Irina V. Smirnova

Irina V. Smirnova

Assistant Professor
Director of PhD in Rehabilitation Science program

Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences
University of Kansas Medical Center
Mailstop 2002
3901 Rainbow Blvd., Kansas City, KS 66160

Telephone: (913) 588-0248
Fax: (913) 588-4568
E-mail: ismirnova@kumc.edu

EDUCATION

  • Ph.D., Protein Chemistry, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Kiev, Ukraine, 1990.
  • M.S. (with Honors), Biochemistry, Lviv State University, Lviv, Ukraine, 1986.

ACADEMIC / CLINICAL APPOINTMENTS and TRAINING

  • University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS
    • Assistant Professor, Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences, 2004 - present.
    • Research Assistant Professor, Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences, 2000 - 2004.
    • Research Associate, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 1997 - 2000.
  • Kansas City Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Kansas City, MO
    • Associate Investigator, Neurobiology Research Laboratory, 1996 - 1997.
    • Research Associate, Neurobiology Research Laboratory, 1995 - 1996.
    • Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Neurobiology Research Laboratory, 1992 - 1995.

TEACHING RESPONSIBILITIES

  • PTRS 712 - Pathophysiology and the PT Diagnosis
  • PTRS 862 - Pathobiology in Human Function I
  • PTRS 871 - Research Practicum

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Cellular adaptations of the heart to conditions of diabetes.

RECENT PUBLICATIONS

  • Chi L, Stehno-Bittel L, Smirnova IV, Stechschulte DJ, Dileepan KN: Signal transduction pathways in mast cell granule-mediated endothelial cell activation. Mediators of Inflammation. 2003, 12: 79-87.
  • Daniels PJ, Bittel D, Smirnova IV, Winge DR, Andrews GK: Mammalian metal response element-binding transcription factor-1 functions as a zinc sensor in yeast, but not as a sensor of cadmium or oxidative stress. Nucleic Acids Res. 2002, 30: 3130-3140.
  • Smirnova IV, Citron BA, Arnold PM, Festoff BW: Neuroprotective signal transduction in model motor neurons exposed to thrombin: G-protein modulation effects on neurite outgrowth, Ca2+ mobilization and apoptosis. J. Neurobiol. 2001, 48: 87-100.
  • Bittel DC, Smirnova IV, Andrews GK: Functional heterogenity in the zinc fingers of the metalloregulatory transcription factor, MTF-1. J. Biol. Chem. 2000; 275: 37194-37201.
  • Smirnova IV, Bittel DC, Ravindra R, Jiang H, Andrews GK: Zinc and cadmium can promote rapid nuclear translocation of MTF-1. J. Biol. Chem. 2000; 275: 9377-9384.
  • Smirnova IV, Zhang SX, Citron BA, Arnold PM, Festoff BW: Thrombin is an extracellular signal that activates intracellular death protease pathways inducing apoptosis in a model motor neurons. J. Neurobiol. 1998; 36: 64-80.
  • Smirnova IV, Vamos S, Wiegmann T, Citron BA, Arnold PM, Festoff BW: Calcium mobilization and protease-activated receptor cleavage after thrombin stimulation in motor neurons. J. Mol. Neurosci., 1998; 10: 31-44.

CURRENT GRANTS

  • Can a drug replace exercise to improve the diabetic heart? (Principal Investigator) Scientist Development Grant, American Heart Association, National Program, 01/01/04-12/31/07. $236,364 direct costs, $260,000 total costs.
  • 2004 Shared Research Equipment Award to purchase small animal calorimeter Eco-Oxymax (Principal Investigator) KUMC Research Institute, 12/1/03-6/30/04. $15,000 direct costs.
  • 2004 Shared Research Equipment Award to purchase equipment for Magnetic Resonance Imaging of research animals (Co-Investigator; Bilgen - Principal Investigator) KUMC Research Institute, 12/1/03-6/30/04. $25,000 direct costs.
  • Can drugs replace exercise? (Principal Investigator) Pilot grant, Lied Endowed Basic Science Research Fund, 03/01/03-08/31/04. $35,000 direct costs.

