DR. LASHITEW GEDAMU

 B.Sc. (Ethiopia), Ph.D. (Sussex, U.K.) - Professor, Department of Biological Sciences and Adjunct Professor, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology.

Research Interests:

Molecular Biology of Leishmania (an intracellular human protozoa parasite) pathogenesis. Vaccine development for leishmaniasis and other infectious diseases. Regulation of Metallothionein (MT) genes in response to heavy metal ions, cytokines, oxidative stress and inflammatory agents.

View Pub Med for Recent publications & abstracts

Recent Publications:

• Mundodi, V., Somanna, A., Farrell, P.J. and Gedamu, L. (2002) Genomic organization and functional expression of differentially regulated cysteine protease genes of Leishmania donovani complex.  Gene 282, 257-265.
• Somanna, A., Mundodi, V. and Gedamu, L. (2002) Functional analysis of cathespin B-like cysteine proteases from Leishmania donovani complex:  evidence for the activation of latent transforming growth factor B.  J. Biol. Chem. 277, 25305-25312.
• Somanna, A., Mundodi, V. and Gedamu, L. (2002) In vitro cultivation and characterization of Leishmania chagasi amastigote-like forms.  Acta Tropica 83, 37-42.
• Barr, S and Gedamu, L. (2002) New defense against nitrosative stress in Leishmania chagasi: Role of peroxidoxins in survival (Submitted to J. Biol. Chem.)
• Plewes, K., Barr, S and Gedamu, L.  (2002) Leishmania chagasi Iron Superoxide Dismutases:  Role in Macrophage survival (Submitted to J. Biol. Chem.)
• Mundodi, V., Somanna, A. and Gedamu, L.  (2002)  Disruption of the cysteine protease genes of Leishmania chagasi:  Role in survival and pathogenesis ( Submitted to GENE).
• Wolday, D. Berhe, N., Gedamu, L., Britton, S. and Akuffo, H. (2002) Accelerated spontaneous in vitro apoptosis of neutrophils isolated from patients with Leishmania-HIV co-infection.  J. Infect. Dis. (Re-submitted)
• Sanyal, R. and Gedamu, L. (2002) Study of two optimal growth media for Leishmania chagasi:  Expression studies using two reporter genes (In Preparation)
• Barr, S.D. and Gedamu, L. (2001) Cloning and characterization of three differentially expressed peroxidoxin genes from Leishmani chagasi:  Evidence for an enzymatic detoxification of hydroxyl radicals.  J. Biol. Chem. 276, 34279-34287.
• Hailu, A., Menon, J., Berhie, N., Gedamu, L, Kager, P.A., Olobo, J., Senthilselvan, A. and Bretscher, P. (2001) Distinct immunity in visceral patients from that in both subclinically infected and in drug-cured people:  implications for the mechanism of underlying drug cure.  J. Infec. Dis. 184, 112-115.
• Samson, S.-L.A., Paramchuk, W. and Gedamu, L. (2001) The rainbow trout metallothionein-B gene promoter:  contributions of distal promoter elements.  Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1517, 202-211.
• Samson, S.L.-A., Paramchuk, W.J. and Gedamu, L. (2000) The rainbow trout metallothionein-B promoter: Contributions of distal promoter elements to metal and oxidant regulation. Biochim. Biophys. Acta 93488, 1-10.
• Carvan III, M.J., Willy, A.S., Gedamu, L., and Nerbert, D.W. (2000) Activation of transcription factors in Zebrafish cell cultures by environmental pollutants. Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 376, 320-327.
• Miller, J.M., Boyd, E.J. and Gedamu, L. (2000) Induction of heat shock protein 70 (HSP72) protects against organ damage in essential hypertension: a hypothesis. The Canadian Journal of Cardiology 16, 44-48.

Contact Information:

The University of Calgary,
Room 350 Biological Sciences,
2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta
Canada T2N 1N4
Phone (403) 220-5556
Fax: (403) 289-9311
E-mail: lgedamu [at] ucalgary [dot] ca.