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Vol. 1, No. 9 - June 27, 2002
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$900K NIH Grant to Support Estrogen Research
“This is wonderful news, and needless to say, important work,” said Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculty Charles Joseph, adding that it is work such as Tetel’s that helps Skidmore continue to develop “an enviable reputation as a research institution.” Tetel studies ovarian steroid hormones, estradiol and progesterone, particularly the way in which they act in the brain to regulate gene expression and female reproductive behavior. His research will focus on how estrogen interacts with its receptor and other proteins, known as nuclear receptor coactivators, to activate specific genes in the brain. Results of his research, begun with an earlier grant of $100,000 from NIH and the Office of Research for Women’s Health, have implications for hormone-influenced diseases and disorders, including depression and breast cancer. The grant will support research equipment, supplies, and personnel — a full-time technician, three student research assistants, and possibly a postdoctoral researcher as well. In the mode of Skidmore collaborative research, each student will have an independent project. About 20 percent of the grant will go to the College in support of Tetel’s research. Tetel joined the College as assistant professor of biology in 2001, concurrent with the start of a new major in neurosciences. “I was looking for a school that valued teaching and research, in a liberal arts environment with bright students,” says Tetel, who says he was also drawn to the college by “the way Skidmore is supporting and developing the sciences.” He teaches an introductory course in neuroscience and an advanced course in neuroendocrinology, in addition to serving as part of the faculty team for Liberal Studies 1, the course taken by all first-year Skidmore students. A graduate of Northwestern University,
where he earned a B.A. in biological sciences, Tetel earned a Ph.D.
in neurosciences and behavior at the University of Massachusetts
at Amherst. Prior to coming to Skidmore, he did postdoctorate work
in molecular endocrinology at the University of Colorado Health
Sciences Center and was visiting assistant professor at the University
of Massachusetts, Amherst. His work has been |
Assistant
Professor of Biology Marc J. Tetel’s research on the action
of estrogen in the brain has garnered $892,000 in funding from the
National Institutes of Health (NIH), through its National Institute
of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Funding has been
awarded to Tetel and Skidmore for four years, beginning with $219,000
in the academic year 2002-03.