Innovation Across the Miles

In November 2019, Salomon Amar, D.D.S., Ph.D., vice president for research, senior vice president for research affairs at Touro University (TU), visited Albuquerque to explore an affiliation between Lovelace, TU and New York Medical College (NYMC), fulfilling a charge from Alan Kadish, M.D., president of TU and NYMC. Lovelace, a not-for-profit organization with a robust basic science infrastructure, is noted for its drug-development laboratories and excellence in respiratory disease, neuroscience research, and toxicology. Its powerful medical imaging capabilities and high-level data analysis can identify biomarkers—trace amounts of disease, infection, and injury—that guide new approaches to gene and cell therapy. In turn, NYMC has renowned academic specialists, interdisciplinary physicians, troves of patient data, and protocol for clinical trials to breathe viability into Lovelace’s lab work.

The missions of both institutions, their leadership realized, could be enhanced and advanced by working together, fusing their areas of expertise to expedite the process of translational science, which ushers laboratory findings into real-world applications. From a scientific perspective, specialists at each organization could pool their expertise into a collective inquiry, bridging gaps, and sharing resources. And from a practical perspective, the act of diversifying partners, much like diversifying portfolios, often leads to financial growth—in this case, from federal grants and commercial investments.

“This affiliation between Touro and Lovelace will significantly impact our research capability and expand our capacity to make a difference in the health and lives of Americans. Together with Lovelace, Touro will be able to bring in-depth understanding of potential health risks and optimize the efficacy of pharmaceuticals,” said Dr. Kadish.

The COVID-19 pandemic affirmed that it was possible to collaborate while 2,000 miles apart and leadership from both institutions continued discussions, resuming in-person visits once travel restrictions lifted. The affiliation between Lovelace and Touro/NYMC was officially announced in 2022, unleashing a surge of collaboration in the spheres of science, research, academics, and patient care.

“This affiliation is a monumental achievement, because it leverages the expertise and resources of each institution to pursue new opportunities and new heights together,” says Dr. Amar. “The notion of the ‘whole being greater than the sum of its parts’ applies perfectly as this collaboration unfolds.”

Lovelace’s three campuses in Albuquerque comprise more than 375,000 square feet of research lab space and receive more than $70 million per year in grants and contracts. The Institute has published thousands of research papers and employs 400 physicians, scientists, and researchers.

Dr. Amar, who is also a professor of pharmacology and of pathology, microbiology and immunology at NYMC, and professor of dental medicine at the Touro College of Dental Medicine (TCDM), helped select and recruit the five Lovelace Research Fellows on the NYMC faculty, who remain at the vanguard of collaboration. “Our Lovelace Research Fellows help integrate Lovelace’s research into the fabric and framework of Touro,” he says. “They provide Lovelace with academic expertise, patient populations, and guidance on how to apply its findings to clinical care and public health. In turn, Lovelace provides the research infrastructure that is so valuable. From this, we create ground that is extremely fertile for partnership and innovation.”

Modeling Strength in Numbers

To stimulate collaboration and encourage the joint endeavors that bolster federal funding, Dr. Amar and Robert W. Rubin, Ph.D., chief executive officer at Lovelace, have developed an internal program of awarding pilot funds for joint projects, with an expedited process of review and decision. In the future, Touro and NYMC aim to operate a centralized clinical trials research office built on Lovelace’s research infrastructure. In addition, the partnership will broaden opportunities for students at NYMC and TCDM in graduate biomedical science, medical, and dental education, as Lovelace researchers join the faculty and students complete rotations at Lovelace and its surrounding community.

In an early instance of collaboration, Dr. Amar and Ted Barrett, Ph.D., senior director of pharmacology at Lovelace, executed a pilot study on an intranasally delivered COVID-19 vaccine, tapping into Lovelace’s expertise in nanoparticles and aerosol technology for what Dr. Amar calls a “proof of concept.” Further testing on the efficacy of intranasal vaccines against respiratory infections, like influenza and RSV, will rely on cooperative efforts from both organizations. “So far, we have promising data,” says Dr. Amar. “Once it is conclusive, we will go to the FDA and embark on the process of developing a clinical trial.”

Pinpointing Biomarkers for Brain Injury

“We have many mutual interests and similarities, but enough difference for us to see the value in collaboration,” says Lovelace Fellow Tracey A. Milligan, M.D., M.S., FAAN, FAES, FANA, professor and chair of neurology at NYMC and director of neurology at Westchester Medical Center (WMC). To complement her research into traumatic brain injury (TBI), she points to Lovelace’s research MRI facilities managed by experts in neuroscience. “They have outstanding resources for basic science, which complement our focus on clinical research,” she says. “It is a great opportunity for us to perform translational science,” meaning science that turns research into treatments and interventions that improve patient health. “WMC is a Level 1 trauma center, the highest level of critical care,” she says, citing plans in the future for a center for concussions and mild TBI. “In treating patients who have sustained concussions, we are looking for the biomarkers— substances in blood that indicate TBI—to help us understand more about their future risks.” That is where Lovelace’s basic science shines. “Their animal models are a reliable way to replicate the disease process and perform blood tests for biomarkers, so we can glean insight into treating our patients.” She sees great potential for developing research studies and clinical programs with Lovelace. “I grew up in Albuquerque; in fact, my father used to work at Lovelace. It is thrilling to have Touro invest in this collaboration.”

Building Better Vaccines

“There are so many resources for infectious disease at Lovelace, and so many opportunities for collaboration,” says Chandra Shekhar Bakshi, DVM, Ph.D., professor of pathology, microbiology and immunology.

Dr. Bakshi, a Lovelace fellow who contributed to the intranasal vaccine study led by Dr. Amar and Dr. Barrett, sees promise for his research in Lovelace’s tightly regulated animal Biosafety Level 3 (BSL-3) facility for highly virulent organisms, in addition to its capacity to aerosolize pathogens. “Inserting droplets inside the nose is an artificial way of infecting a subject,” he explains. “In the natural world, we inhale those organisms. Lovelace’s ability to aerosolize pathogens mimics the natural infection process, which makes this approach ideal from a research standpoint.”

Another asset for research is collaboration itself. “No impactful research can be done in isolation, because not all resources exist under one roof,” he explains. “This is the era of super-specialization in a very narrow area of research. For that reason, pulling together a strong team of colleagues optimizes our chances for grant funding. As we visit Lovelace and their researchers visit us, I am seeing real integration unfold as we brainstorm and exchange scientific ideas.”

Paul M. Arnaboldi, Ph.D., Lovelace fellow and assistant professor of pathology, microbiology and immunology, is gleaning data from Lovelace’s aerosol models for his research into intranasal vaccination against infectious disease an idea that originated from extensive scientific discussion involving Dr. Kadish. “Lovelace has a strong history in respiratory research that strongly aligns with my own investigations,” he says. “Mucosal surfaces are the primary entry point for most pathogens, the site where you want the greatest protection, and potentially the method to promote the most immunity.”

Dr. Arnaboldi’s project with Lovelace focuses on human adenovirus (HAdV) respiratory infections, which remain among the most prevalent causes of acute disease requiring hospitalization in children and occasionally adults. The complication is that adenovirus has many different strains; and existing vaccines are restricted to military use.

Dr. Arnaboldi collaborates with Alison A. McCormick, Ph.D., (former assistant professor of pharmaceutical sciences at Touro University California, now at UC Davis), a fellow expert in vaccine development, and Adriana Kajon, Ph.D., a senior scientist at Lovelace and expert in adenovirus research. “We have developed a nice rhythm together,” he says. Dr. McCormick oversees the production of vaccines with peptide-protein conjugates, a molecular structure that has been shown to enhance vaccine absorption and recognition by the immune system. At Lovelace, Dr. Kajon helms the testing of mice’s blood samples for virus-neutralizing activity, using the facility’s high-level data analysis. At NYMC, Dr. Arnaboldi evaluates the intensity of the immune response in mice. Their shared goal is to generate an intranasal vaccine with broad protection; develop preliminary data to support an National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded research program; and design antibodies that offer robust adenovirus protection for transplant recipients, cancer patients, and others with compromised immunity.

“Each of us has a strong track record in obtaining NIH funding, and that should increase exponentially when working together,” he says.

