Name:    J. Racquel Collins-Underwood

Email address: rcollins@wfubmc.edu

Education:

AAS Electronics Systems Technology, Community College of the Air Force, Eglin AFB, FL (1996)

BS cum laude Medical Technology, Radford University, Radford, VA (2001)

Medical Technology Certification, Wake Forest University School of Medicine (2001)

Advisor/Lab:   Mike Robbins, PhD

Current Research:  As anti-cancer therapies improve, the number of long-term survivors will continue to increase.  Unfortunately, the number of survivors developing brain metastases is likely to increase as well.  For the 200,000 patients receiving whole brain irradiation (WBI) each year, quality of life is compromised as a result of the late effects associated with radiation treatment.  My work in the Robbins laboratory attempts to elucidate the key molecular mechanisms of chronic oxidative stress and its role in radiation-induced brain injury, which will allow the development of more effective antioxidant-based therapies and ultimately improve quality of life for long-term brain cancer survivors.

Publications: Collins-Underwood, J.R., Zhao, W., Kooshki, M., and Robbins, M.E. (2006) Role of NADPH oxidase in radiation-induced oxidative stress and inflammation in brain endothelium. XIII Congress of the Society for Free Radical Research Proceedings, 105-108.

Honors and Awards:

1997-2001                                     Dean’s List

1998-2001               Radford University Honors Academy Highlander Scholar

1999-2000                                     Zylphia Shu-En Kirk Scholar

                   2001                      Who’s Who Among Students in American Colleges and Universities

                        2005-2008               Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award
                                      Pre-Doctoral Fellowship (NCI F31 CA117061-01)

2005                      Scholars-in-Training Travel Award, Radiation Research Society

                   2006                      Wake Forest University Alumni Travel Award

                   2006                      Scholars-in-Training Travel Award, Radiation Research Society

2006                      Young Investigator Fellowship, Society for Free Radical Research -International

2007                      Scholars-in-Training Travel Award, Radiation Research Society

2007                      American Association for Cancer Research Edward A. Smuckler Memorial Pathobiology of Cancer Workshop

Oral presentations:

“Role of NADPH oxidase in radiation-induced oxidative stress and inflammation in brain endothelium”

Society for Free Radical Research – International  Davos, Switzerland  2006

“Role of NADPH oxidase in radiation-induced oxidative stress and inflammation in brain endothelium”

Radiation Research Society  Philadelphia, PA 

Hobbies: eating, drinking, and being merry…and golf when my foot wedge is working properly.