Lipid Second Messengers

Suzanne Laychock, Ph.D., is Professor and Associate Chair of the Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology at the State University of New York at Buffalo, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. She has been studying signal transduction mechanisms involving phospholipases, fatty acids, and eicosanoids since 1975. A major thrust of her work has been in defining the role of phospholipid hydrolysis and turnover, and prostaglandin synthesis in the control of endocrine cells. Her early pioneering work focused on the radioimmunoassay of prostaglandins and the characterization of calcium-dependent phospholipase A2 in adrenocortical cells and isolated pancreatic islets. Her laboratory was also the first to demonstrate calcium regulation of phospholipase C-mediated hydrolysis of phosphoinositides. Dr. Laychock has published over 60 full publications and written three reviews and seven book chapters. She has served as a member of the Editorial Board of several prestigious journals. Ronald P. Rubin, Ph.D., is Professor and Chair of the Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology at the State University of New York at Buffalo, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. Dr. Rubin conducted pioneering work on the pivotal role of calcium in stimulus-response coupling in secretory cells. In addition, he has published widely on the role of lipid mediators in regulating the secretory process in a number of different cell types, including adrenocortical cells, pancreatic and parotid acinar cells, and neutrophils. His current research involves the signal transduction processes associated with the regulation of calcium signaling in parotid acinar cells. Dr. Rubin has published over 100 full publications, written several reviews, and authored two monographs. He also coedited a volume on Calcium in Biological Systems.