Achievements/Awards/Recognition: Selected for the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine Guaranteed Admissions Program

Responsibilities: I retrieved and analyzed data on 230 patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy surgeries, looking for stroke symptoms at base-line, post-operatively, and follow-up.

Achievements/Awards/Recognition: Manuscript in preparation for publication: The Effects of Intra-Operative Neurophysiological Monitoring on Patients Undergoing Carotid Endarterectomy

Achievements/Awards/Recognition: University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute Summer Academy, Doris Duke Academy for Clinical Research:

Research Paper Publication: Li G, Liang X, Murthy P, Tang D, Zeh H, Lotze M. The Effector Role of Natural Killer Cell HMGB1, submitted July 2014 to Cell Immunity

Poster Publication: Murthy P, Li G, Liang X, Lotze M. HMGB1 is Essential for Intrinsic Natural Killer Cell Function, University of Pittsburgh Immunology Symposium 2014

Poster Publication: Murthy P, Zhou Y, Binder R. The Role of Heat Shock Proteins and their Receptor CD91 in Intestinal Immune Regulation, University of Pittsburgh: Science Convergence Meeting 2013

Best Overall Final Presentation and Poster Award (2013, 2014)

Achievements/Awards/Recognition: Is it a bitter solution to a sweet problem, or a sweet solution to a bitter problem? We would like to think that it is the latter. Type 2 diabetes is an adult onset disorder involving blood sugar control and insulin resistance that has bitter consequences if untreated. Bitter melon, as the name indicates, is a bitter tasting fruit consumed in Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean. Throughout different cultures, bitter melon is also known for its alleged, but largely unproven, health benefits for many medical ailments, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. Recent discoveries of plant based insulin and other known anti-diabetic compounds in bitter melon have sparked interest in understanding bitter melon’s possible role in controlling diabetes. Bitter melon’s blood sugar control in mouse models has been well documented, but similar clinical results are sparse and inapplicable to the general population because of improper methodology. The goal of this project was to clearly identify bitter melon’s anti-diabetic effects on individuals with pre-diabetes, the pre-cursor stage of diabetes where lifestyle modification with diet and exercise can prevent progression of the disease. To complete this, the efficacy of bitter melon consumption in controlling blood sugar levels was tested in 15 middle aged men and women newly diagnosed with pre-diabetes in a six week double blind placebo controlled study. Data analysis revealed a novel explanation for bitter melon’s anti-diabetic mechanism, which accounts for both increased insulin production and sensitivity in the body. Most importantly, bitter melon was shown to be a natural and economical food-based solution to prevent the progression of pre-diabetes to diabetes without harmful side effects.

Recognition: Professor of Immunology University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

Recognition: Professor of Immunology, Bioengineering, and Surgery University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine