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Abstract or Project Description

Abstract or Project Description

Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD) including Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) are caused by environmental triggers and a dysregulated immune system. Interactions between certain bacteria, known as pathobionts, and the gut immune system contribute to IBD in animal models. However, we understand little of the types of pathobionts that might be influencing human IBD. This project aims to generate a humanized mouse model engineered with a human T cell antigen recognition system (VelociT mouse from Regeneron) and human gut microbiota. Establishment of a colitis model induced by microbiota-dependent immune dysregulation will mimic pathogenesis in human IBD patients. These mice can be used for identification of the yet unknown IBD-related pathobiont(s) and understanding how the pathobionts interact with the immune cells. One major advantage of our model is that the humanized mice express a diverse set of the HLA alleles which allows them to be matched to patients with the same HLA alleles, allowing for patient-specific analysis and potentially testing of personalized therapies in the future. This model will help investigate the triggers of human disease development and bridge the gap between animal models and clinical IBD research, contributing significantly to better understanding of IBD pathogenesis.

Abstract or Project Description

Funding supported Oakland Literacy Coalition’s annual Literacy & Justice for All Symposium, which brings together school and community educators, practitioners, funders, leaders, influencers and community stakeholders committed to sharing and learning effective strategies, approaches and tools that address the literacy needs of all learners.

Abstract or Project Description

Funding supported the Accelerating Literacy Leadership (ALL) Institute, which supports Oakland systems in dramatically improving K–2 students’ reading outcomes by strengthening implementation capacity.

Abstract or Project Description

Proteins serve essential functions in all living things by performing the many tasks required to keep a cell, and an entire organism, alive and healthy. To perform their jobs properly, however, proteins must be told what to do, and the way that this is accomplished is through protein modifications that serve as microscopic work orders. When proteins are not properly told what to do, this can cause diseases like autoinflammation. Two such modifications, known scientifically as ADP-ribosylation and ubiquitylation, are intimately linked to human health, and accordingly have emerged as multi-billion-dollar therapeutic targets in diseases such as cancer and neurodegeneration. Though historically considered as separate work orders for proteins, we recently discovered that ADP-ribosylation and ubiquitylation function cooperatively through a process we call MARUbylation. Remarkably, we have found that factors controlling MARUbylation are dysregulated in Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). As such, further discovery in this space brings immense potential for understanding and treating these debilitating diseases. Our interdisciplinary team includes world-leaders in ubiquitylation, ADP-ribosylation and intestinal inflammation, bringing together the expertise necessary to understand MARUbylation in IBD. From our proposed work, we expect numerous biological insights and translational discoveries to emerge, yielding transformative impacts on future IBD research and care.

Abstract or Project Description

“Roohozi in Motion” is a new interdisciplinary dance performance translating the improvisational Iranian Roohozi tradition into contemporary choreography featuring dancers, narration and archival imagery.

Abstract or Project Description

Funding supported Public Policy Institute of California research on California’s new K-2 reading screener and how it’s shaping daily instruction in schools.

Abstract or Project Description

“MAZE: Where We Be Now?” is a world-premiere play exploring the impact of the exploitation of communities left behind by social and technological upheaval, and the oppression of women through violence and misogyny.

Abstract or Project Description

“Entre Machismo No Hay Machos” is a world-premiere, full-evening dance theater performance featuring five Bay Area Queer Latine dancers, exploring Queer Latine immigrant experiences.

Abstract or Project Description

“De Mangangá” is an original Afro-Brazilian dance-theatre piece that tells the story of Besouro Mangangá, a legendary Capoeira fighter and freedom figure from early 20th-century Bahia, Brazil. It features a multidisciplinary ensemble of dancers, actors and musicians integrating Afro-Brazilian dance, Capoeira and an original score drawing from R&B, Afro-diasporic and Latin traditions.

Abstract or Project Description

San Francisco Recovery Theatre (SFRT) will present five free, public theatrical performances in San Francisco’s Tenderloin and Civic Center over 12 months. Drawing on community listening sessions, original scripting and local artists with lived experience, each production advances SFRT’s experimental practice of testimony-as-theater—reflecting the real lives, resilience and histories of underserved communities.

Abstract or Project Description

“PITCH” is a new dance-theater work exploring and documenting Bay Area dyke herstory and culture played out on the cultural arena of the softball field. The work will be presented September 2027 at Rikki Streicher Field in San Francisco and Bushrod Park in Oakland.

Abstract or Project Description

The immune system plays a major role in chronic Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, yet not much is understood about the early events that lead to the exacerbated inflammation that increases the risk of developing them. This project explores the idea that past infections influence long-term intestinal responses to stress or injury. The intestine is densely innervated and contains its own complex nervous system, often referred to as the “second brain,” which continuously communicates with immune cells to regulate inflammation, barrier function and pain. We propose that temporary infections, even those that resolve without obvious tissue damage, can permanently alter these nerve cells, changing how they interact with the immune system and increasing susceptibility to chronic inflammation, leading to disease. We are studying how gut nerves and immune cells change over time following infection. We will identify long-lasting molecular changes in these cells and test how activating or inhibiting specific nerve cell populations affects intestinal inflammation. By uncovering how interactions between the gut’s nervous system and immune system shape long-term intestinal health, this work aims to reveal new pathways that could inform earlier diagnosis and lead to more targeted treatments for chronic inflammatory intestinal diseases.

Abstract or Project Description

For patients with ulcerative colitis (UC), finding the right treatment is often a painful game of trial-and-error. Advanced therapies are expensive and fail in up to 40% of patients, delaying effective care. We propose a solution: a precision medicine test that predicts which drug will work before treatment begins. Unlike current research that simply counts immune cells, our project uses cutting-edge spatial technology to create a high-definition map of the cellular neighborhoods within the inflamed colon. Think of it as upgrading from a simple list of residents to a detailed street map that shows who is talking to whom. By analyzing standard archived biopsy samples from 128 patients in Australia and South Korea, we will identify specific “resistance neighborhoods” that block drugs from working. This international collaboration combines Australian genomic expertise and the Australian IBD Microbiome (AIM) Study cohort with Korean clinical resources (Severance Biobank). Our goal is to translate these complex biological maps into a simple, affordable diagnostic test. This will help doctors make more informed treatment decisions, potentially saving healthcare costs and protecting patients from unnecessary suffering.

Abstract or Project Description

“Myth & Marrow: An American Drama” is a new participatory theater piece with an accompanying exhibit of body maps featuring an ensemble of Bay Area afro-folkloric dancers, musicians and a storyteller, premiering fall 2026 in East Oakland.

Abstract or Project Description

“DENSITY” is a new intercultural theatrical work written for Theatre of Yugen’s ensemble by Peru-born Japanese playwright Yudai Kamisato. Drawing on Nohgaku and contemporary migration narratives, it is developed through residencies and community dialogues and will premiere in fall 2027.

Abstract or Project Description

Abdominal pain is a debilitating and often persistent symptom for patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), even when inflammation is successfully treated. Current pain medications frequently lack effectiveness or cause significant side effects. Our project proposes a novel solution: harnessing the gut microbiome to treat pain at its source. We have identified that the gut microbiome produces a specific compound called pyrogallol, which suppresses pain signaling by activating a receptor (GPR35) found on gut sensory neurons.

In this study, we will test whether delivering pyrogallol or specific beneficial bacteria that produce it can reduce visceral pain in mouse models of IBD. Simultaneously, we will analyze samples from IBD patients to determine if natural levels of these pain-relieving microbial compounds correlate with lower pain severity. Uniquely, we will collect samples from specific regions of the small intestine and colon, not just stool, to understand exactly where these interactions occur. This research aims to develop safer, targeted microbiome-based therapies to effectively manage abdominal pain in IBD.