may directly inform the study of cancer physiology and treatments in humans. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.