Medical Discovery Team on Addiction
Thank your Legislator
Mark Thomas, PhD
tmhomas@umn.edu
Dr. Thomas is a Professor of Neuroscience and Director of the Medical Discovery Team on Addiction. His research examines how addictive drugs alter the brain and how these changes can lead to compulsive drug use. His lab is now focusing on ways to disrupt addiction relapse.
Arif Hamid, PhD
★ Newly Hired
hamid008@umn.edu
Dr. Hamid is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Neuroscience. Studies in the Hamid DiRE-Lab are directed at understanding the neurobiology of brain decision-circuits (particularly the neurotransmitter Dopamine and Cortico-BasalGanglia-Thalamic pathway) that promote reward learning, and the planning and execution of desired goals. Abnormalities in these decision circuits produce neurological, psychiatric, and substance abuse disorders, so work in the lab aims to provide mechanistic and computational insights into how (mal)adaptive behaviors leverage specializations in the underlying circuitry.
Lauren Slosky, PhD
Assistant Professor★ Newly Hired
lslosky@umn.edu
Dr. Slosky is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pharmacology. Her work is focused on understanding how neuropeptide G protein-coupled receptors regulate reward, pain, and motivated behavior and how these receptors can be targeted for therapeutic benefit. Bridging molecular and behavioral pharmacology, her lab integrates biochemical, behavioral, and neuroimaging approaches in genetically engineered mice, with the goal of developing safe and effective treatments for cocaine, methamphetamine, and opioid use disorders.
Stephanie Groman, PhD
sgroman@umn.edu
Dr. Groman is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Neuroscience. Her work is focused on understanding why some individuals are more susceptible to developing addiction compared to others. Her lab integrates measures of decision making and reinforcement learning with neuroimaging, pharmacology, proteomics, and genomic analyses across different developmental stages in animals with the goal of identifying biomarkers of addiction risk and new targets for treating addiction.
Alexander Herman, MD, PhD
herma686@umn.edu
Dr. Herman is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Minnesota Medical School. Dr. Herman's human neuroscience lab studies neural mechanisms of decision making that are impaired in addiction and amenable to treatment with neuromodulation. His lab combines invasive and non-invasive methods including intracranial electrophysiology, direct brain stimulation, magnetoencephalography and transcranial magnetic stimulation.
Anna Zilverstand, PhD
annaz@umn.edu
Dr. Zilverstand is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry. Her work is focused on investigating how individual differences contribute to human drug addiction. Her research group combines the analysis of existing large-scale multimodal data sets with the acquisition of new data through a variety of techniques such as interviewing, neurocognitive testing, questionnaires and multi-modal neuroimaging. Novel computational methods are employed for linking social, demographic, neurocognitive, personality and clinical measures to the neuroimaging data, to explore the existence of neurobiological subtypes within the addicted population. The goal of this research is to develop neuroscience-derived individualized treatment for individuals who are at risk for either escalation of drug use or relapse.
Jan Zimmermann, PhD
janz@umn.edu
Dr. Zimmermann is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Neuroscience and the Center for Magnetic Resonance Research. His lab studies how the brain represents and constructs subjective value and how that signal is used to guide decision making. The lab is particularly interested in how the brain adaptively changes its coding strategy to encode statistical regularities within a changing environment. Using electrophysiology, ultra high field MRI and computational modeling the lab tries to understand how changes in reward encoding sensitivity could relate to a propensity for drug addiction.
Alik Widge, MD, PhD
awidge@umn.edu
Dr. Widge is a psychiatrist and biomedical engineer. Clinically, he provides brain stimulation treatments for mood, anxiety, and substance disorders. These include deep brain stimulation, cortical stimulation, and transcranial magnetic stimulation. His research focuses on developing these treatments further, particularly the creation of new "closed loop" devices. These devices sense brain signals in real-time and deliver energy in a planned and rational fashion, compensating for each patient's specific brain network abnormalities. Dr. Widge's laboratory prototypes new stimulation paradigms and targets in rodent models, conducts clinical trials of these new technologies, and searches for biomarkers of illness and recovery to guide next-generation therapies.
Jocelyn Richard, PhD
richardj@umn.edu
Dr. Richard is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Neuroscience, investigating how external cues interact with stress and negative emotional states to drive drug and alcohol seeking, even after long periods of abstinence. By measuring the activity of neurons critical for normal reward seeking, Dr. Richard can predict how intensely rats will seek out rewards like alcohol when they are exposed to environmental cues that have been previously associated with these rewards. She aims to determine what causes these neurons to be more active when animals are especially vulnerable to relapse, such as during times of intense stress or anxiety.
Benjamin Saunders, PhD
bts@umn.edu
Dr. Saunders is an assistant professor of neuroscience and member of the UMN Center for Addiction Neuroscience and Medical Discovery Team on Addiction. His research explores how drug-associated cues in the environment engage the brain to trigger drug use and relapse, with the goal of identifying biological pathways that can be targeted to prevent these behaviors.
Steven Graves, PhD
gravess@umn.edu
Dr. Graves is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pharmacology. His research is focused on the neurotoxic effects of particular psychostimulants like methamphetamine and their associations with neurodegenerative diseases.
Sade Spencer, PhD
spencers@umn.edu
Dr. Spencer is an assistant professor of Pharmacology. The broad goal of her research is to understand the synaptic mechanisms and neurocircuitry underlying drug addiction and comorbid neuropsychiatric diseases. More specifically, her research examines specific changes in synaptic transmission during and after drug self-administration. To accomplish this goal, her lab studies neuroadaptations and behavior in rodent models of addiction using standard approaches in protein biochemistry and behavioral pharmacology as well as incorporating novel techniques to genetically isolate specific cell types and circuits implicated in addiction.
jlemos@umn.edu
Dr. Lemos is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Neuroscience. Her laboratory investigates how stress is processed and encoded in the brain. In particular, they interested in understanding how stress-associated neuropeptides regulate the function of neural circuits important for motivation and emotion in individuals with different life histories. Her laboratory also works to understand how chronic or traumatic stress renders the brain vulnerable to disease states such as depression, anxiety, and addiction.
Ben Hayden, PhD
Associate Professor★ Newly Hired
benhayden@gmail.com
Dr. Hayden is an Associate Professor in the Department of Neuroscience and the Center for Magnetic Resonance Research. His lab studies the role of the brain activity in making reward-based decisions, and in changing strategies in demanding circumstances. They do this with recordings of activity of populations of neurons in subjects making and adjusting simple decisions. They then compare these patterns with those obtained from subjects exposed to cocaine for long periods of times. This research contributes to a basic understanding of the brain circuitry of drug addiction.
Sarah Heilbronner, PhD
heilb028@umn.edu
Dr. Heilbronner is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Neuroscience. She studies the "wiring diagram" of the brain. She and her team are trying to determine how different brain regions connect with one another. She is especially interested in circuits responsible for abnormal motivation and decision-making in addiction. Heilbronner uses these connectivity studies to figure out how to translate results from humans to nonhuman animal model species, and vice versa.
Mustafa al'Absi, PhD
malabsi@d.umn.edu
Dr. al’Absi is a Professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Biobehavioral Health, the Director of Duluth Global Health Research Institute. Dr. al’Absi has been leading a research program integrating basic, laboratory, and clinical methods to elucidate the mechanisms by which acute and chronic stress plays a role in addiction and relapse. An important, replicated finding from his program is the blunted hormonal stress response among smokers and other stimulant users, which manifests as enhanced basal pituitary-adrenocortical activity and decreased response to a range of stressors. This dysregulated pattern of response predicts early relapse. He is currently examining the role of endogenous opioids and cannabinoids in the blunting of the stress response in cannabis users and cigarette smokers.
Justin Anker, PhD
anke0022@umn.edu
Dr. Anker received his PhD in Cognitive and Biological Psychology from the University of Minnesota. As a graduate student and postdoctoral trainee, Dr. Anker’s work focused on the biological and behavioral factors that influence vulnerability to addiction and treatment response. Dr. Anker’s current work focuses on translational research that combines methods of assessing biological stress with clinical addiction treatment methods.
Alfonso Araque, PhD
araque@umn.edu
Dr. Araque is a Professor in the Department of Neuroscience. His research interests focus on the mechanisms, properties and physiological consequences of the communication between neurons and astrocytes. His research seeks to understand how the communication between neurons and astrocytes affects physiological and pathological aspects of brain function. While most studies on drug addiction are focused on neuronal mechanisms, his team aims to elucidate the involvement of astrocytes in behaviors associated with reward signaling and psychostimulant drugs, which may reveal astrocytes as potential targets for treatment of motivation disorders such as drug addiction.
Gavin Bart, MD, PhD
bartx005@umn.edu
Dr. Bart is an Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Minnesota and director of the division of Addiction Medicine at Hennepin Healthcare. He is an internist and addiction medicine specialist. His areas of expertise include clinical pharmacology and the pharmacological management of opioid use disorders. His current research areas include the population pharmacokinetics of methadone, genetic influences of methadone pharmacology and treatment outcome, and improving strategies to integrate treatment of opioid use disorders into general medical settings. Dr. Bart is co-PI of NorthStar Node of the NIDA National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network and he is co-Director of the PEPFAR-SAMHSA funded Vietnam HIV-Addiction Technology Transfer Center.
Miles Belgrade, MD
belgr001@umn.edu
Dr. Belgrade is a pain physician at the Minneapolis VA Health Care System and Medical Director for Pain Tele-health at the VA. He also is a staff physician at the Minnesota Head & Neck Pain Clinic. He is an Associate Professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine and Adjunct Professor of Neurology at the University of Minnesota Medical School. He has participated in the development of national guidelines for the management of neuropathic pain and chronic pain and has published widely on a broad spectrum of pain topics. Dr. Belgrade developed the DIRE Score, a tool used internationally to help clinicians determine who is an appropriate candidate for long-term opioid prescribing for chronic pain.
