Princess Imoukhuede

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Princess Imoukhuede
Born
Princess Izevbua Imoukhuede

1980 (age 43–44)
Alma materMassachusetts Institute of Technology
California Institute of Technology
AwardsNational Science Foundation CAREER Award (2017)
Scientific career
FieldsSystems Biology
Vascular Biology
Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering
Regenerative Medicine[1]
InstitutionsWashington University in St. Louis
Johns Hopkins University
University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign
ThesisVisualizing the membrane confinement, trafficking and structure of the GABA transporter, GAT1 (2008)
Doctoral advisorHenry A. Lester[2]
Websiteimoukhuedelab.wustl.edu Edit this at Wikidata

Princess Imoukhuede (born 1980) is an American chemical engineer who is a Professor in Bioengineering at the University of Washington.[3] Before 2022, she was an associate professor at the Washington University in St. Louis. She was awarded the 2018 Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy Distinguished Leadership Award and the 2018 Nano Research Young Innovators Award in Nanobiotechnology. Her first name is 'Princess' and she holds no royal title or position in any capacity.

Early life and education[edit]

Imoukhuede grew up in Matteson, Illinois.[4] She was involved with track and field as a child, and competed in shot put from the age of eight. By the time she was in eighth grade she had become interested in science, and her parents gave her a chemistry set to play with at home.[5] Imoukhuede attended the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy.[5] Imoukhuede was an undergraduate student in biomedical engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where she performed undergraduate research under the supervision of Robert S. Langer on the incorporation of adenoviruses in a liposome-based gene therapy system. In her freshman year she was honoured at the Eastern College Athletic Conference, and was the first woman from MIT to qualify for the National Collegiate Athletic Association.[citation needed] Whilst at MIT, Imoukhuede took part in athletics, serving as captain of the varsity track and field team. Imoukhuede was described by Roger Crosley, then MIT Director of Sport, as "the best weight thrower we ever had in track and field".[citation needed] After earning her bachelor's degree, Imoukhuede moved to the California Institute of Technology, where she worked with Henry A. Lester on the structure of the GABA transporter and Förster resonance energy transfer.[2] She was the first African American woman to receive a PhD in bioengineering from Caltech.[3]

Research and career[edit]

Imoukhuede was a postdoctoral scholar at Johns Hopkins University, where she specialised in biomedical engineering in the laboratory of Aleksander Popel.[5] She started working on the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its receptor (VEGFR) in ischemia and cancer. After completing her postdoctoral research, Imoukhuede joined the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign.[6] Currently, Imoukhuede is a professor of bioengineering at the University of Washington as the Hunter and Dorthy Simpson Endowed Chair.[7]

Imoukhuede studies the mechanisms that regulate angiogenic signalling, including tyrosine kinase receptors, VEGF receptors and platelet-derived growth factor receptors. In 2019 Imoukhuede and Sarah K. England partnered to improve the efficacy and safety of oxytocin during labour.[8] Imoukhuede is developing a computational model that could be used to predict the function of oxytocin receptor function.[8] Her current focus is to unravel the complexities governing blood-vessel formation which gives the potential for treatment for several diseases such as breast cancer and some cardiovascular diseases.[9]

Awards and honours[edit]

  • MIT Class of 1972 Award[10]
    • This award is given for a project that most improves quality of life for people or that benefits the environment
  • 2017 National Science Foundation CAREER Award[11]
  • 2018 IMSA Distinguished Leadership Award Winner [12]
  • 2018 Young Innovator in Nanobiotechnology[13]
  • 2019 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Futures Researcher[14]
  • 2020 Cell Mentor named Imoukhuede as one of 1,000 "inspiring black scientists"[7]
  • 2020 High Impact Innovation and Inspiration (HI3) Speaker Award[13]
  • 2021 Biomedical Engineering Society Mid-Career Award[15]
    • This award recognizes members who demonstrate significant leadership in achievements in scholarship, education, and mentorship
  • Imoukhuede was recognized as an Excellent Instructor by the University of Illinois Center for Teaching Excellence[5]
  • She has also received the Rose award for Teaching Excellence by the University of Illinois College of Engineering[5]

Selected publications[edit]

Her publications[1] include:

  • Subcellular Trafficking, Pentameric Assembly, and Subunit Stoichiometry of Neuronal Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors Containing Fluorescently Labeled α6 and β3 Subunits[16]
  • Quantification and cell-to-cell variation of vascular endothelial growth factor receptors[17]
  • Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of VEGF-neutralizing antibodies[18]
  • Sex differences in cancer mechanisms[19]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Princess Imoukhuede publications indexed by Google Scholar Edit this at Wikidata
  2. ^ a b Imoukhuede, Princess Izevbua (2008). Visualizing the membrane confinement, trafficking and structure of the GABA transporter, GAT1 (PhD thesis). Pasadena, California: California Institute of Technology. OCLC 437168185.
  3. ^ a b "Meet Princess Imoukhuede | UW Bioengineering". 2022-02-18. Retrieved 2023-10-17.
  4. ^ "Princess Imoukhuede". MIT Spectrum. Retrieved 2020-10-21.
  5. ^ a b c d e "410: Dr. Princess Imoukhuede: Making Sense of the Signaling Networks that Stimulate Blood Vessel Formation". People Behind the Science Podcast. 2017-08-14. Retrieved 2020-10-21.
  6. ^ "Imoukhuede Systems Biology Laboratory". Retrieved 2020-10-22.
  7. ^ a b Berger, Norbert (2022-02-18). "Meet Princess Imoukhuede | UW Bioengineering". Retrieved 2024-03-20.
  8. ^ a b "Imoukhuede teams with England on $2.4M NIH grant". engineering.wustl.edu. 11 September 2019. Retrieved 2020-10-21.
  9. ^ PBtS (2017-08-14). "410: Dr. Princess Imoukhuede: Making Sense of the Signaling Networks that Stimulate Blood Vessel Formation". People Behind the Science Podcast. Retrieved 2024-03-20.
  10. ^ "Princess Imoukhuede – Miniature Brain Machinery". Retrieved 2024-03-20.
  11. ^ "NSF Award Search: Award#1653925 - CAREER: qBio+cBio=sBio; Identifying the role of cross-family signaling in angiogenesis". nsf.gov. Retrieved 2020-10-21.
  12. ^ Communications, Grainger Engineering Office of Marketing and. "Princess Imoukhuede earns IMSA Distinguished Leadership Award". grainger.illinois.edu. Retrieved 2024-03-20.
  13. ^ a b "Princess Imoukhuede". www.aiche.org. 2020-07-21. Retrieved 2024-03-20.
  14. ^ Napier, Douglas H. (1992). "Workbook of test cases for vapor cloud source dispersion models, By Steven R. Hanna and David Strimaitis for the Centre for Chemical Process Safety of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers 1989, 122 + xv pages". The Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering. 70 (4). New York: American Institute of chemical Engineers: 831. doi:10.1002/cjce.5450700433. ISBN 0-8169-0455-3. ISSN 0008-4034.
  15. ^ "Imoukhuede receives 2021 BMES Mid-Career Award". engineering.wustl.edu. 2021-09-20. Retrieved 2024-03-20.
  16. ^ Drenan, Ryan M.; Nashmi, Raad; Imoukhuede, Princess; Just, Herwig; McKinney, Sheri; Lester, Henry A. (2008). "Subcellular Trafficking, Pentameric Assembly, and Subunit Stoichiometry of Neuronal Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors Containing Fluorescently Labeled α6 and β3 Subunits". Molecular Pharmacology. 73 (1): 27–41. doi:10.1124/mol.107.039180. ISSN 0026-895X. PMID 17932221. S2CID 14327818.
  17. ^ Imoukhuede, P.I.; Popel, Aleksander S. (2011). "Quantification and cell-to-cell variation of vascular endothelial growth factor receptors". Experimental Cell Research. 317 (7): 955–965. doi:10.1016/j.yexcr.2010.12.014. ISSN 0014-4827. PMC 3073416. PMID 21185287.
  18. ^ Finley, Stacey D; Engel-Stefanini, Marianne O; Imoukhuede, PI; Popel, Aleksander S (2011). "Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of VEGF-neutralizing antibodies". BMC Systems Biology. 5 (1): 193. doi:10.1186/1752-0509-5-193. ISSN 1752-0509. PMC 3229549. PMID 22104283.
  19. ^ Rubin, Joshua B; Lagas, Joseph S; Broestl, Lauren; Sponagel, Jasmin; Rockwell, Nathan; Rhee, Gina; Rosen, Sarah F; Chen, Si; Klein, Robyn S; Imoukhuede, Princess; Luo, Jingqin (2020). "Sex differences in cancer mechanisms". Biology of Sex Differences. 11 (1): 17. doi:10.1186/s13293-020-00291-x. ISSN 2042-6410. PMC 7161126. PMID 32295632.