Renã A. S. Robinson

Renã A. S. Robinson
Born	Rena A. Sowell Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.[1]
Nationality	American
Alma mater	University of Louisville, Indiana University
Awards	Pittsburgh Conference Achievement Award 2017 Talented Twelve Award 2016 Emerging Investigator 2016
Scientific career
Fields	Analytical chemistry, Proteomics
Institutions	Vanderbilt University, University of Pittsburgh
Doctoral advisor	David E. Clemmer

Renã A. S. Robinson is an associate professor and the Dorothy J. Wingfield Phillips Chancellor's Faculty Fellow in the department of chemistry at the Vanderbilt University, where she is the principal investigator of the RASR Laboratory.^[2]

Robinson is recognized as an emerging leader in proteomics and the study of Alzheimer's disease, sepsis, and aging. She has developed a novel multiplexing strategy for quantitative proteomics called cPILOT.^[1] She has received a number of awards, including the 2017 Pittsburgh Conference Achievement Award.^[3][4]

Education and early research

Born Rena A. Sowell,^[5] Renã A. S. Robinson is married and has two children.^[6] Robinson completed her B.S. in chemistry at the University of Louisville in 2000.^[3] She received her Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry in 2007 from Indiana University Bloomington where she worked with David E. Clemmer.^[2] While still a Ph.D. student, she pioneered work that combined techniques for ion-mobility spectrometry and time-of-flight mass spectrometry to identify proteins in fruit flies and study aging.^[1][7] These proteomics methods were used to identify over 1,600 proteins. Results indicated connections between metabolic and defense-response proteins and aging.^[8]

Robinson then worked with Allan Butterfield at the University of Kentucky, receiving two postdoctoral fellowships: the Lyman T. Johnson fellowship and the UNCF/Merck Postdoctoral Fellowship.^[3][2] With Butterfield, she used proteomics methods to study Alzheimer's disease in animals and humans.^[3][2] Her research was important in the laboratory's discovery that free radical oxidative stress affects Alzheimer's brains.^[6]

Scientific career

External videos
"Renã Robinson, Proteomics Provocateur", Chemical & Engineering News

From 2009 to 2017, Robinson  was an assistant professor in the department of chemistry at the University of Pittsburgh, and a faculty member of the Biomedical Mass Spectrometry Center at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine^[2] and the University of Pittsburgh Alzheimer Disease Research Center.^[9] At the end of 2017, she joined Vanderbilt University  where she now leads the RASR Laboratory as an associate professor of chemistry, in the department of chemistry, department of neurology and faculty member of the department of chemical biology, and Vanderbilt Memory & Alzheimer's Center.^[2]

Robinson's research focuses on how changes in the brain and the rest of the body are related in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's.^[1][10] Of particular interest is the molecular basis of racial disparities in age-related diseases whereby certain populations of people have higher incidences and risk of disease. For example, Black and Hispanic populations develop Alzheimer's at a rate two to three times higher than the majority of the US population.^[6] While many factors can contribute to health disparities, Robinson uses a variety of high-throughput analytical methodologies and novel proteomics approaches to determine if molecular differences can help explain disparities in Alzheimer's disease and sepsis.^{[11][10][12][13]} One of the questions she studies is whether changes external to the brain, such as oxidative stress or metabolic alterations, occur before or after changes within the brain.^[1][10]

Proteins are involved in major functions throughout the body, including communication between cells. Changes in protein function, or in expression level of a protein, may cascade from one protein to another throughout a system. Protein behavior changes as people age, but scientists do not yet know why: is it a result of incremental damage over time, from oxidative stressors or other causes; or is there some inherent signal that triggers changes with age, and if so, what purpose does it serve? By studying immunosenescence, Robinson hopes to relate early changes in the immune system to changes in molecular systems and the development of Alzheimer's and other age-related diseases.^[8]

Robinson continues to develop novel equipment and techniques for Ion-mobility spectrometry (IMS) and mass spectrometry (MS).^[8] She develops new proteomics techniques which are used to study the molecular basis of aging^[14] throughout the body, particularly the production of Amyloid precursor proteins and Amyloid beta peptides in organs beyond the central nervous system.^[15][16] Robinson has developed a novel multiplexing strategy for quantitative proteomics called "combined precursor isotopic labeling and isobaric tagging" or cPILOT, that can examine 12 or 16 samples at a time.^{[1][16][17][18]} By replacing specific precursor atoms by their isotope, monitoring reactions, and tracking the passage of an isotope within the body, Robinson identifies proteins that have been modified.^[1][17] Better understanding the changes that take place in Alzheimer's disease may lead to the development of new treatments.^[1]

Dr. Robinson is the current president of the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers. ^[19]

Public science and mentorship

In addition to her dedication to improving human health through scientific research, Robinson also focuses on providing professional and scientific development activities for undergraduates, graduate students, and postdoctoral researches as well as engaging in community outreach activities for K through 12 students. Robinson was the Associate Director of Outreach, Recruitment and Education at the University of Pittsburgh, Alzheimer's Disease Research Center^[20] and has continued to provide mentorship within and outside her academic lab at Vanderbilt.^[21][22] As a Vanderbilt Global Voices Fellow,^[23] Robinson continues to build public awareness for her body of work related to racial and ethnic disparities in Alzheimer's disease as well as risk factors impacting the disproportionate effect of COVID-19 in communities of color in the USA.^[24][25]