Angela Birnbaum, PhD, FAES
birnb002@umn.edu
Dr. Birnbaum is a Professor in the Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology and Director of Graduate Studies for the ECP Graduate Program. Her research examines the pharmacokinetic variability in drug exposure and response relationships in special populations.
Jazmin Camchong, PhD
camch002@umn.edu
Dr. Camchong investigates the neurobiological basis of addiction. Using neuroimaging techniques such as fMRI, she studies the relationship between patterns of brain circuit activity and treatment outcome, and the ability of non-invasive brain stimulation methods to strengthen brain circuits that support abstinence. Her goal is to develop effective non-drug, non-invasive brain stimulation interventions that aid recovery from addiction and complement existing treatment programs.
Marilyn Carroll-Santi, PhD
mcarroll@umn.edu
Dr. Carroll is a Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science. Her research is focused on factors that underlie drug and food addiction, such as genetic differences, impulsivity, and hormonal influences. As Director of a recent P50 Center grant, she conducts translational research with animal and human subjects on sex differences, stimulant addiction and novel treatments. Currently, she is developing animal models of novel self-initiated and -maintained long-term treatments for addiction with the translational goal of having addicted drug users manage their treatment and recovery over long periods of time.
Wei Chen, PhD
chenx075@umn.edu
Dr. Chen is a Professor of the Departments of Radiology. His research at the Center for Magnetic Resonance Research (CMRR) focuses on development of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)/spectroscopy (MRS) methodologies and technologies for non-invasively studying cellular metabolism, bioenergetics, function and dysfunction of the brain and other organs, which could be valuable for addiction research.
Zhe Chen, PhD
chen6867@umn.edu
Dr. Chen is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Neuroscience. Her research investigates the development of nerve projections that regulate reward and motivation. Miswiring of these neural circuits can negatively impact self-control and addictive behaviors. Dr. Chen’s lab utilizes a combination of molecular, genetic, and imaging approaches.
Timothy Ebner, MD, PhD
Professor and Head, Department of Neuroscience
ebner001@umn.edu
Dr. Ebner is a Professor and Head of the Department of Neuroscience. His laboratory is interested in how information in the brain is represented spatially and temporally in populations of neurons during behavior.
Damien Fair, PA-C, PhD
Professor, Department of Pediatrics
faird@umn.edu
Dr. Fair's career has been devoted to studying the developing brain. He uses non-invasive techniques like MRI to understand and characterize fundamental principles of brain organization structure and function. In this context he applies these principles to characterize and understand the impact and predictors of addictive drugs in adolescence and young adulthood across populations and within individuals.
Carolyn Fairbanks, PhD
Professor, College of Pharmacy
carfair@umn.edu
Dr. Fairbanks is a professor of Pharmaceutics, Pharmacology, and Neuroscience and the Associate Dean of Research and Graduate Education of the College of Pharmacy. Dr. Fairbanks and her team investigate the spinal neuroplasticity underlying the development and maintenance of chronic pain. The spinal cord carries pain signals to the brain via excitatory neurotransmission and contains most of the same inhibitory neurotransmission systems as the brain. Dr. Fairbanks' team have applied their observations to the development of new pharmacological and gene therapeutics that are designed to provide pain relief while circumventing the neural circuits that lead to substance use disorders. Spinal delivery of therapeutics that inhibit transmission of the pain signal offers a site selective method of pain control. By targeting therapeutics to the spinal cord to control pain, exposure to brainstem and reward circuitry is limited. Such approaches greatly reduce the risk of overdose and addiction.
Jonathan Gewirtz, PhD
jgewirtz@umn.edu
Dr. Gewirtz is Professor in the Department of Psychology. His research focuses on the roles played by negative emotional states (anxiety, depression) and social stress in addiction and in vulnerability to addiction.
Brenna Greenfield, PhD
green970@d.umn.edu
Dr. Greenfield is a licensed clinical psychologist and assistant professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Biobehavioral Health on the Duluth Campus of the University of Minnesota Medical School. Her research focuses on substance use disorder treatment and recovery, with an emphasis on behavioral treatments such as mindfulness-based relapse prevention and motivational interviewing, mechanisms of behavior change, longitudinal health services research, and the promotion of health equity. She primarily collaborates with American Indian tribal nations.
Nicola Grissom, PhD
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology
ngrissom@umn.edu
Using touchscreen behavioral testing and a suite of molecular and genetic techniques in mouse models, we work to uncover the molecular mechanisms in mesocorticolimbic regions that permit mice, and us, to learn new goal-directed behaviors, make decisions and choices between options, maintain motivation, and exert control over impulsive and habitual actions. Because these abilities are often altered in neuropsychiatric diseases, such as in substance use disorders and in neurodevelopmental disorders including autism and ADHD, understanding the molecular regulators of neuronal ensembles mediating these abilities may reveal what makes these brains unique and identify new therapeutic avenues.
Andrew Harris, PhD
harr0547@umn.edu
Dr. Harris is a senior investigator at the Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute and an Associate Professor in Medicine and Psychology at the University of Minnesota. His research involves the use of preclinical models to study the behavioral pharmacology of addiction to nicotine, opioids, and other drugs of abuse.
Dorothy Hatsukami, PhD
hatsu001@umn.edu
Dr. Hatsukami is a Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and is the Associate Director for the Masonic Cancer Center. Her research is focused on understanding tobacco addiction, testing novel tobacco cessation treatments and exploring ways to make currently marketed tobacco products less toxic, appealing and addictive.
Carrie Haskell-Luevano, PhD
Professor & Associate Department Head
chaskell@umn.edu
Dr. Haskell-Luevano is the Philip S. Portoghese Endowed Chair in Chemical Neuroscience, Professor Associate Department Head in the Department of Medicinal Chemistry, and an Institute for Translational Neuroscience Scholar. Her research program focuses on the chemical biology of a variety of G protein-coupled receptors, including the opioid receptors. In her lab, projects involving the opioid receptors include the design and synthesis of novel probes and lead compounds, investigating ligand-receptor interactions, and exploring novel receptor signaling domains. By characterizing and modulating opioid receptor pharmacology, her work provides novel tools to probe pain management and advances ligand design strategies for opioid receptor based therapeutics.
Suhasa Kodandaramaiah, PhD
suhasabk@umn.edu
Dr. Kodandaramaiah is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Minnesota. His laboratory focuses on engineering neurotechnologies to interface with the brain at multiple spatial and temporal scales. These include robotic tools for single cell recording and manipulation and #d printed polymer implants for large scale neural activity readout and perturbation.
Michael Kotlyar, PharmD
kotly001@umn.edu
Dr. Kotlyar is an Associate Professor in the Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology at the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy. His research focuses on evaluating various aspects of tobacco dependence including assessing medications to assist in the smoking cessation attempt and assessing the role of stress on smoking behavior.
Amy Krentzman, MSW, PhD
akrentzm@umn.edu
Dr. Krentzman is an Associate Professor at the University of Minnesota School of Social Work. She studies the phenomenon of addiction recovery and therefore studies recovery-oriented systems of care such as sober living houses, 12-step programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous, and recovery concepts such as spirituality and gratitude. Dr. Krentzman also designs interventions to support early recovery and prevent relapse. Her current work focuses on "Positive Peer Journaling" which uses a combination of positive psychology and behavioral activation.
Esther Krook-Magnuson, PhD
ekrookma@umn.edu
Dr. Krook-Magnuson is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Neuroscience. Her work focuses on brain circuitry, including the different types of neurons in the brain and their responsiveness to drugs like opioids.
Matt Kushner, PhD
kushn001@umn.edu
Dr. Kushner is a Professor of Psychiatry who studies the association of addiction and comorbid psychiatric disorders. His current research, funded by NIAAA, focuses on developing and testing cognitive behavioral treatments that can improve the alcohol use disorder treatment outcomes for individuals with co-occurring anxiety and depressive disorders.
Anna Lee, PhD
amlee@umn.edu
Dr. Lee is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pharmacology. Her research focuses on the mechanisms of alcohol and nicotine co-addiction, and the role of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in mediating alcohol and nicotine addiction. Recent interests also include the abuse liability of electronic cigarettes, and sex differences in nicotinic receptor function.
Mark LeSage, PhD
lesag002@umn.edu
Dr. LeSage is a Senior Investigator in the Department of Medicine at the Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute, and Professor in the Department of Medicine and Adjunct Associate Professor in Psychology at the University of Minnesota. His research is primarily focused on the behavioral pharmacology of nicotine and tobacco, with a focus on using nonhuman drug self-administration and other models to address issues related to tobacco harm reduction and FDA regulation of tobacco products. He also employs nonhuman models to study the behavioral pharmacology of other drugs of abuse (cocaine, opioids) and develop immunotherapies (e.g. vaccines, antibodies) and other types of pharmacotherapies to treat drug abuse.
Dezhi Liao, PhD
liaox020@umn.edu
The misuse of and addiction to prescribed and illegally obtained opioids has caused a national crisis that affects public health and welfare. Our research is focused upon the structural and functional deficits in dendritic spines caused by neurological diseases and disorders. We found that opioids caused collapse of dendritic spines, which are the fundamental structural units for information storage and processing in the brain. The opioid-induced changes in dendritic spines may contribute to opioid addictions as well as opioid-induced cognitive deficits.
Kelvin Lim, MD
kolim@umn.edu
Dr. Lim is Professor and Vice Chair for Research in the Department of Psychiatry where he holds the Drs. T.J. and Ella M. Arneson Land Grant Chair in Human Behavior. Dr. Lim’s research interest is in the use of neuroimaging approaches to identify circuit abnormalities in brain disorders such as schizophrenia, traumatic brain injury and addiction and then to use these circuits as treatment targets for noninvasive neuromodulation interventions.
Monica Luciana, PhD
lucia003@umn.edu
Dr. Luciana is a Distinguished McKnight University Professor in the Department of Psychology. Her research examines brain/behavior relationships in adults and children and the neuroplasticity of neural circuitry during development, as a function of substance use, and in the context of psychopathology. Specifically, she is interested in the neurobiology of executive functions that are mediated by the brain's prefrontal cortex, including working memory, planning, and emotional control as well as reward processing and the neural circuits that promote incentive motivation.
Robert Meisel, PhD
meisel@umn.edu
Dr. Meisel is a Professor in the Department of Neuroscience. A key question addressed by his lab is what makes some people more vulnerable than others to the addictive effects of drugs? One idea he has been testing in an animal model of addiction vulnerability is that the converging neural plasticity of behavioral experience and drug use renders the brain more susceptible to the addictive properties of drugs.
Paul Mermelstein, PhD
pmerm@umn.edu
Dr. Mermelstein is a Professor in the Department of Neuroscience. His laboratory researches sex differences in the brain. Specifically, how sex hormones (estrogen in females, testosterone in males) alter the synaptic connections in the brain to influence motivated behaviors. He and his team have discovered that when estrogen concentrations rise in females, their vulnerability to abuse addictive drugs increases. They are seeking to determine the mechanisms by which estrogens impart vulnerability to drug addiction, and ways to circumvent these changes in brain plasticity, ultimately in hopes of improving therapeutic interventions.
Jessica Nielson, PhD
jnielson@umn.edu
Dr. Nielson is a neurobiologist and data scientist working at the intersection of computer science and psychiatry to understand the neurobiological mechanisms of mental health disorders that underlie addictive behaviors. She brings her expertise in neuroscience, big-data and precision medicine techniques to the group for data-driven discovery of clinically relevant models of addictive behaviors, with an interest in researching and developing novel therapies to treat the root causes of addiction.
Laura Palombi, PharmD, MPH, MAT, AE-C
lpalombi@d.umn.edu
Dr. Palombi is an Assistant Professor at the College of Pharmacy in Duluth. She works with rural community members and coalitions to find community-specific solutions to the opioid crisis and to capitalize on community recovery capital. She also works closely with public health, health professions, and harm reduction professionals to increase access to naloxone.
Cuong Q. Pham, MD
pham0079@umn.edu
Dr. Pham is a physician and Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine and Pediatrics at the University of Minnesota Medical School. He works clinically as a hospitalist at the University of Minnesota Medical Center and as a primary care physician at the Community University Health Care Center (CUHCC). His work on academic medical education in health equity as well as with the underserved communities in the Twin Cities has led him to focus on Community-Based Participatory Research. His current research is in collaboration with the local urban American Indian community to develop a culturally-centered and family-centered approach to opioid use disorder treatment in primary care settings.
Philip Portoghese, PhD
porto001@umn.edu
The Portoghese Research Group is focused on the design and synthesis of compounds that target opioid receptors, both as pharmacologic tools and as agents for treatment of pain. Novel concepts and approaches are employed for development of analgesics that are highly selective for different types of opioid receptors.
David Redish, PhD
redish@umn.edu
Dr. Redish is a Distinguished McKnight University Professor in the Department of Neuroscience. He and his team explore the computational processes that underlie decision-making. His research addresses questions of addiction from the perspective of addiction as dysfunctions in those decision-making processes. His research interests span the neurophysiology of behavior, including computational, experimental, theoretical, and clinical approaches. His laboratory has major research efforts in theoretical explanations of the interactions of multiple decision-making systems, in the neurophysiology of the information processing in those decision-making systems, and in the clinical consequences of dysfunction in those decision-making systems. Through collaborations with other neuroscientists and psychologists translating their novel decision tasks to human populations, and clinicians testing consequences of their proposed explanations for dysfunction, Dr. Redish and his team explore the similarities and differences across species as a means of understanding addiction and its treatment.
Charles Reznikoff, MD
rezni009@umn.edu
Dr. Reznikoff practices in addiction medicine and is an addiction medicine doctor at Hennepin Healthcare. He is also an associate professor of medicine at the University of Minnesota. He maintains a clinical addiction medicine practice, while he is actively involved in public advocacy and regulatory issues surrounding controlled substances at the state and federal level, including the opioid prescribing workgroup and the governor's medical cannabis task force. He teaches on addiction medicine and opioid prescribing practices at the University of Minnesota Medical and Dental schools.
Linda Rinehart, PhD
lskalski@umn.edu
Dr. Rinehart is a licensed clinical psychologist who specializes in assessment and treatment for individuals with substance use disorders. Dr. Rinehart's research focuses on understanding how cannabis use impacts relapse to alcohol among patients with an alcohol use disorder. She also examines how cannabis use impacts treatment outcomes for mood, anxiety, and other drug use disorders.
Patrick Rothwell, PhD
rothwell@umn.edu
Dr. Rothwell is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Neuroscience. His research lab investigates the synaptic organization and behavioral function of basal ganglia circuits in health and disease. His interests include regulation of these circuits by endogenous opioid signaling, as well as the detrimental effects of chronic exposure to exogenous opioids, with a broad goal of reducing the abuse liability of opioid-based clinical therapies.
Mark Sanders
msanders@umn.edu
Mark Sanders is the Program Director of the University Imaging Centers and member of the Medical Discovery Team on Addiction Structural Circuits Center. His efforts in multimodal imaging and sample preparation will help explore large areas of the intact brain at microscopic resolution with a goal to help investigators identify biological pathways that can be targeted to prevent addictive behaviors.
Robert J. Schumacher, PhD
Scientific Director, Center for Translational Medicine
rschumac@umn.edu
Dr. Schumacher is the Scientific Director of the University of Minnesota’s Center for Translational Medicine and Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology. His research focuses on the preclinical testing and clinical translation of innovative drugs, biologics, cell therapies, and devices.
Donald Simone, PhD
Professor & Chair
simon003@umn.edu
Dr. Simone is a Professor and Chair of the of Department of Diagnostic and Biological Sciences. His lab studies neural mechanisms underlying cancer pain, pain following chemotherapy, and pain associated with sickle cell disease. Studies are primarily focused on neural encoding of pain by primary afferent and spinal cord neurons, biochemical and molecular changes in DRG and spinal cord that contribute to persistent pain, and pharmacological modulation.
Sheila Specker, MD
speck001@umn.edu
Dr. Specker is an Associate Professor and addiction psychiatrist in the Department of Psychiatry. She is Program Director for the Addiction Medicine Fellowship which trains physicians of all specialties in addiction and co-occurring psychiatric disorders. Her research interests include screening and brief intervention for adolescents at risk for substance use disorder and also is co-investigator on the use of neuroimaging approaches to identify circuit abnormalities in addiction. Pharmacotherapies for the treatment of cocaine use disorder has also been a focus of research.
Laura Stone, PhD
stone023@umn.edu
Dr. Stone’s research team utilizes both pre-clinical models and patient populations to i) investigate the mechanisms driving low back and musculoskeletal pain, ii) optimize pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments (alone and in combination), iii) understand the impact of chronic pain on the CNS and iv) explore epigenetic regulation of chronic pain. Dr. Stone’s contributions include the development of animal models of low back pain to enable pre-clinical studies, demonstration that attenuating chronic pain can reverse pain-related changes in the CNS and peripheral tissues. The team was also the first to link epigenetic regulation of a single gene to a chronic pain condition in both rodents and humans. The Stone Pain Lab emphasizes studies that contribute towards improved therapeutic strategies for chronic pain that bypass addiction circuits. Dr. Stone is a Professor in the Department of Anesthesiology.
Heather Swanson, MD
abbot112@umn.edu
Dr. Swanson works primarily as an Addiction Psychiatrist at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center. She is also an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry, Program Director for the Addiction Psychiatry fellowship, and VA Site Director for the University's Addiction Medicine fellowship. In terms of research, she currently serves as Lead Site Investigator in a multicenter clinical trial, entitled "Comparative Effectiveness of Two Formulations of Buprenorphine for Treating Opioid Use Disorder in Veterans (VA-BRAVE)".
Stanley Thayer, PhD
sathayer@umn.edu
Dr. Thayer is a Professor of Pharmacology. His laboratory studies endocannabinoid signaling. Cannabinoids, analogs of the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, act on receptors that are part of this system. Current studies examine the role of the endocannabinoid system in regulating synaptic transmission, neuroinflammation, and neurotoxicity.
Phu Tran, PhD
tranx271@umn.edu
Dr. Tran is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics. His research focuses on the role of epigenetics in long-term effects of early-life adversity on neural development. His lab has been investigating whether opioids exposure during pregnancy alters the epigenetic signatures of the infant’s cord blood stem cells and whether such change can be a determining factor for addictive behaviors in adolescence and adulthood.
Scott Vrieze, PhD
vrie0006@umn.edu
Dr. Vrieze's lab investigates the etiology of addiction in humans in two ways. He partners with hundreds of investigators around the world to conduct large genetic association studies of millions of people to find genetic variants and genes that protect or predispose to addiction. The ultimate goal of this research is to identify specific biological and psychological risk factors for addiction, leading to novel therapeutics. He also partners with investigators at the Minnesota Center for Twin and Family Research to conduct longitudinal studies of the development of addiction and psychopathology. The goal is to understand the causes and consequences of addiction.
Lucy Vulchanova, PhD
vulch001@umn.edu
Research in the Vulchanova lab is focused on mechanisms underlying persistent pain. Our long-term goal is to contribute to the development of novel non-addictive chronic pain treatments. We are interested in elucidating the spinal circuits that mediate pain signaling, and in the discovery of novel signaling pathways involved in the development and maintenance of chronic pain. We are employing cutting-edge circuit-tracing, functional imaging, and transcriptomic approaches to investigate the organization of spinal pain circuits, and to quantify the contribution of novel signaling mediators (VGF-derived peptides) to chronic pain.
Michael Walters, PhD
Research Associate Professor
mwalters@umn.edu
Dr. Walters is a Research Associate Professor in the Department of Medicinal Chemistry. He is also a Director in the Institute for Therapeutics Discovery and Development (ITDD), a full-service drug discovery and development unit within the College of Pharmacy. His research focuses on the synthesis and characterization of novel compounds for the treatment of pain without the abuse liabilities associated with opioids. He is currently collaborating on the development of a compound called MMG22 (Portoghese Laboratory) which shows promise for the non-addictive treatment of cancer pain.