Bringing Tiny Particles into Focus

The research of Lovelace Fellow Chioma M. Okeoma, Ph.D., professor and vice chair of research in the Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, depends on catching a better glimpse of extremely tiny particles: the extracellular vesicles (EVs) released by cells. EVs carry “cargo” that yields clues about disease detection, progression, and response to treatment. “When I was recruited as a Lovelace Fellow, I thought it was a great opportunity to expand and grow recognition for EVs, which represents the largest-growing area in NIH funding,” she says. At Lovelace, she met like-minded colleagues like Dr. Kajon, whose focus on adenovirus can draw strength from insight into EVs. Dr. Kajon’s lab investigates how adenovirus utilizes EVs to promote pathogenesis, or disease development. Her team sends samples of inactivated EVs from adenovirus-infected cells via FedEx to Dr. Okeoma’s lab for physical assessment. Working together in biweekly virtual meetings, they have pieced together clues that EVs from cells infected with adenovirus may help spread the infection.

“Typically, the adenovirus virus kills the cell upon leaving it. But we are discovering that with the help of EVs, adenoviruses can move among cells without killing them.” To investigate further, Dr. Okeoma and Dr. Kajon are applying for grants. “By publicizing our findings, we hope to show to the world that we are successfully working together and hopefully our collaboration will lead to new insights into adenovirus pathogenesis.”

Another of Dr. Okeoma’s collaborations involves Lovelace’s access to transmission electron microscopy at the University of New Mexico that can capture detailed images of EVs from post-mortem brain tissues. “We are determining whether we can use EVs from post-mortem brain tissues as biomarkers among HIV patients who died of drug overdose,” Dr. Okeoma explains. “If we generate a map of their brain, is the circuitry different than HIV patients without drug addiction—and can EVs tell us that?”

Giving Basic Science the Breath of Life

“The facilities at Lovelace are spectacular, but it was the people that impressed me the most,” recalls Lovelace Fellow Allen J. Dozor, M.D., professor of pediatrics and clinical public health, director of the Children’s Environmental Health Center of the Hudson Valley, associate physician-in-chief at Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital at WMC, and president of Boston Children’s Health Physicians. “They all are clearly top-ranked, excellent, and thoughtful scientists dedicated to performing high quality research.” As a pulmonologist, he values the legacy of William Randolph Lovelace II, the institution’s founder. “He and the center made major contributions to our understanding of how aerosols penetrate the airways and lungs.”

Dr. Dozor is a clinical researcher with almost four decades of experience, which includes overseeing clinical trials across multiple centers. “I immediately appreciated the potential of combining the powerhouse basic scientists at Lovelace with the physician-scientists here at NYMC,” he says. “As a Lovelace Research Fellow, my major goal has been to build relationships between these groups. We bring to the table superb clinical faculty, with large patient databases to draw on for clinical trials. Their Ph.D.s bring the ability to develop the preclinical science required to bring a new therapeutic to FDA approval.” The basic concept, he adds, is simple: “Work with the scientists at Lovelace to take their basic science research and translate their discoveries into clinical trials,” with the aim of bringing a new drug to market. In the area of pulmonary disease, this might involve studies into lung function, respiratory mechanics, and sampling or sequencing patient genetics, all of which are strengths of Lovelace.

“Lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and asthma are quite common, and pharmaceutical companies are enthusiastic about the potential for new drugs,” he explains. “One of my major missions has been to increase and support clinical research in the Department of Pediatrics, and I am very pleased with the significant increase in research during my tenure,” he adds. “Having Lovelace as a partner can expedite the complex, tightly regulated journey toward the clinical trials that spearhead innovation.”

NYMC Meets New Mexico

As partnerships further develop, students at NYMC will have a chance to travel to Lovelace for investigations and perhaps clinical rotations. In particular, TU plans to offer a summer program for students; and TCDM will offer dental training to students who matriculated in Valhalla. “Dr. Kadish elected as an administrative move to create an extension of our dental school in Albuquerque,” says Dr. Amar, explaining that New Mexico’s lack of dental schools creates “a segment of its population in critical need of dental services.” Once this program launches, NYMC will develop other initiatives with lodging, kosher food service, and opportunities for research, and mentorship.

“The endeavors of the research scholars and their partners will open the way toward experiences for our faculty and students at Lovelace, and opportunities for Lovelace researchers to share their knowledge at NYMC,” says Dr. Amar. “I look forward to witnessing the fruitful collaboration that elicits financial support. By working together, we will both remain at the forefront of biomedical research and public health.”