91ɫƵ

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Melanie Gartz, PhD, MS, MHS

Melanie Gartz, PhD, MS, MHS

Assistant Professor

Locations

  • Cell Biology, Neurobiology & Anatomy
    Office: B4135

Contact Information

Education

KINETIC3 Scholar, Medical Educator Track, 91ɫƵ
Postdoctoral Fellowship, Cell Biology, Medical Education, 91ɫƵ
PhD, Cellular and Developmental Biology, 91ɫƵ, 2020
MS, Cellular and Developmental Biology, 91ɫƵ, 2014
MHS, Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 2011
BS, Clinical Laboratory Science, University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, 2009

Biography

Teaching Interests

As an educator in the medical and graduate schools at 91ɫƵ, I am involved in teaching in the Clinical Human Anatomy Courses and Musculoskeletal Skin Course. I have additional experience leading small group discussions for M1, M2 and M3 students in the Molecular and Cellular Research Pathways Course. I aim to create an inclusive learning environment for all of my students where they can discuss ideas openly and get questions answered as they continue on their knowledge journey.

Honors and Awards

03/2016 Best Poster, Department of Medicine Research Retreat
09/2017 Best Poster, Graduate Student Poster Session
11/2017 Outstanding Medical Student Teacher
03/2018 Best Poster, Graduate Student Research Symposium
09/2018 Graduate Student Award, Women in Science Committee
09/2018 Best Poster, Graduate Student Poster Session
11/2018 Outstanding Medical Student Teacher
03/2019 Best Presentation, Graduate Student Research Symposium
09/2019 Best Poster, Graduate Student Poster Session
11/2019 Outstanding Medical Student Teacher
11/2021 Outstanding Medical Student Teacher
06/2022 Karen Marcdante Bravery in Teaching Award

Research Interests

I have interests in utilizing induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to model genetic neuromuscular diseases such as Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and Nemaline Myopathy. Differentiation of these iPSCs into skeletal myocytes and cardiomyocytes serves as a platform for our investigations of molecular mechanisms underlying these genetic disorders. We use iPSCs with patient-specific gene to recapitulate human disease phenotypes. Prior work has identified oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction as contributing factors to DMD. Further, cellular communication via exosomes was found to contribute to disease pathogenesis in DMD. We are now exploring similar dysfunctional pathways in our in vitro models of NM.

Publications

  • (Slick RA, Sutton J, Haberman M, O'Brien BS, Tinklenberg JA, Mardikar A, Prom MJ, Beatka M, Gartz M, Vanden Avond MA, Siebers E, Mack DL, Gonzalez JP, Ebert AD, Nagaraju K, Lawlor MW.) Biol Open. 2024 Sep 15;13(9) PMID: 39158383 PMCID: PMC11391821 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85204886608 08/19/2024

  • (Gartz M, Haberman M, Sutton J, Slick RA, Luttrell SM, Mack DL, Lawlor MW.) Exp Cell Res. 2023 Mar 15;424(2):113507 PMID: 36796746 PMCID: PMC9993434 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85149427969 02/17/2023

  • (Gartz M, Haberman M, Prom MJ, Beatka MJ, Strande JL, Lawlor MW.) J Cardiovasc Pharmacol Ther. 2022;27:10742484221088655 PMID: 35353647 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85127284016 03/31/2022

  • (Gartz M, Beatka M, Prom MJ, Strande JL, Lawlor MW.) Hum Mol Genet. 2021 Nov 16;30(23):2347-2361 PMID: 34270708 PMCID: PMC8600005 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85121129104 07/17/2021

  • (Gartz M, Strande JL.) Methods Mol Biol. 2021;2319:51-60 PMID: 34331242 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85112650897 08/01/2021

  • (Lam NT, Gartz M, Thomas L, Haberman M, Strande JL.) J Muscle Res Cell Motil. 2020 Dec;41(4):269-284 PMID: 31564031 PMCID: PMC7101267 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85073991345 09/30/2019

  • (Gartz M, Lin CW, Sussman MA, Lawlor MW, Strande JL.) Dis Model Mech. 2020 Nov 13;13(11) PMID: 33188007 PMCID: PMC7673361 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85096154674 11/15/2020

  • (Gartz M.) DMM Disease Models and Mechanisms. November 2020;13(11) SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85096878827 11/01/2020

  • (Gartz M, Darlington A, Afzal MZ, Strande JL.) Sci Rep. 2018 Nov 08;8(1):16519 PMID: 30410044 PMCID: PMC6224575 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85056282822 11/10/2018

  • (Gartz M, Strande JL.) J Am Heart Assoc. 2018 Jun 01;7(11) PMID: 29858362 PMCID: PMC6015376 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85048024676 06/03/2018

  • (Afzal MZ, Gartz M, Klyachko EA, Khan SS, Shah SJ, Gupta S, Shapiro AD, Vaughan DE, Strande JL.) Stem Cell Res. 2017 Jan;18:41-44 PMID: 28395801 PMCID: PMC5939958 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85028072477 04/12/2017

  • (Afzal MZ, Gartz M, Klyachko EA, Khan SS, Shah SJ, Gupta S, Shapiro AD, Vaughan DE, Strande JL.) Stem Cell Res. 2017 Jan;18:33-36 PMID: 28395799 PMCID: PMC5389122 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85028089891 04/12/2017