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Latha Malaiyandi, PhD

Program: Molecular Pharmacology
Graduated: 4/2005
Mentor: Ian J. Reynolds
Thesis:
Interactions Between Zinc and Mitochondria in Neuronal Injury

Previous Institutions Attended:
UC Berkeley, BA in Molecular & Cell Biology and Biochemistry

I am an Assistant Professor of Biology at Francis Marion University, a small liberal arts institution where teaching is of high priority and research at the undergraduate level is a requirement. I teach general biology in addition to Anatomy and Physiology, which is catered to the growing number of pre-nursing students at Francis Marion.

Fellowships, Awards, Promotions:

William C. deGroat Neuropharmacology Fellowship (2002)

American Heart Association Predoctoral Fellowship (2003-2005)

Recent Publications:

Devinney, M.J., Malaiyandi, L.M., Vergun, O., DeFranco, D.B., Dineley, K.E. (2006) Zinc does not cause permeabilty transition in isolated liver mitochondria. Society for Neuroscience Abstract, 32.

Publications while a graduate student at Pitt:

Malaiyandi, L.M., Dineley, K.E., Reynolds, I.J. (2004) Divergent consequences arise from metallothionein overexpression in astrocytes: zinc buffering and oxidant-induced zinc release. Glia 45(4):346-53.

Malaiyandi, L.M., Vergun, O., Dineley, K.E., Reynolds, I.J. (2005) Direct visualization of mitochondrial zinc accumulation reveals uniporter-dependent and -independent transport mechanisms. J Neurochem 93(5): 1242-1250.

Malaiyandi, L.M., Honick, A.S., Rintoul, G.L., Wang, Q.J., Reynolds, I.J. (2005) Zinc inhibits mitochondrial movement in neurons by phosphotidylinositol 3-kinase activation. J Neurosci 25: 9507-9514.

What were some of the most positive and surprising things about living in Pittsburgh? What did you expect of the city how was it different from your expectations?
I am what you call a 3rd generation 'transient' Pittsburgher, meaning that both my grandparents and parents went to school in Pittsburgh at some point in their lives. So, compared to what my parents experienced in the 70s, my first impression of Pittsburgh was far from a 'steel town'. Pittsburgh is a growing metropolis with a wide range of cultural and historical treasures. Regardless of one's personality and interests, there is a plethora of activities you can enjoy over a weekend - the ethnic cuisine of Oakland and Shadyside, the modern arts museums in the Northside, watching a ball game at PNC Park or rafting and hiking down at Ohiopyle.

What did you enjoy most about your research experiences and graduate studies here at Pitt?
I was fortunate to have a mentor who fostered a strong collaborative environment. Specifically, he recruited individuals with a broad range of expertise, where collaborations were extremely productive. So it was not only personally rewarding to see parts of my dissertation published, but to have done it with some of my closest friends as co-authors! Moreover, I had the opportunity to work with many bright undergraduates during my graduate tenure, which has trained me for my current position where I hope to carry out a small research program working side-by-side with undergraduates.

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