Lindsey Felth Tanaka, PhD and Marcela Ambrogi, PhD were recently appointed as K12 Scholars in the NIDDK-funded CAIRIBU Multidisciplinary K12 Urologic Research Career Development Program (KURe) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, directed by Chad Vezina, PhD (Professor and Chair, Department of Comparative Biosciences in the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine). The University of Wisconsin-Madison KURe Program provides training that prepares investigators for independent careers in non-malignant urology research.
Dr. Felth Tanaka’s K12 research centers around understanding how alterations in neuronal connectivity and excitability in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) contribute to lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), such as incontinence. Dr. Felth Tanaka utilizes a mouse model of ASD to accomplish the following: (1) demonstrate that LUTS severity correlates directly with ASD behavioral severity; (2) probe the brain-bladder circuit for hypoexcitability to identify potential mechanisms of action; and (3) investigate the viability of zinc supplementation as a treatment option for improving ASD-related LUTS. These studies may provide mechanistic insight to the basis of ASD-associated LUTS and inform treatment options.
Dr. Ambrogi’s translational K12 research project will investigate bladder bowel dysfunction (BBD) in children, focusing on how alterations in the gut microbiome and urobiome, serotonin signaling, and L-carnitine metabolism contribute to BBD. To answer these research questions, Dr. Ambrogi will collaborate with clinicians in the Division of Pediatric Urology in the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health Department of Urology to collect human samples. She will also utilize mouse models to generate more mechanistic insights.
Congratulations to Drs. Felth Tanaka and Ambrogi for these accomplishments.