Kevin Wickman, PhD
Professor & Head of the Department of Pharmacology
wickm002@umn.edu
Dr. Wickman is a Professor and Department Head of the Department of Pharmacology. His research program seeks to elucidate inhibitory signaling pathways that regulate the excitability of neurons in the reward circuitry. His team's recent efforts have shown that inhibitory G protein-dependent signaling pathways in the ventral tegmental area and prefrontal cortex normally serve to limit addiction-related behaviors evoked by administration of opioids and psychostimulants, but that the influence of these pathways is diminished with repeated drug exposure. They employ intracranial viral genetic and pharmacologic approaches, together with electrophysiological and behavioral analyses, to understand the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the reciprocal relationship between inhibitory signaling pathways in the reward circuitry and drugs of abuse. The premise behind their efforts is that if endogenous inhibitory signaling pathways can be strengthened to prevent their suppression by drugs of abuse, then the risk of addiction in susceptible individuals and/or relapse in recovering addicts might be reduced or prevented.
George Wilcox, PhD
Professor, Department of Neuroscience
george@umn.edu
Dr. Wilcox’s current research program has identified the cellular site and molecular mechanism mediating interdrug analgesic synergy in the central and peripheral terminals of nociceptors. His laboratory has most recently been funded to conduct preclinical development of a peripherally restricted, synergistic combination of two opioid agonists that shows high potency in multiple animal models of persistent pain. This analgesic combination manifests none of the troublesome effects of opioids mediated in the CNS, including addiction liability and respiratory depression.
Sylia Wilson, PhD
Assistant Professor, McKnight Land-Grant Professor
syliaw@umn.edu
Dr. Wilson is a McKnight Land-Grant Assistant Professor in the Institute of Child Development. Her research examines the developmental etiology of psychopathology—the underlying processes that lead to the development and familial transmission of internalizing and externalizing problems, including addiction. Her research integrates developmental, clinical, and neuroscience methods, and takes a lifetime developmental perspective that includes the study of infants, children, adolescents, and adults. She uses study designs and populations that are causally and genetically informative, including longitudinal, high-risk family, and twin designs, and takes a multimodal approach that includes behavioral, observational, neurocognitive, psychophysiological, and magnetic resonance imaging methods.
6-145 Jackson Hall
Email: mdtaddiction@umn.edu


Evolution of tsunami warning systems and products
Bernard, E., and V.V. Titov
Philos. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. A, 373(2053), 20140371, doi: 10.1098/rsta.2014.0371 (2015)
Each year, about 60 000 people and $4 billion (US$) in assets are exposed to the global tsunami hazard. Accurate and reliable tsunami warning systems have been shown to provide a significant defence for this flooding hazard. However, the evolution of warning systems has been influenced by two processes: deadly tsunamis and available technology. In this paper, we explore the evolution of science and technology used in tsunami warning systems, the evolution of their products using warning technologies, and offer suggestions for a new generation of warning products, aimed at the flooding nature of the hazard, to reduce future tsunami impacts on society. We conclude that coastal communities would be well served by receiving three standardized, accurate, real-time tsunami warning products, namely (i) tsunami energy estimate, (ii) flooding maps and (iii) tsunami-induced harbour current maps to minimize the impact of tsunamis. Such information would arm communities with vital flooding guidance for evacuations and port operations. The advantage of global standardized flooding products delivered in a common format is efficiency and accuracy, which leads to effectiveness in promoting tsunami resilience at the community level.


Robust and Minimum Divergence Statistical Inference
Walk-in interviews will be conducted on 23 March 2020 (Monday) at 10:30 a.m. in the Interdisciplinary Statistical Research Unit Seminar Room (4th floor, R.A. Fisher Bhavan) of the Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata for recruitment of one (01) Project linked person on purely temporary basis in the Interdisciplinary Statistical Research Unit of the Institute, Kolkata.
Contact Person: Interdisciplinary Statistical Research Unit, 033-2575-5054
Psychological Counsellor
The Institute invites applications from registered organisations specialized in providing counselling sessions to an individual or a group of students, staff and their family members for its Headquarters in Kolkata initially for one year and extendable year wise based on satisfactory performance.
Announces vacancy for the post of DIRECTOR of the Institute w.e.f. 1st August, 2020.
Contact Person: Brig. J N Pandey (Retd.), Non-Member Secretary Council and Chief Executive (Administration & Finance), 033-2575-2251.
Unified Software Defined Architecture for Industrial Internet-of-Things
A walk-in-interview will be conducted on 10 February 2020 at 11:00 a.m. for the recruitment of one (01) Project linked person purely on temporary basis in the Advanced Computing & Microelectronics Unit (ACMU) of the Institute, Kolkata.
Contact Person: Advanced Computing & Microelectronics Unit, 033-2575-3012
Unravelling the interdisciplinary facets of physics and data sciences in real life socio-economic challenges
Applications are invited from highly motivated and eligible candidates for recruitment of one Project linked Junior Research Fellow (JRF) purely on temporary basis in the Physics and Applied Mathematics Unit of the Institute, Kolkata.
Contact Person: Physics and Applied Mathematics Unit, 033-2575-3020


Women’s Suffrage History at the Governor’s Mansion
USS Olympia Silver Program at the Mansion
GMF 50 Year Timeline
Mansion Families Gallery
Art in the Mansion
Tour Handouts
Officers/Comm/Reports
Officers, Committees
2020 Report to the Community
Leo Adams to Olympia
Governor's Mansion Foundation
POB 4052
info@wagovmansion.org
The Governor’s Mansion Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization.
The Governor’s Mansion is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the Washington Heritage Register.
The Governor's Mansion Foundation*, an all-volunteer, non-profit, non-partisan organization, honors the historical and cultural importance of the Washington State Governor's Mansion by maintaining and enhancing furnishings and art for the public rooms of the Mansion, educating the public about the Mansion and its history and advocating on its behalf.
*The Governor's Mansion Foundation is independent of the Governor's office and Governor.
© 2023 Olympia Governor's Mansion Foundation. Website by 20 Miles North
Foundation Email


The Election Results and National Energy Policy
In trying to read the effect of the 2012 elections on national energy policy, there are at least five places to look:
1. Continuity at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
One of the more dramatic changes that occurred during the first Obama term was a shift in the mission of the Federal Regulatory Commission. FERC fundamentally regulates wholesale power rates and electric power rates in interstate commerce. Since 1992, FERC has seen its primary mission as promoting the expansion of competitive wholesale power markets and the accoutrements needed to support those markets. This has not changed. But the older FERCs were agnostic as to fuel choice for generating electricity and silent on issues effecting the environment. The current Commission has repeatedly acknowledged what it sees as the importance of policies promoting renewable energy development and has refined the agency’s policies in areas such as wholesale power market design as well as electric transmission planning and pricing to reflect that priority. Current Chair Jon Wellinghoff has a steady history of promoting renewable energy and a keen interest in advancing the use of electric vehicles. Look for these policies to continue, especially if Wellinghoff stays at the helm.
2. New Leadership at the Department of Energy
In choosing Steven Chu to head the Department of Energy, President Obama turned to a brilliant scientist with no taste for the political fight. It is extremely important that DOE has been run by someone who understands energy and deeply cares about promoting both energy efficiency and renewable energy development. It would be hard to say these things about most DOE leaders as they walked in the door. With the ever-growing profile of energy issues, the President can now choose a new DOE leader from a list of people both steeped in energy policy and ready to go into battle. The result may be the selection of a secretary who can be an even stronger voice affecting the policy discussion on the Hill and beyond. In the meantime, expect more progress from the lower ranks of the agency, as the mid-level leaders brought in during the current administration begin to hit their stride. It takes years to staff up, identify preferred strategies, and start to make them work.
3. New Opportunity in the U.S. Senate
With the retention of control in the Senate and the retirement of Senator Bingaman, leadership in the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources shifts to Oregon Senator Ron Wyden. This may prove to be a significant change. While Bingaman and Wyden might share some basic values about the importance emphasizing renewable energy and other cleaner sources, Senator Wyden seems to have greater interest in working across the aisle, a willingness to question policy that promotes unfettered exploitation of natural gas resources and an eye toward using the federal stage to motivate better renewable energy policy in the states. Working in a chronically obstructed institution where one member can often stop new legislation in its tracks, and living next door to a House of Representative controlled by another party makes any significant progress on energy policy a steep challenge. Wyden seems to be eager and excited to take it on.
4. Further De-Emphasis of Coal by the Environmental Protection Agency
Others can better describe strategies at the EPA and assess the likelihood of Congressional budget actions getting in the way. However, the Administration’s mercury rules have created the potential for further significant reductions in the use of coal for electric generation, and its efforts to reduce methane leakage at hydraulic fracturing sites could go a long way to improve the carbon footprint of natural gas. Certainly, these efforts and others affecting the energy landscape have a greater chance of surviving through the next four years under the current leadership.
5. A Change of Tune from the Bully Pulpit
For two years, President Obama omitted any reference to climate change in his State of the Union address, and abandoned efforts to promote climate legislation. In celebrating his successful re-election, he brought up the subject again. The country will accomplish little on the national level to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adopt energy policy consistent with that result in the absence of a strong voice from the top, and a willingness to insist on maintaining public attention on the subject. There is at least a chance that the President may now be able to provide that leadership.
2012 elections, Climate Change, Department of Energy, energy policy, Environmental Protection Agency, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Jon Wellinghoff, Steven Chue
Unraveling Hydrogen: Part I
Is Bipartisanship Possible?
Steve established and directed the Energy Law Program at Berkeley Law. He is currently a Lecturer at the Goldman School of Public Policy.…
POSTS BY Steven
Don’t Leave the Public Out of the Public Utilities Commission
California may have denied due process for those questioning PGE’s penalty for starting the Kincade Fire
Unintended Consequences Create Challenges for Utility Regulators
Making sure that regulatory incentives do what the regulators intended.
