Sarah A. Tersey, Ph.D.
Assistant Research Professor of Pediatrics

Contact Information: Email: stersey@iupui.edu Phone: 317-278-8940 Address: VanNuys Medical Sciences Building, 635 Barnhill Drive, MS 2021, Indianapolis, IN 46202 Education: Postdoctoral Fellowship: Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA and Neuroendocrine Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard University, Boston, MA Ph.D.: Animal Biotechnology and Biomedical Sciences (2005), Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA B.S.:  Animal Sciences (2000), Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO

 

 

 

 

 

Research Interests:  One of the areas my research is focused on is the role of 12-Lipoxygenase (12-LO) in the islet. 12-LO catalyzes the oxygenation of cellular poly-unsaturated fatty acids to form lipid inflammatory mediators. 12-LO expression and/or activity are upregulated in islets under conditions of metabolic stress, such as hyperglycemia, cytokine-mediated damage, and HFD-induced obesity. My research will focus on the role of 12-LO in the regulation of fatty acids.

The imaging of islets is another area of interest. We have used manganese as a contrast agent for MR based imaging to explore the function of islets in vivo. Preliminary results show that we can distinguish islet function between normal mice and STZ-induced diabetic mice.

Publications:

Antkowiak P., Tersey S.A, Carter, J.D., Epstein F.H., Mirmira R.G. 2008. Non-invasive Assessment of Functional Pancreatic β Cell Mass In Vivo Using Manganese-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging. In development.

Evans-Molina C., Deering T.G., Nunemaker C.S., Robbins R., Garmey J.C., Tersey S.A., Keller S.R., Maier B., Mirmira R.G. 2008. Improved Islet Function PPAR-γ Agonist Improves Islet Function Through Enhancements in Gene Expression and Glucose Responsiveness and Restoratin of Euchromatin Structure in a Mouse Model of Type 2 Diabetes. In development.

Trace A.P., Maier B., Ogihara T., Chakrabarti S.K., Deering T.G., Nunemaker C.S., Tersey S.A., Taylor C.A., Thompson J.E., Dondero R.S., Dinarelo C.A., Nadler J.L., Mirmira R.G. Identification of Eukaryotic Translation Initiation Factor 5A as a Novel Translational Regulator of Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase During Cytokine-Mediated Pancreatic Islet Dysfunction. Submitted.

McDuffie M., Maybee N.A., Keller S.R., Stevens B.K., Garmey J.C., Morris M.A., Ma K., Rival C., Carter J.D., Tersey S.A., Nunemaker C.S., Nadler J.L. (2008) Non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice congenic for a targeted deletion of 12/15-lipoxygenase are protected from autoimmune diabetes. Diabetes, 57: 199-208

Batista D.L., Zhang X., Gejman-Enrique R., Ansell P.J., Zhou Y., Johnson S.A., Swearingen B., Hedley-Whyte, T., Stratakis C.A., Klibanski A.  (2006) The Effects of SOM230 on Cell Proliferation and ACTH Secretion in Human Corticotroph Pituitary Adenomas.  Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, 91(11): 4482-4488.

Johnson S.A., Marin-Bivens C.L., Miele M., Coyle C.A., Fissore R.A., Good D.J. (2004) The Nhlh2 transcription factor is required for female sexual behavior and reproductive longevity. Hormones and Behavior, 46(4): 420-427.