Broad Objectives:

1. To provide continued support for our state-of-the-art laboratory-based training in our established focus areas (CF immune dysfunction, microbial pathogenesis, the interface of macrophages and neutrophils with CF pathogens, and CF airway epithelial physiology).
2. To enhance training in our emerging focus areas (Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator (CFTR) modifier effects on immune cell function, progenitor cell biology and therapy, CFTR channel function and dysfunction, and therapeutics aimed at managing infection and inflammation).
3. To make available partial financial stipend and tuition support (cost share agreement) for one graduate student and one post-doctoral trainee. 
4. To provide potential biomedical research career trainees with a strong foundation in basic sciences and the direct lab experience needed to conduct research in our established and emerging focus areas.
5. To support our core C3 trainee enhancement programs.

Luanne Hall-Stoodley, PhD

Co-Director, C3 Training Program

Dr. Hall-Stoodley is an Associate Professor in the Department of Microbial Infection and Immunity in The Ohio State University College of Medicine. She has over 20 years of research experience studying respiratory bacterial-host interactions, and anti-infective therapies. Her research focuses on the microbial pathogenesis of pulmonary bacterial infections in patients with lung diseases including CF. She especially focuses on non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM), which disproportionately affect people with CF. 

Grace Paul, MD

Co-Director, C3 Training Program

Grace Paul, MD, is an associate professor of pediatrics in the Division of Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine at Nationwide Children's Hospital (NCH), and is board-certified in pediatric pulmonary and sleep medicine. Her clinical interests are cystic fibrosis (CF), asthma, and the pulmonary and sleep manifestations of neuromuscular disorders. Dr. Paul is a member of the global advisory committee of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and is an active advocate for equitable CF care among minority populations, especially for people with CF living in low-and-middle-income countries. She has given multiple lectures on CF care in developing nations and has helped establish a CF center in India. Apart from the global CF work, she is involved in the Training and Enrichment facet of the Columbus Cure CF (C3) research and development program at NCH/The OSU. She helps organize lectures on clinical and translational science to augment exposure and mutual awareness on CF care, and encourages partnerships between the clinical and research trainees.

C3 Training Programs:

​To achieve our training objectives, we have several C3 trainee enhancement programs. All trainees affiliated with C3 mentors, those supported by C3 fellowships, and trainees affiliated with OSU and NCH that express an interest may participate.

MEDMCIM 5600/6600 “Pathobiology of Cystic Fibrosis”​​
Open to graduates and undergraduates
The goal of the course is for students to become familiar with the salient features of CF disease and current approaches to treating CF. Course instructors consist of clinicians and basic science principal investigators within the C3RDP from: the Department of Microbial Infection and Immunity, the Department of Veterinary Biosciences, The Center for Vaccines and Immunity (NCH), The Center for Microbial Pathogenesis (NCH) and the Division of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy. ​The course format consists of both didactic lectures and reading, presenting, and discussing seminal research articles. Students are expected to attend and participate in all lectures and student presentations. 
At the end of the course, the students will be able to demonstrate:

• A basic understanding of the genetics, physiology, and functional and pathological consequences of CFTR mutation.
• Knowledge of current treatments and experimental approaches to alleviate or cure CF
• Comprehension of the basic microbiology and common mechanisms of pathogenesis specific to CF
• Competence in critical thinking and analysis of biomedical scientific papers.

C3 CF externships:

• Columbus Public Health: for trainees interested in public health and policy
• Center of Science and Industry: for those interested in science education
• Battelle Memorial Institute: for trainees interested in a career in industry science
• OSU or NCH Technology Commercialization Office: for those interested in commercialization and legal aspects of research findings
• OSU/NCH clinical microbiology laboratory: for trainees interested in clinical microbiology/ immunology.
• Central Ohio Chapter Cystic Fibrosis Foundation: for trainees interested in local CF activities including fundraising, networking, volunteer opportunities, and parent/patient advocacy
• C3 RDP translational meetings

Bench to bedside training series (quarterly)

CF Literature Reviews, Scholarly Presentations, and TED-Talks

Basic Scientist CF Clinical Exposure Program

The Clinical Scholar Plan

Plan for Pathway to Independence

Current & Former C3 Trainees:

C3 Trainee (C3 Mentor) C3 Project Title

Naresh Kumar

(Murugesan Rajaram) 

Mechanism of Dysfunctional CFTR on Cardiac Pathogenesis During Infection

---

Venicia Alhawach, PhD

(Tom Lynch)

LEF1 Regulates Cell Cycle Progression and DNA Damage Response in Basal Stem Cells During
Gene Editing

---

Former C3 Trainees:

C3 Trainee (C3 Mentor) C3 Project Title

Eryn Zuiker

(Matthew Long)

Investigating the antibacterial effects of a MEK1/2 inhibitor on Staphylococcus aureus isolates from people with cystic fibrosis

Zihao Liu

​(Haitao Wen)

Host programmed cell death monitors Pseudomonas aeruginosa quorum sensing during infection

Raul Rascon

(Santiago Partida-Sanchez)

Evaluation of Trikafta treatment on metabolic shift of cystic fibrosis neutrophils

Rachael Rayner

​(Estelle Cormet-Boyaka)

Efficacy of Trikafta modulator therapy in the presence of Burkholderia in an in vitro airway infection model

Brandon Lewis

(Rodney Britt)

Bacterial products mediate inflammation in cystic fibrosis macrophages

Asmaa Badr

​(Amal Amer)

Identification of the Role of Transcription Factor EB (TFEB) in Lysosomal and Autophagy Dysfunction in CF Macrophages

Jack Wellmerling

(Estelle Cormet-Boyaka)

​A novel approach to improving mucociliary clearance in CF

Kaitlin Hamilton

​(Amal Amer)

Mitochondrial dysfunction in CF macrophages

Katarzyna Danis-Włodarczyk

(Matthew Sullivan)

Killer cocktails, introducing phage therapy in CF treatment

Frank H. Robledo Avila

(​Santiago Partida-Sanchez)

Expression and function of CFTR chloride channel in neutrophils

​Landon Locke

​(Daniel Wozniak)

Targeted imaging of Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms

​Kaitlin Hamilton

(Amal Amer)

Identification of mitochondrial dysfunction in CF macrophages

Yiwei Liu

(Daniel Wozniak)

The role of P. aeruginosa Psl during in vitro and in vivo interactions with S. aureus