Some of the Things Federal Agencies Can Do to Address Climate Change
Current federal law provides many ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, even without a friendly senate
The members of the U.S. Supreme Court cannot credibly decide 2020 elections cases
To do so could impair faith in our democratic institutions
We All Have a Role in This Fight
Those who fight for the environment must fight for racial justice, as well.


Chernobyl>
Image from a Japanese Ground Self-Defense video shows part of the stricken Fukushima nuclear power plant on March 27. (AFP/HO/File)
Japan May Have Lost Race to Save Nuclear Reactor
Owner Account
The radioactive core in a reactor at the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant appears to have melted through the bottom of its containment vessel and on to a concrete floor, experts say, raising fears of a major release of radiation at the site.
The warning follows an analysis by a leading US expert of radiation levels at the plant. Readings from reactor two at the site have been made public by the Japanese authorities and Tepco, the utility that operates it.
Richard Lahey, who was head of safety research for boiling-water reactors at General Electric when the company installed the units at Fukushima, told the Guardian workers at the site appeared to have "lost the race" to save the reactor, but said there was no danger of a Chernobyl-style catastrophe.
Workers have been pumping water into three reactors at the stricken plant in a desperate bid to keep the fuel rods from melting down, but the fuel is at least partially exposed in all the reactors.
At least part of the molten core, which includes melted fuel rods and zirconium alloy cladding, seemed to have sunk through the steel "lower head" of the pressure vessel around reactor two, Lahey said.
"The indications we have, from the reactor to radiation readings and the materials they are seeing, suggest that the core has melted through the bottom of the pressure vessel in unit two, and at least some of it is down on the floor of the drywell," Lahey said. "I hope I am wrong, but that is certainly what the evidence is pointing towards."
The major concern when molten fuel breaches a containment vessel is that it reacts with the concrete floor of the drywell underneath, releasing radioactive gases into the surrounding area. At Fukushima, the drywell has been flooded with seawater, which will cool any molten fuel that escapes from the reactor and reduce the amount of radioactive gas released.
Lahey said: "It won't come out as one big glob; it'll come out like lava, and that is good because it's easier to cool."
The drywell is surrounded by a secondary steel-and-concrete structure designed to keep radioactive material from escaping into the environment. But an earlier hydrogen explosion at the reactor may have damaged this.
"The reason we are concerned is that they are detecting water outside the containment area that is highly radioactive and it can only have come from the reactor core," Lahey added. "It's not going to be anything like Chernobyl, where it went up with a big fire and steam explosion, but it's not going to be good news for the environment."
The radiation level at a pool of water in the turbine room of reactor two was measured recently at 1,000 millisieverts per hour. At that level, workers could remain in the area for just 15 minutes, under current exposure guidelines.
A less serious core meltdown happened at the Three Mile Island nuclear plant in Pennsylvania in 1979. During that incident, engineers managed to cool the molten fuel before it penetrated the steel pressure vessel. The task is a race against time, because as the fuel melts it forms a blob that becomes increasingly difficult to cool.
In the light of the Fukushima crisis, Lahey said all countries with nuclear power stations should have "Swat teams" of nuclear reactor safety experts on standby to give swift advice to the authorities in times of emergency, with international groups co-ordinated by the International Atomic Energy Authority.
The warning came as the Japanese authorities were being urged to give clearer advice to the public about the safety of food and drinking water contaminated with radioactive substances from Fukushima.
Robert Peter Gale, a US medical researcher who was brought in by Soviet authorities after the Chernobyl disaster, in 1986, has met Japanese cabinet ministers to discuss establishing an independent committee charged with taking radiation data from the site and translating it into clear public health advice.
"What is fundamentally disturbing the public is reports of drinking water one day being above some limit, and then a day or two later it's suddenly safe to drink. People don't know if the first instance was alarmist or whether the second one was untrue," said Gale.
"My recommendation is they should consider establishing a small commission to independently convert the data into comprehensible units of risk for the public so people know what they are dealing with and can take sensible decisions," he added.
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Lika's about html
ChernobylFukushimaJapanNuclear PowerWater


Gazprom Exports Rise 30%
By The Moscow Times
Gazprom said it increased exports by 30 percent in the first quarter of 2011, including a 12 percent rise in its European market, where prices turned in its favor.
"In the past year, spot prices in Europe have caught up with and even exceeded Gazprom contract prices," Gazprom quoted chief executive Alexei Miller as saying in a statement Monday. "If in January-March 2010 the average export contract price for Gazprom gas was about $293 [per 1,000 cubic meters] and exceeded spot prices by 50 percent, the difference between average spot and contract prices in the first three months of 2011 fell to 8 percent."
Gazprom's average European export price in the first quarter was $346 per 1,000 cubic meters, it said, noting that spot prices hit $400 and more in the quarter.
taking aim
The U.S. Treasury Department declared Russia's shadowy Wagner Group a “transnational criminal organization” and imposed fresh sanctions on...
Russian and international human rights activists on Thursday condemned the dissolution of the Moscow Helsinki Group (MHG), Russia's oldest independent...
turning the screws
Updates with Timchenko comments Russia's General Prosecutor's Office has added the independent news outlet Meduza to the country's list of “undesirable&rdquo...
Pivot to Asia
Uzbekistan will import natural gas from Russia for the first time ever as the Central Asian country faces an energy crisis, the authorities in Tashkent...


India Now Boasts Four Out of the Top Five Fastest Growing Spirit Brands in the World
A bottling plant worker checks bottles of Black Power whisky for impurities at a Tilaknagar Industries distillery and bottling unit in Srirampur, about 186 miles northwest of Mumbai, January 28, 2013
Vivek Prakash — REUTERS
By Joanna Plucinska
August 7, 2015 5:33 AM EDT
India’s love affair with whisky has spurred domestic brands into becoming some of the biggest players in the global liquor market, with four of the world’s top five fastest growing spirits now hailing from the South Asian nation.
Indian whiskies also occupy seven of the top 25 fastest growing spirit brands, according to a recent study carried out by International Wine and Spirit Research, a London-based industry firm, with another five brands in that group focusing on India as their key market.
Imperial Blue is leading the way with 27.7% growth between 2013-14, with Officer’s Choice following closely behind at 18.4%, the study says, largely due to its popularity among lower-income consumers. Officer’s Choice has already overtaken Smirnoff as the world’s largest spirits brand, according to a recent article in India’s Economic Times.
Royal Stag and McDowell’s, owned by Diageo, follow closely behind.
The spirit’s popularity amongst Indians shows no signs of stopping — domestic consumption of whisky grew by 4% between 2013 and 2014, even while other spirits like vodka and brandy saw a fall in demand.
“The opportunities within the Indian spirits market are plentiful, especially among this lower socio-economic group,” the report said.
North Korea Is Creating Its Own Time Zone
The 25 Defining Works of the Black Renaissance


IWD - UNSW Business School
By Seda Cokcetin
I am raising money to support Dress for Success Sydney’s life-changing programs and services.
This International Women's Day, UNSW Business School is excited to partner with Dress for Success. Your donation will help to rebuild the lives of women doing it tough by instilling confidence, restoring dignity and building resilience, to help women facing challenges thrive in 2023 and beyond.


THE SCIENCE BEHIND ZOFIN
ZOFIN
BIOLOGIC PIPELINE
Proteomic Analysis of Amniotic Fluid Derived Exosome Cargo Reveals a Therapeutic Potential for Regenerative Therapies
Read the full article here: https://organicell.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Proteomic-Analysis-of-Amniotic-Fluid-Derived-Exosome-Cargo-Reveals-a-Therapeutic-Potential-for-Regenerative-Therapies.pdf
October 25, 2020 /by Organicell
https://organicell.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Publication_Header_Images_2-02.png 875 2534 Organicell https://organicell.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/organicell.svg Organicell2020-10-25 05:52:512021-06-04 13:36:28Proteomic Analysis of Amniotic Fluid Derived Exosome Cargo Reveals a Therapeutic Potential for Regenerative Therapies
Menu footer 1
Subscribe to our newsletter! *
Example: Yes, I would like to receive emails from Organicell. (You can unsubscribe anytime)
By submitting this form, you are consenting to receive marketing emails from: Organicell. You can revoke your consent to receive emails at any time by using the SafeUnsubscribe® link, found at the bottom of every email. Emails are serviced by Constant Contact
Copyright © 2023 Organicell Regenerative Medicine, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy.
Organicell Partners with Regenerative Care Network to Study Potential Therapeutic... Organicell Provides Update on Its COVID-19 Clinical Trial Using ZofinTM
Ian T. Bothwell
Interim Chief Executive Officer
Chief Financial Officer, Board Member
From 2003 through November 2015, Mr. Bothwell served in various executive positions for Central Energy GP LLC, the general partner of Central Energy Partners LP, a publicly traded master limited partnership.
From July 2007 through November 2015, Mr. Bothwell served as President and a director of Regional Enterprises, Inc. Since April 2007, Mr. Bothwell has served as the President and controlling member of Rover Technologies, LLC, a company formed to provide management solutions to the public transportation industry. Since 2015, Mr. Bothwell has also served as the President and controlling member of CountOnMe Inc., a company that provides software solutions for the educational industry. Mr. Bothwell received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Boston University in 1984.
Ivan Santos
Biologics Manufacturing and Operations Manager
Ivan Santos is the Biologics Manufacturing and Operations Manager at Organicell. Experienced in regenerative medicine, Ivan has a strong ability to translate design requirements into actionable plans. He brings valuable experience in biotechnology and neuroscience research, and is a key contributor to the development of novel therapeutics at Organicell.
Ivan is immensely adept with biologic quantification techniques such as ELISA assays, bradford analysis, flow cytometry, nanosight technology, and is skilled in biologic processing such as exosome isolation, and cell culturing and expansion.
He also has extensive experience with MATLAB/Simulink, Wolfram Mathematics, and Python, contributing qualitative analysis programing to biologic research and manufacturing.