RECENT GRANTS

  • Mechanisms of fibrosis in diabetic heart and influence of exercise (Principal Investigator). Pilot grant, Lied Endowed Basic Science Research Fund, 02/-1/02 - 07/31/03. $35,000 direct costs.
  • Evaluation of the effects of long-acting anesthetics on wound healing (Co-Investigator; Reddy - Principal Investigator). Research grant, Pharmaceutical Company, 12/19/01 - 12/18/02. $29,366 direct costs, $44,049 total costs.
  • Proposal to train intern from the former Soviet Union (Co-Investigator; Stehno-Bittel - Principal Investigator). Training grant, US Department of Commerce, SABIT, 05/01/01 - 04/30/02. $9,545 direct costs.

RECENT PROFESSIONAL & SCIENTIFIC PRESENTATIONS

  • Exercise training modulates TGFb1 signaling in diabetic myocardium (Foecking J, Novikova L, Stehno-Bittel L, Smirnova IV). Poster presentation at the American Heart Association Scientific Conference on Molecular Mechanisms of Growth, Death and Regeneration in the Myocardium: Basic Biology and Insights into Ischemic Heart Disease and Heart Failure, Snowbird Conference Center, August 13-17, 2003, Salt Lake City, UT.
  • Proteomic approach to study the beneficial effects of exercise on diabetic heart (Smirnova IV, Foecking J, Searls Y, Novikova L, Stehno-Bittel L) Poster presentation at National Institute of Health Meeting on Proteomics in Diabetes, Natcher Conference Canter, NIH, Bethesda, MD, April 23-25, 2003; poster presentation at the Stowers Institute for Medical Research and the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Meeting on Proteomic Solutions in Cellular and Developmental Biology and Medicine, Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO, May 2-4, 2003; and poster presentation at KUMC Faculty Research Day, November 6, 2003.
  • The benefits of exercise for diabetic heart and how to fit in proteomics? (Smirnova IV). Oral presentation at the Kansas City Area Life Sciences Institute meeting on Proteomics in Diabetes, Midwest Research Institute, Kansas City, KS, March 13, 2003.
  • Diabetes induces upregulation of alpha-smooth muscle actin expression in myocardial tissue (Smirnova IV, Novikova L, Stehno-Bittel L). Poster presentation at the American Heart Association Scientific Conference on Advances in the Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms of Heart Failure, Snowbird Conference Center, August 21-25, 2002, Salt Lake City, UT; poster presentation at KUMC Faculty Research Day, November 13-14, 2002; and poster presentation at 2nd Annual Kansas City Life Sciences Research Day, UMKC, March 26-27, 2003.
  • Reversal of diabetes-induced myocardial fibrosis by exercise training (Smirnova IV, Kibiryeva N, Searls Y, Wolfe M, Stehno-Bittel L). Oral poster presentation at KUMC Faculty Research Day, November 8, 2001; poster presentation at Kansas City Life Sciences Research Day, UMKC, November 27, 2001; and poster presentation at American Physical Therapy Association Annual Meeting, February, 2003, Tampa, FL.
  • Calcium mobilization and receptor cleavage after thrombin stimulation in motor neurons (Smirnova IV). Invited speaker, FASEB Summer Research Conference "Thrombin and Vascular Medicine", Saxton's River, Vermont, August 1997.

RECENT HONORS & AWARDS

  • May 2003 Regents Faculty Award.
  • July 2002 American Heart Association New Investigator Award to travel to the Scientific Conference on Advances in the Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms of Heart Failure, Snowbird Conference Center, August 21-25, 2002, Salt Lake City, UT.
  • May 2002 University of Kansas Medical Center Faculty Travel Award to attend American Diabetes Association 62nd Annual Meeting, June 14-18, 2002, San Francisco, CA.

PROFESSIONAL & SCIENTIFIC MEMBERSHIPS

  • American Diabetes Association, member
  • American Heart Association, member