Select publications

• Stepler KE, Robinson RAS (2019). "The Potential of 'Omics to Link Lipid Metabolism and Genetic and Comorbidity Risk Factors of Alzheimer's Disease in African Americans". Reviews on Biomarker Studies in Psychiatric and Neurodegenerative Disorders. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology. Vol. 1118. pp. 1–28. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-05542-4_1. ISBN 978-3-030-05541-7. PMC 9000904. PMID 30747415. S2CID 73443710.
• Evans, Adam R.; Gu, Liqing; Guerrero, Rodolfo; Robinson, Renã A. S. (October 2015). "Global cPILOT analysis of the APP/PS-1 mouse liver proteome". Proteomics: Clinical Applications. 9 (9–10): 872–884. doi:10.1002/prca.201400149. PMID 25620666. S2CID 24483426.^[1]
• Cao, Zhiyun; Yende, Sachin; Kellum, John A.; Angus, Derek C.; Robinson, Renã A. S. (7 February 2014). "Proteomics Reveals Age-Related Differences in the Host Immune Response to Sepsis". Journal of Proteome Research. 13 (2): 422–432. doi:10.1021/pr400814s. PMC 3976438. PMID 24266763.^[1]
• Sowell, Renã A.; Hersberger, Katherine E.; Kaufman, Thomas C.; Clemmer, David E. (September 2007). "Examining the Proteome of Drosophila Across Organism Lifespan". Journal of Proteome Research. 6 (9): 3637–3647. doi:10.1021/pr070224h. PMID 17696518.^[1]

Awards

• 2024 Power List - Human Health Heroes, Analytical Scientist^[26]
• 2023 Power List - Mentors and Educators, Analytical Scientist^[27]
• 2019, Vanderbilt Global Voices Fellowship (formerly the Chancellor's Public Voices Fellowship), from Vanderbilt University^[23]
• 2019, Margaret Cuninggim Mentoring Award, from Vanderbilt University^[28]
• 2017, Pittsburgh Conference Achievement Award, from Pittcon and the Society for Analytical Chemists of Pittsburgh (SACP).^[3][29]
• 2016, Women Of Excellence Award, New Pittsburgh Courier^[30]
• 2016, Talented Twelve Award, from Chemical and Engineering News^[1][31][6]
• 2016, Emerging Investigator, from Analyst^[32]
• 2016, Young Investigator, from Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry^[2]
• 2015, ASMS Emerging Investigator, from Journal of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry^[14]