SKILLS INCLUDE:
ELISA/Bradford/Flow Cytometry/Nano sight
MSCs Cell Culture/Exosomes Isolation
Quality Assurance/Validation
Extensive experience in MATLAB/Simulink, Wolfram Matematica, Python
Albert Mitrani
Executive VP of Sales, Co-Founder
Mr. Mitrani serves as the Executive VP of Sales, Co-Founder and Board Member at Organicell Regenerative Medicine, Inc. He formerly served as the Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer, Secretary and Treasurer at Organicell Regenerative Medicine, Inc. (alternate name Biotech Products since June 24, 2011). Mr. Mitrani formerly served as the Chief Executive Officer, President and Director of Analytical Stem Cell Corp. from April 2014 to May 2015. From February 2012 to March 2014, Mr. Mitrani served as the Chief Executive Officer of Americell Trinidad and the President of ASCAAC LLC (American Stem Cell) from March 2011 to January 2013. Mr. Mitrani served as the Chief Executive Officer of American Cellular Center in Quito Ecuador from 2009 through 2012.
HIS SPECIALTIES INCLUDE:
Proven achievement in fundraising for Regenerative based companies.
Proven achievement in opening medical clinics in developing countries.
Proven achievement in entrepreneurial endeavors of new concepts.
Owner of numerous successful businesses utilizing retail and cable television sales channels.
Experienced manager of daily operations to maximize revenues and gain market share.
Stem Cell Therapeutics
Exosome Therapeutics
Radio Frequency and Microcurrent Therapeutics
Marketing: Excellent knowledge of retail and direct to consumer sales channels.Consistently provenability to design and direct marketing campaigns leading to increased gross sales, increased market share and reduced cost-of-sales. Image, brand development and market positioning.
Operations: Sound business judgment with strong focus on improving performance. Troubleshooting actual and potential problem areas andimplementing viable solutions that are both profitable and efficient.
Product Management: Involved in all phases of development for product lines from conception to distribution ensuring completion within budget and meeting deadlines.
CW Post Long Island University
Bachelor of Science, Business Management
PANAMERICAN SCHOOL OF NATURAL MEDICINE
Nevis, West Indies
Doctor of Naturopathy
WORLD ORGANIZATION OF NATURAL MEDICINE PRACTITIONERS
Doctor of Natural Medicine
Grand Prior, The Sovereign Medical Order of the Knights Hospitaller
Papal Knight, Order. St Sylvester
Awarded Papal Knight from Cardinal Bertone Secretary of State at the Vatican
Maria Ines Mitrani, M.D., PhD
Chief Science Officer, Co-Founder, Board Member
Dr. Maria Ines “Mari” Mitrani is the Chief Science Officer and co-founder of Organicell Regenerative Medicine. For the past 13 years, Dr. Mitrani has led Organicell in developing innovative treatments to various health conditions. She was most recently recognized as one of the ‘Top 100 Healthcare Leaders’ by IFAH for her work spearheading COVID-19 therapeutics. Over the past few years, Dr. Mitrani has built a team of forward-thinking scientists and researchers and has received several FDA approvals to conduct clinical trials; these include COVID-19 acute and Long Hauler sequelae, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, and Knee Osteoarthritis.
HER ADVANCED TRAINING INCLUDES:
Stem Cell Science
Stem Cell Treatments
Perinatal Laboratory Processing Techniques
Anti-Aging Treatments
Dr. Mitrani graduated from the Universidad San Francisco de Quito with an MD and her Ph.D. from S.O.M.A. (Medical Society of Natural Therapies), She received her Doctor of Acupuncture from the Panamerican University of Natural Medicine.
Joseph Rogers
Quality Assurance Associate
Joseph Rogers is a recent graduate from the Biomedical Engineering Master’s program at the University of Miami. He has over two years of clinical experience and over a year of research experience, including subjects related to neurological disorders and diseases.
ADVANCED TRAINING INCLUDES:
Medical product development
iPS cell research
Lumbar and cervical injuries
Post-op patient training
Biodex testing
DNA and RNA extraction
Plasmid construction
Joseph is a graduate of the University of Miami, where he received his bachelor of science in Biology with a minor in Chemistry. He received his master of science in biomedical engineering with a focus on tissue design from the University of Miami in 2020.
Tania del Rivero, Ph.D.
Tania del Rivero, Ph.D. is a highly analytical research scientist with over 12 years of experience working in biomedical research. Her field of expertise includes molecular biology, immunology, and neuroscience.
Tania has worked in numerous settings, including both clinical and laboratory settings. She has overseen multiple clinical research projects from residents and faculty at Aventura Hospital and Kendall Regional Medical Center in Miami, FL. Additionally, she has worked in various research laboratories to develop novel drugs and study their biological effects in cell culture and animal models.
Dr. del Rivero earned her doctorate from Drexel University, where her thesis focused on the role of tumor necrosis factor in neuropathic pain. She has also authored numerous publications covering subjects such as osteoporosis, osteomyelitis, spinal cord injury, and neuropathic pain.
Developing cell culture models
Exosome isolation and quantification
RNA extraction, qPCR
ELISAs and Multiplex Immunoassays
Dr. del Rivero earned her bachelor of science in neuroscience and behavioral biology in 2010 from Emory University in Atlanta, GA, where she graduated summa cum laude. In 2017, she graduated from Drexel University in Philadelphia, PA, with her doctorate in biology.
Induction to Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology Honors Research Program
Travel Award for CISAB (Center for the Integrative Study of Animal Behavior) Conference — Honorable Mention for best Oral Presentation at CISAB Conference
Induction ro AAAS/Science Program for Excellence in Science
Sheila and David Fuente Neuropathic Pain Research Program Graduate Fellowship
Neuroscience Scholars Program Associate-Society for Neuroscience
Keynote Speaker for Drexel University Spinal Cord Injury Symposium
Drexel Biology Department Travel Award
Member of Consortium for Excellence in Medical Education (CEME) Board of Directors
Cassie Bennett, Ph.D.
Dr. Cassie Bennett holds her doctorate in biomedical engineering. She focuses in research, development, and project management within biomedical environments. Her accomplished work has led her to author and co-author numerous peer-reviewed papers, as well as several poster conference presentations. Dr. Bennett received her doctorate from The University of Miami, during which time she worked as a research assistant and lab manager until her graduation. After graduating, she joined the Organicell team to oversee quality control, the development of standard operating procedures, and quality assurance at the biomedical level.
Immunochemistry
Tissue & Blood Processing
Cell Work
Lab Management
Medical & Technical Writing
Dr. Bennett received her Bachelor of Science in Biological Engineering from Mississippi State University in 2016. In 2021, she graduated with her doctorate in Biomedical Engineering from The University of Miami.
BOARD AFFILIATIONS AND CERTIFICATIONS
Society Of Neuroscience | Member
American Medical Writers Association | Member
Six Sigma | Green Belt Certified
Michael A. Bellio, Ph.D.
Vice President, Manufacturing & Processing
As the Laboratory Director at Organicell Regenerative Medicine, I have lead the research, development, and manufacturing of novel biological medicine for the treatment of pulmonary, cardiovascular, and orthopedic degenerative disease. Our teams mission is to advance biological medicine to offer safe and effective solutions to treat diseases. I received comprehensive training manufacturing, characterizing, and culturing primary stem cells and cell derived nanoparticles and exosomes for research, pre-clinical, and clinical regenerative medicine application at the University of Miami’s Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute (ISCI). This experience includes the translation of molecular biology techniques including, flow cytometry analysis, protein and RNA analysis, and fluorescence microscopy to the completion of research development and processing validation tasks required in an expanding cGMP production facility. My past research has focused on the develop of in vitro culture systems that modulate physiological levels of oxygen to better isolate and expand potent cell products for use in translational and clinical projects. More recently, I have developed a methodology for the large-scale manufacturing of exosome products from bioreactors for use in translational and pre-clinical research and presented the results at the 2019 International Society of Cell Therapy meeting as a young professional abstract awardee.
EDUCATION/TRAINING:
B.S. – Biology
University of Miami- Miller School of Medicine
Ph.D. – Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology
University of Miami- Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute
Post-Doc – Clinical Cell Manufacturing
Julian Milberg
Julian Milberg’s background and training are in the field of engineering, specifically Biomedical Engineering. His skill and expertise in highly evolved
equipment have proven to be a major asset to the industry. He has worked with the Leica Confocal and a Leica TCS SP8 Stimulated Emission Depletion (STED) imaging modality and has instructed engineering students on the proper use and maintenance of a scanning electron microscope. His current work with Organicell in the field of Nanotechnology, specifically with the
Nano Sight NS 300 is helping the industry in looking into the field of virus and vaccine development, gene therapy, and drug delivery systems. In addition to his instructional experience, Mr. Milberg has published technical articles concerning cancer treatment.
HIS ADVANCED TRAINING INCLUDES:
Analysis of Amniotic Fluid
Scanning Electron Microscopy
Testing of Biomedical Equipment
Mr. Milberg graduated from The University of Miami, School of Engineering after obtaining a BS in Biomedical Engineering and then his Master’s Degree in the field.
Microsoft Office Suite Certified
CITI Animal Care and Use
Practical Radiologic Technologist
Basics of Extracellular Vesicles
Fluent in German and Conversant in Spanish
Danique Stewart
As Quality Assurance Associate Danique is responsible for the development and implementation of Organicell™’s Quality Management System. Additionally, she reviews and audits the Standard Operation Procedures for Organicell™ ensuring good manufacturing practices (GMP) are met and exceeded. Experienced in laboratory management Danique brings a wealth of knowledge to her role.
Danique holds a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering from Florida International University. She also graduated with honors from Miami Dade College (MDC) with an Associates of Arts in Biology
Development and Implementation of Organicell Quality Management System
Review and Audit of Standard Operating Procedures for Organicell Manufacturing Laboratory
Implementation of GMP standards within Organicell Laboratory
Batch Record Review and Release
Semi-Annual Audits of Organicell Quality Management System
Continual update of Organicell Laboratory’s Quality System based on rules and regulations outlined in FDA Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).
