UTGSM The Scope E-Newsletter January 2012 Dr. Lawson Receives Rhoads Research Grant

UTGSM Dr. Christy Lawson Christy Lawson, MD, Instructor, Surgery's Division of Trauma/Critical Care, was accepted for the Norman Yoshimura Grant from the American Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition Rhoads Research Foundation for her research, "Cross Talk Between Angiotensin and Insulin in Burn Trauma."

This research is part of an on-going project directed by Michael Karlstad, PhD, in the Shock Trauma and Nutrition Laboratory. Insulin resistance is commonly seen following trauma and burns and can lead to high blood sugars, which then contributes to a higher infection rate in critically ill patients. Dr. Lawson said many mechanisms exist behind why this occurs, and this research targets the role of the angiotensin system in intracellular cross talk that leads to insulin resistance. Investigators have found that manipulation of this system prior to a trauma seems to restore insulin sensitivity, allowing insulin to work to control blood sugars. The next stage is to see if the investigators can affect that same change after a trauma occurs.

Following her Surgery Residency and her Surgical Critical Care Fellowship at the Graduate School of Medicine, Dr. Lawson joined Surgery faculty. Her research interests are in critical care nutrition and early recovery after surgery through nutritional support.

The Rhoads Research Foundation is named in honor of Jonathan Rhoads, MD, for his pivotal role in the field of specialized nutrition support. In 1994, the Society began providing preliminary funding for promising new research in the fields of nutrition, metabolic support and related areas of clinical nutrition.