References

1. "Codename: Proteomics Provocateur". C&EN's Talented Twelve. 2016-08-21. Retrieved 3 April 2017.
2. "Dr. Renã A. S. Robinson". RASR Laboratory. Retrieved 3 April 2017.
3. Conn, Pete (December 12, 2016). "Pittcon Announces 2017 Award Recipients for Outstanding Achievements in Analytical Chemistry and Applied Spectroscopy". Pittcon 2017.
4. Evans, Adam R.; Robinson, Renã A. S. (November 2013). "Global combined precursor isotopic labeling and isobaric tagging (cPILOT) approach with selective MS acquisition". Proteomics. 13 (22): 3267–3272. doi:10.1002/pmic.201300198. PMID 24124127. S2CID 20747194.
5. "Rena A. Sowell, Ph.D." Chemistry Tree. Retrieved 28 April 2017.
6. Erdley, Debra (September 5, 2016). "Pitt lab director Robinson lauded for Alzheimer's research". TribLive. Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Retrieved 28 April 2017.
7. Myung, Sunnie; Lee, Young Jin; Moon, Myeong Hee; Taraszka, John; Sowell, Rena; Koeniger, Stormy; Hilderbrand, Amy E.; Valentine, Stephen J.; Cherbas, Lucy; Cherbas, Peter; Kaufmann, Thomas C.; Miller, David F.; Mechref, Yehia; Novotny, Milos V.; Ewing, Michael A.; Sporleder, C. Ray; Clemmer, David E. (October 2003). "Development of High-Sensitivity Ion Trap Ion Mobility Spectrometry Time-of-Flight Techniques: A High-Throughput Nano-LC-IMS-TOF Separation of Peptides Arising from a Protein Extract". Analytical Chemistry. 75 (19): 5137–5145. doi:10.1021/ac030107f. PMID 14708788. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
8. "The Mysteries of Aging: Renã Robinson, Pitt assistant professor of chemistry, targets proteins in her research to determine why we age". Pitt Chronicle. February 8, 2010. Retrieved 28 April 2017.
9. "Welcome to ADRC, Dr. Renã Robinson Joins ADRC Faculty" (PDF). Pathways. Winter (University of Pittsburgh Alzheimer Disease Research Center): 11. 2016. Retrieved 28 April 2017.
10. Robinson, Renã A. S.; Amin, Bushra; Guest, Paul C. (2017). "Multiplexing Biomarker Methods, Proteomics and Considerations for Alzheimer's Disease". In Guest, Paul C. (ed.). Proteomic Methods in Neuropsychiatric Research. Springer International Publishing. pp. 21–48. ISBN 978-3-319-52478-8.
11. Cao, Zhiyun; Yende, Sachin; Kellum, John A.; Robinson, Renã A. S. (2013). "Additions to the Human Plasma Proteome via a Tandem MARS Depletion iTRAQ-Based Workflow". International Journal of Proteomics. 2013: 654356. doi:10.1155/2013/654356. ISSN 2090-2166. PMC 3590782. PMID 23509626.
12. King, Christina D.; Robinson, Renã A. S. (2020-02-18). "Evaluating Combined Precursor Isotopic Labeling and Isobaric Tagging Performance on Orbitraps To Study the Peripheral Proteome of Alzheimer's Disease". Analytical Chemistry. 92 (4): 2911–2916. doi:10.1021/acs.analchem.9b01974. ISSN 0003-2700. PMC 7932850. PMID 31940168.
13. Stepler, Kaitlyn E.; Robinson, Renã A. S. (2019), Guest, Paul C. (ed.), "The Potential of 'Omics to Link Lipid Metabolism and Genetic and Comorbidity Risk Factors of Alzheimer's Disease in African Americans", Reviews on Biomarker Studies in Psychiatric and Neurodegenerative Disorders, Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol. 1118, Cham: Springer International Publishing, pp. 1–28, doi:10.1007/978-3-030-05542-4_1, ISBN 978-3-030-05541-7, PMC 9000904, PMID 30747415, S2CID 73443710
14. Reid, Gavin E. (3 March 2015). "2015 ASMS 'Emerging Investigators' Focus Section". Journal of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry. 26 (4): 538–539. Bibcode:2015JASMS..26..538R. doi:10.1007/s13361-015-1100-7. PMID 25731911.
15. Miksch, Joe (February 1, 2016). "Pursuing Alzheimer's Disease from the Periphery". Pitt Chronicle. Retrieved 28 April 2017.
16. Ren, Ru-Jing; Dammer, Eric B; Wang, Gang; Seyfried, Nicholas T; Levey, Allan I (2014). "Proteomics of protein post-translational modifications implicated in neurodegeneration". Translational Neurodegeneration. 3 (1): 23. doi:10.1186/2047-9158-3-23. PMC 4323146. PMID 25671099.
17. Robinson, Renã A. S.; Evans, Adam R. (5 June 2012). "Enhanced Sample Multiplexing for Nitrotyrosine-Modified Proteins Using Combined Precursor Isotopic Labeling and Isobaric Tagging". Analytical Chemistry. 84 (11): 4677–4686. doi:10.1021/ac202000v. PMID 22509719.
18. Evans, Adam R.; Gu, Liqing; Guerrero, Rodolfo; Robinson, Renã A. S. (October 2015). "Global cPILOT analysis of the APP/PS-1 mouse liver proteome". Proteomics: Clinical Applications. 9 (9–10): 872–884. doi:10.1002/prca.201400149. PMID 25620666. S2CID 24483426.
19. "Board Directory".
20. "Dr. Renã A. S. Robinson". Vanderbilt University. Retrieved 2020-07-12.
21. Wolf, Amy. "Diversity in chemistry professor's lab creates opportunity, explores clues to Alzheimer's". Vanderbilt University. Retrieved 2020-07-12.
22. "Impacting Lives". Vanderbilt University. Retrieved 2020-07-12.
23. "Awardees". Vanderbilt University. 2020-02-11. Retrieved 2020-07-12.
24. "Nashville to release COVID-19 cases by race as African Americans hit harder by virus nationwide". WTVF. 2020-04-08. Retrieved 2020-07-12.
25. Aubrey, Allison (18 April 2020). "Who's Hit Hardest By COVID-19? Why Obesity, Stress And Race All Matter". NPR.org. Retrieved 2020-07-12.
26. "The Power List 2024". The Analytical Scientist. 2024-08-17. Retrieved 2024-08-24.
27. "The Power List 2023". The Analytical Scientist. 2023-09-10. Retrieved 2023-09-02.
28. Blue, Jalen. "Margaret Cuninggim Women's Center presents annual awards to four Vanderbilt women". Vanderbilt University. Retrieved 2020-07-12.
29. Seijo, Bibiana Campos (March 13, 2017). "Live from Pittcon". Chemical & Engineering News. 95 (11): 4.
30. "2016 Women of Excellence list unveiled". New Pittsburgh Courier. 2016-11-11. Retrieved 2020-07-12.
31. "Chemical & Engineering News celebrates 'The Talented 12': Young science trailblazers". American Chemical Society. Retrieved 3 April 2017.
32. "Introduction to the 2016 Emerging Investigators themed issue". The Analyst. 141 (12): 3463. 2016. Bibcode:2016Ana...141.3463.. doi:10.1039/C6AN90039A. PMID 27183323. Retrieved 3 April 2017.