Zanub Abdullah
Cell Processing Specialist
Zanub is a Cell Processing Specialist at Organicell Regenerative Medicine and brings close to four years of professional experience in medical, manufacturing, quality assurance, regulatory and service environments. She is proficient in FDA rules, regulations, and current good manufacturing practices (cGMP) for research and clinical manufacturing.
Process extracellular vesicles and perinatal-derived nanoparticles to create therapies for patients following strict FDA guidelines.
Write and revise Standard Operation Procedures (SOPs).
Responsible for laboratory maintenance, reagent receipt and inspection, data entry and analysis, stocking of supplies, and day to day functions of the laboratory.
Responsible for placing all laboratory orders and returns.
Process, store, and release therapies for clincal trails and emergency INDs.
George Shapiro, M.D., F.A.C.C.
Chief Medical Officer, Board Member
Dr. Shapiro has been a practicing physician for 30 years, specializing in Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Disease and Age Management Medicine. His career in medicine began in 1988 when he graduated from New York Medical College. An internship and residency then followed at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, after which Dr. Shapiro completed a fellowship at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in 1994, focusing on Cardiovascular Disease Management, including Congestive Heart Failure and Heart Transplantation.
Dr. Shapiro was the recipient of the 10th Annual Alan P. Mintz, M.D. Award, for Clinical Excellence in Age Management Medicine, as he has become known nationwide as an expert in age management medicine, and leads one of the most prominent age management practices in the country as president of Cenegenics New York City.
Always challenged by the need for innovative medicine, Dr. Shapiro has patented medical devices as well as explored and innovated new medical protocols. He has long been known as one of New York’s foremost cardiologists, specializing in regenerative medicine and improving longevity, including the genomics of cardiovascular disease and congestive heart failure.
Dr. Shapiro is active in 13 medical societies, has been a speaker for the Age Management Medicine Group (AMMG) group for many years, and is a long-standing member of the AMMG Conference Planning Committee. Dr. Shapiro was named 2016-2020 Top Doctor in New York City.
Larry Ziff
Financial and Regulatory Advisor
Larry Ziff has more than 33 years of experience serving the insurance industry. He is recognized as an innovator who brought life insurance to the banking industry by starting the first division of insurance at United Jersey Bank. In addition to being one of the first people to bring life insurance into banks, it should be noted that he has also introduced the world of accounting firms into the life insurance business, and was one of the first people to work as an independent producer representing multiple insurance companies.
Larry began his career with Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance, where he was named New Agent of the Year. He has authored a large number of articles and publications and is often quoted by the media on insurance topics. Ziff has received numerous outstanding performance awards and is considered by industry players to be in the top tier of insurance brokers nationwide.


NewsHillsborough County
Woman hopes to inspire others to work in construction
By: Robert Boyd
TAMPA — Despite being in a pandemic, there is one industry that continued to add jobs throughout the summer and into the fall and that’s construction, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics.
Yet 90 percent of that industry continues to be dominated by men.
“I never saw myself on a construction site and never would have imagined it either,” said Lina Castro.
In a matter of four years, Castro has worked her way up from an administrative assistant to project manager with InVision Advisors. She is currently overseeing the construction of 50 town houses in Tampa.
“Typically on construction sites, women are very few and far between,” said Castro.
However, Castro really hopes to change this trend. She says with so many women finding themselves out of work due to the pandemic, a career in construction needs to be at least given some serious thought.
“The design and construction world are taking a different lead into a more technology-based, so it's not all manual labor,” said Castro.
She said construction jobs aren’t only a stable option during economic uncertainty, but they pay well and you don’t need a college degree.
“COVID is not stopping construction as long as all protocols are in place,” said Castro. “You are in control of your destiny, the harder you work, the more you study and perfect your craft, the better you will be.”
Castro said she has seen more women on job sites in the last few months and hopes it’s not just a pandemic fad, but a sign of things to come.
“I can tell you, more women are getting involved and hopefully soon, women will take over,” said Castro.


Home › Updates › “From Ancient to New Silk Road” exhibition opens up in Rome
“From Ancient to New Silk Road” exhibition opens up in Rome
On December 5, 2016, an exhibition called “From Ancient to New Silk Road” opened up at the Presidential Palace known as the “Quirinale Palace” in Rome. The exhibition in Rome was initiated by Sergio Mattarella, the President of the Italian Republic, and was held under his auspices. The opening ceremony was attended by officials from the Italian government, Ernest Sultanov, the coordinator of the MIR Initiative and the Railway Silk Road Cities Forum, and Alexander Nosov, a member of the management board of the State Company “Russian Highways”.
At the opening of the exhibition, a discussion was held on the subject of developmental projects of the railway and highway Silk Road. Discussion members, including Alexander Nosov, the representative of the Russian Company “Avtodor”, noted that the creation of the New Silk Road would allow to bring together the Eurasian space, improve transport mobility in the region and build momentum for further integration in economy, culture, science and art.
This exhibition will be a traveling one. In March 2017, it will be opened in Turin, in collaboration with the Museum of Oriental Art of Turin. MIR Initiative plans to take part in the next exhibition and present to the general audience first New Silk Road interactive maps patterns. At the same time, it is planned to hold a Cities Forum meeting to discuss promising infrastructure projects in the framework of the New Silk Road.
Download: Russian


Free Men of Color in the American Revolution: Moses Byrd – A Revolutionary War Musician
AfAm History Black History family history
I’ve been making one discovery after another when it comes to my ancestral kin who were Free Men of Color in the American Revolution. I’ve found records for hundreds of kinsmen who were FPOC within my extensive ancestral extended family who served in many different capacities during the American Revolution.
Illustrative open source image
Moses Byrd, born around 1745, is another interesting discovery. Moses was a musician in Lewis’ Company of the North Carolina Continental Line in Halifax County, North Carolina, in 1776. He seems to have disappeared from active duty in January 1778.
He mustered again in Taylor’s Company for 2-1/2 years in January 1779. [Clark, The State Records of North Carolina, XVI:1012, 1024, XVII: 192]. As a FPOC, he was legally obliged to register in his home county. He was a “Mulatto” taxable in Southampton County in 1802 [PPTL 1792-1806, frames 156, 183, 261, 311, 373, 407, 509, 546, 615]. There is usually a brief physical description of the free person of color in question included in the registration records. Sadly, I haven’t been able to find such a description for Moses.
He was taxable in Southampton County from 1782 to 1803: taxable on a horse and 4 cattle from 1782 to 1787, taxable on Asa Byrd [believed to be Moses’s nephew] in 1788, taxable on Thomas Byrd [Moses’s son] in 1795, called a “Mulatto” in 1802 [PPTL 1782-92; frames 508, 544, 634, 655, 705, 755, 812, 869; 1792-1806, frames 156, 183, 261, 311, 373, 407, 509, 546, 615].
He was living in Northampton County, North Carolina, before 2 January 1807 when he made his Northampton County will, proved March 1808 [WB 2:362]. He left most of his estate to his wife, whose name remains unknown.
This is his life, as it’s currently known, in a nutshell.
Musicians in the Revolutionary War
I was curious about the exact nature of his war service. Naturally, I did some digging. I know he was a musician. However, the records don’t specify what instrument or instruments he played. I did, however, manage to unearth accounts of what army musicians did during the war.
It turns out that Moses was probably a part of the Fife, Drum, and Bugle Corps. 18th Century Army musicians had a dual role. The first was as a communication channel. There were no walkie-talkies, radios, or quick forms of mass communication on the 18th Century battlefield. Musicians were a practical means of long-distance communication. Anyone who lives within a mile of a sports arena today can attest to how far the sounds of drums, fifes (think flutes), and horns can carry!
The second part of a musician’s service during the war was to provide entertainment for the army camps. In other words, morale boosters.
According to the website The United States Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps:
The fife was used because of its high-pitched sound and the drum because of its low-pitched sound. Both instruments can be heard from great distances and even through the sounds of a battlefield. Fifers and drummers would provide the music for all of the things that soldiers would need to do throughout the day. They would play tunes in the camp, on the battlefield, or for a march…
On the battlefield, musicians had the responsibility of helping keep order in battle and to make sure the soldiers functioned well as a unit. Drummers would play beatings telling the soldiers to turn right or left as well as to load and fire their muskets. There was a tune called Cease Fire that fifers and drummers would play to tell the soldiers to stop firing at the end of a battle while a tune called Parley was used to signal to the enemy that a surrender or peace talk was desired.
More information about the service of Army musicians in the American Revolution is available on the same website via http://www.fifeanddrum.army.mil/kids_fife_drum.html
Now that I had a very basic understanding of the service Moses provided during the war, I wanted to find out more about the battles he would have been a part of. It turns out, he was involved in quite a few.
Micajah Lewis, Captain of the 1st and 4th North Carolina Regiments
The first half of Moses’s war service was under Capt. Micajah Lewis (yep, another kinsman from my extended family) was part of the 4th North Carolina Regiment. This speaks to an important historical fact where Moses’s genealogy is concerned: he had already left Southampton, Virginia for North Carolina when he joined Maj Lewis’s regiment. Established on 15 April 1776, this means Moses was a resident of North Carolina by 1776.
What’s interesting to me is that he was taxable in two states during an overlapping period between 1790 and 1802: Halifax and Northampton Counties in North Carolina and Southampton County in Virginia. While he would ultimately come to permanently reside in Northampton, North Carolina…he was clearly going back and forth from North Carolina to Virginia. He is far from being alone. I have swathes of ancestral kin who were FPOC moving back and forth from North Carolina and Virginia before permanently residing in North Carolina. I remain mystified as to why. What was happening in the early decade of the American Republic that caused thousands of FPOC to ping pong between these two states for two to three decades? I digress, but only in the name of genealogy!
