U of IL at Chicago College of Dentistry Student Elizabeth Razdolsky Earns NIH Fellowship

CHICAGO - Aug. 22, 2014 - PRLog -- Elizabeth Razdolsky, a student in the DMD/PhD program at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry, recently earned a research Fellowship from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

A Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award for Individual Predoctoral MD/PhD and Other Dual Doctoral Degree Fellow (F30), Razdolsky will receive $48,467 per year for four years for her research.

         Working in the Center for Wound Healing and Tissue Regeneration and mentored by Dr. Luisa DiPietro, Associate Vice Chancellor for Research, Razdolsky is studying a protein called pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF), “which plays a role in many cell processes in the human body,” Razdolsky said. “This research award involved PEDF’s effect on the wound healing process.”

         Razdolsky hopes to discover how PEDF “regulates blood vessel formation and scar formation in wounds,” she said. “These studies may suggest future therapeutic options for tissue regeneration, fibrosis, and cancer. This work can hopefully be translated into the oral cavity in the future.”

         In the spring, Razdolsky applied for the Fellowship, called an “F Award,” by submitting a research proposal to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research of the NIH.

         “This research grant is a long writing process that involves lots of preliminary studies and a background in research,” Razdolsky explained. “It requires a great team and research lab to support you throughout the way, since there are a lot of writing drafts and intensive paperwork in order for the process to go smoothly.

         “Dr. DiPietro is a wonderful mentor and I would not have been able to do this without her, Wendy Cerny, Katherine Long, Virginia Buglio, or Mateusz Wietecha. I had a wonderful support team,” Razdolsky said

         In the future, Razdolsky plans to “continue doing research as well as dentistry, which would possibly involve a post-doctoral research and specialty program.”