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CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
X-WR-CALNAME:BSI Seminar Social
X-WR-TIMEZONE:Eastern Time (US & Canada)
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260516T081200Z
UID:tag:localist.com\,2008:EventInstance_51472942497143
DTSTART:20260123T163000Z
DTEND:20260123T180000Z
DESCRIPTION:Title: Glycosylation in the Mucosal Epithelium: From Immune Mod
 ulation to Oral Cancer\n\nBy Kevin Chandler\, Ph.D.\n\nAssistant Professor
 \, Translational Glycobiology Institute \n\nFlorida International Universi
 ty Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine\n\n \n\nAbstract\n\nThe mucosal ep
 ithelium lines the digestive\, respiratory\, and reproductive systems\, an
 d occupies an area ~200 times greater than the skin\, making it the body
 ’s largest protective barrier. We aim to elucidate the molecular mechani
 sms involved in the regulation of mucosal immunity/tolerance by glycosylat
 ion pathway enzymes\, with a focus on the role of fucosyltransferases (FUT
 s)\, a family of enzymes responsible for catalyzing the linkage-specific t
 ransfer of fucose to glycoproteins and glycolipids. Individuals with FUT-i
 nactivating polymorphisms exhibit unique patterns of susceptibility and re
 sistance to viral infections\, have distinct microbiomes\, experience high
 er incidence of mucosal malignancies\, and have higher rates of inflammato
 ry diseases including Crohn’s\, celiac\, and inflammatory bowel disease\
 , compared to those with wild type FUTs. However\, there is a significant 
 gap in knowledge regarding the molecular function and regulation of FUTs w
 ithin mucosal epithelia. Through a multidisciplinary research program that
  leverages strengths in biochemistry\, functional glycoproteomics\, and ce
 ll biology\, my laboratory aims to understand: (1) how FUTs regulate mucos
 al immunity and tolerance\, (2) what role glycan-binding proteins on immun
 e cells play in regulating resident and non-resident immune cell populatio
 ns\, and (3) how the dysregulation of FUTs and FUT-interacting genes contr
 ibutes to mucosal malignancies including oral cancer. Here\, I will discus
 s our relevant work on oral cancer\, as well as recent evidence related to
  the inflammation-dependent and -independent roles of FUTs in mucosal path
 obiology. With this knowledge\, we aim to develop new glycosylation-center
 ed strategies to detect and treat human diseases arising from dysregulated
  mucosal signaling\, immunity\, and tolerance.\n\n \n\nShort Bio\n\nDr. Ke
 vin Chandler is a Tenure-Track Assistant Professor at the Translational Gl
 ycobiology Institute\, within the Department of Cellular and Molecular Med
 icine at the Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of 
 Medicine. He has a background in biochemistry and analytical chemistry\, w
 ith a focus on mass spectrometry-based analyses of glycoproteins as applie
 d to mucosal biology and cancer. He received his Ph.D. in Biochemistry and
  Molecular Biology from Georgetown University\, where he investigated glyc
 oprotein biomarkers in hepatocellular carcinoma using mass spectrometry an
 d novel computational methods\, supported by a National Science Foundation
  Graduate Research Fellowship. In 2014\, he joined the laboratory of Dr. C
 atherine Costello at Boston University as a postdoctoral fellow\, where he
  received training in glycoprotein mass spectrometry and was awarded an NI
 H National Research Service Award for Individual Postdoctoral Fellows (F32
 ) to study the role of N-glycosylation in the regulation of vascular endot
 helial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR2) signaling. In 2020\, he joined th
 e Harvard K12 Career Development Program in Translational Glycobiology Sch
 olar under the mentorship of Dr. Robert Sackstein\, with a focus on the ro
 le of fucosyltransferase expression and function in oral squamous cell car
 cinoma. In 2023\, Dr. Chandler started his independent laboratory in the T
 ranslational Glycobiology Institute at Florida International University. H
 e has received the American Head and Neck Society Presidential Award (2023
 ) and was named a Rising Star in Proteomics & Metabolomics (2024) by the e
 ditors of the Journal of Proteome Research.\n\n \n\nThe Seminar will take 
 place in person on Friday\, January 23rd\, 2026\,  from 11:30 AM to 1:00 P
 M in WC 130\, MMC Campus.\n\n \n\nLight refreshments and snacks will be pr
 ovided from 11:30 AM to noon\, followed by the Seminar at 12:00 PM.  \n\nS
 tudents\, please bring your OneCard.
GEO:25.759384;-80.371304
LOCATION:MMC - Modesto A. Maidique Campus\, WC 130
SUMMARY:BSI Seminar Social
URL;VALUE=URI:https://calendar.fiu.edu/event/bsi-seminar-social-8966
CATEGORIES:Lectures & Conferences
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