The website The American Revolution in North Carolina (http://www.carolana.com/NC/Revolution/revolution_nc_fourth_regiment.html) has an excellent overview of the Regiment and its war activities. In its early stages, the Regiment was moved from place to place. In the Fall of 1778, the 4th NC Regiment was reorganized at Halifax, NC. This fits perfectly with when Moses enlisted. Halifax, NC was one of the ancestral centers for the extensive FPOC Bird/Byrds.
At this point, judging by the battle lists for 1778 in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia, it appears that Moses may have been involved in skirmishes in South Carolina and Georgia…but saw no major action.
Capt Lewis, who attained the rank of Major by the time of his death in 1779, would die after being shot either during the course of, or directly after, a battle. Which battle is unclear. The website The American Revolution in South Carolina cites he died as a result of being shot at the Battle of Stono Ferry in South Carolina (http://www.carolana.com/SC/Revolution/revolution_stono_ferry.html). Some Lewis family history books cite the Battle of King’s Mountain in North Carolina as his final battle (https://books.google.com/books?id=-rn7DAAAQBAJ&pg=PA13&dq=captain+micajah+lewis&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiThK_NluzPAhVKID4KHbztDxwQ6AEIHDAA#v=onepage&q=captain%20micajah%20lewis&f=false). His death in 1779 is not in dispute.
Moses would serve at the Battle of Stono Ferry on 20 June 1779.
Image Courtesy of http://www.carolana.com/
After the death of Capt. Lewis, Moses would go on to serve under Capt. Philip Taylor’s 5th North Carolina Regiment.
Philip Taylor, Captain of the 5th North Carolina Regiments
As part of Capt. Taylor’s regiment, Moses would serve in the Battle of Stono Ferry (1779, http://www.carolana.com/SC/Revolution/revolution_stono_ferry.html )
British Map Showing Battle of Stono Ferry – 20 June 20 1779. Image Courtesy of http://www.carolana.com/
the Siege of Charleston in South Carolina (1781, http://www.carolana.com/SC/Revolution/revolution_siege_of_charleston.html).
Courtesy of http://www.carolana.com/
After the War
Moses was granted a land patent for his war service. The patent included a 274-acre land warrant granted in 1783 for his service in the American Revolution. Evidently, the tract of land was never claimed. It was returned to the State in 1821.
Roll #4, Book B-2, pg. 112-113, TN State Library & Archives State of North Carolina, No. 2332,…..granted unto John Gray Blount and Thomas Blount assignees of Moses Byrd a private in the Continental Line of said state 274 acres of land in County of Davidson on the South side of the Harpeth River…..the upper part of Millers Bend?…..James Robertson’s West boundary… dated 20 May 1793. (The rest of the deed is very difficult to make out)
For whatever reason, this land grant doesn’t appear to have been claimed by Moses, or his wife, or his children. I have no record of him or his direct family members having any connection to Davidson County. To date, they are associated with only two North Carolina Counties: Halifax and Northampton.
This land grant, however, is beginning to paint a picture of how some of my ancestral kin who were either poor whites or free people of color came by medium-sized tracts of land after the Revolutionary War ended. Land that would have been out of their reach to purchase, was a form of payment and/or reward for services rendered. Even better, some of these land grants are still held by these families to this very day.
Tags: african american musicians in the revolutionary war, african american revoutionary war patriots, black musicians in the revolutionary war, black revolutionary war patriots, blacks in the American Revolution, free african americans in the american revolution, free blacks in the american revolution, moses byrd revolution war patriot, Revolutionary War land grants, Revolutionary War Pensions
A peculiar inheritance: slavery and the case for reparations in the US
Genetic genealogy, DNA triangulation, and the search for my missing Futrell ancestor
2 thoughts on “Free Men of Color in the American Revolution: Moses Byrd – A Revolutionary War Musician”
Charlie Frye says:
In case you have not seen this: https://www.dar.org/library/research-guides/forgotten-patriots.
Moses Byrd is listed therein.
A very good suggestion, Charlie. I keep forgetting the DAR. I have to admit I find the SAR to be ahead of its SAR brothers when it comes to things like this


Posts Tagged ‘Khodinskii Field panic’
Nicholas & Alexandra: Khodynka Field
Posted in Leon Trotsky, PEOPLE, POLITICS & GOV'T, ROYALTY/NOBILITY, Tsar Nicholas and Tsarina Alexandra, tagged biographies of royalty, Bloody Nicholas, bread and circuses, coronation cup, cup of sorrows, Grand Duchess Olga, Khodinskii Field panic, Khodynka, Khodynka Field Massacre, khodynka field tragedy, Leon Trotsky, Moscow, Nicholas and Alexandra, Russian royal family, the romanovs, tsar nicholas' coronation on June 27, 2011| 8 Comments »
The Crowned Romanovs, Nicholas II and Alexandra Feodorovna, 1896 image
On May 26, 1896, the coronation of Tsar Nicholas II was held in Moscow. Four days later, the traditional public festival was to be held at a field five miles north of the city. At the invitation of the new tsar, every Russian was welcome. As Tsar Nicholas II was the absolute ruler of 1/6 of the earth and more than 120 million people, many people were expected. (3) All were promised free food, beer, gifts, and entertainment. The tsar himself was to appear at the central pavillion to watch the parade and greet his people.
The Khodynka Program of Events
Khodynka Field was the site selected for the popular celebration because it was the only place large enough to contain the expected crowd. However, Khodynka Field was not a natural fairground; it was a training ground for troops of the Moscow garrison. The field was crisscrossed by a network of shallow trenches used for moving troops and artillery and pitted with holes. Therefore, in preparation for the festival, wooden stalls, reviewing stands, and entertainment stages had to be built as well as bridges to span the enormous ditches. Barricades – really just skimpy wooden railings – protected the site from the crowds.
Khodynka Field is being prepared for the May 26, 1896, post coronation celebration for Russian Tsar Nicholas II.
Thrilled by the coronation and excited by the prospect of the carnival to be held at Khodynka Field, the people were “stirred up and restive.” (1) The night before, thousands thronged to the area and camped out in the open, waiting for dawn, when the turnstiles would open and they could enter the fairgrounds. As the group waited, a rumor began to spread
that there would not be enough gifts or food to go around. They had been promised sausage, bread rolls, sweets, nuts, gingerbread and a precious keepsake – a pink enamel mug bearing the arms of the city of Moscow and the words “In memory of the Holy Coronation,” all wrapped together in a colored kerchief stamped with the tsar and tsarina’s pictures.” (1)
More and more people came. There was much jostling and crowding. “The crush was so great a bullet could not have slipped through.” (2) Over the course of the night, made anxious by rumors of shortages, people pushed toward the barricades that guarded the entrance to the fairground in order to be the first in line when the gates opened.
It was sometime just before dawn when the barricades fell. The crowd surged forward, stampeding onto the meadow, rushing toward the food stalls. The patrol of 100 mounted Cossacks could not even begin to control the “mass of people half a million strong.” Khodynka Field, with its open trenches, became a deathtrap:
People by the thousands fell in a ditch and ended standing literally on their heads at the bottom. Others fell straight after them and more, and more….” (1)
Others, knocked down in the pandemonium, were trampled to death or mutilated by the incessant forward motion of the crowd. In minutes, Khodynka Field resembled a battlefield, strewn with carnage. People were fainting, gasping for air, vomiting, writhing, screaming, bleeding, lying dead or dying. Thousands were wounded, over 1300 were dead.
Trampled bodies cover Khodynka Field prior to the post-coronation celebration of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, May 30, 1896.
Russians standing in the Khodynka Field in the aftermath of the riot that killed over 1300 Russians, May 30, 1896.
By 10:30 a.m., Tsar Nicholas II was told of the Khodynka catastrophe. He was shocked and sorrowful. Out of respect to the victims, his first inclination was to cancel the day’s activities which included not only his appearance at the Khodynka Field but a ball at the French embassy. But he gave into his advisors, his uncles, and kept to the official schedule. After all, France was Russia’s only European ally, he was reminded, and Russia could not afford to offend France. Besides, to adorn the ball, the French government had gone to great lengths, sending priceless tapestries and treasures of silver plate from Paris and Versaillles, along with 100,000 roses from the south of France. (3)
So the day went forward as planned. Bodies were carted off from the Khodynka Field where the tsar made his traditional appearance as if nothing had happened.
The celebration at Khodynka Field, parades and all, went on, despite the morning's carnage.
The French “ball was opened by the Majesties dancing a quadrille,” said the Minister of Finance.
The "Coronation Cup" given away at the Khodynka Field post-coronation celebration for Tsar Nicholas II. It has come to be known as the "Cup of Sorrows," commemorating the tragedy of 1300 people trampled to death that day in May of 1896.
Outward appearances aside, both the tsar and tsarina were deeply affected by the events at Khodynka. They visited the wounded in the hospitals. They paid for the burial of the dead. From the Tsar’s private purse, each victim’s family was remunerated. But no act of kindness could erase the terrible event from the Russian national consciousness. Many felt that the Khodynka Field Massacre was an omen that the reign of Tsar Nicholas II would not be a happy one. The tsar earned the nickname “Bloody Nicholas.”
Russian Empress Alexandra with her firstborn, daughter Olga, in 1896.
Secretly, throughout those long and difficult days, Empress Alexandra, the tsarina, had been expecting a child, her second after Olga. After the Khodynka tragedy, the Empress was greatly distressed and suffered a miscarriage. The lost baby was a boy, who, had he lived, would have become the male heir in line for the Russian throne, the boy everyone was clamoring for Alexandra to give birth to.
1897 photo of Russian Revolutionary Leon Trotsky, born Lew Dawidowich Bronstein
Shortly after Khodynka, Leon Trotsky began his Marxist political activity against Imperial Russia. Bread and circuses would not longer pacify the tsar’s people. The revolution had begun.
(1) Erickson, Carolly. Alexandra: The Last Tsarina. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2001.
(2) Radzinsky, Edward. The Last Tsar: The Life and Death of Nicholas II. New York: Doubleday, 1992.
(3) Massie, Robert K. Nicholas and Alexandra. New York: Dell Publishing Co., 1967.
Readers: For more on the Russian Royal Family, click here.