Neda Heydarian

Major Professor: Rice
Email: n.heydarian@ou.edu

Hometown:
Saqqez, Kurdistan, Iran

Education:
B.S., Animal Biology, Maitreyi College, University of Urmia
M.S., Cellular and Molecular Biology, Azad University
M.S., Biochemistry, University of Oklahoma

I am dedicated to improving human health and alleviating diseases. I believe Biochemistry allows me to the development of new anti-infectious drugs and inhibitors, while at the same time enables me to decipher the mechanism of infectious diseases.

I am a fourth-year PhD candidate working with Dr. Charles V. Rice. My research focuses on developing a technology that improves chronic wound healing. I am investigating polymer potentiators called BPEI (Branched Polyethylenimine) and its less-cytotoxic derivative PEG-BPEI against factors that impair wound healing process including antibiotic resistance, biofilm formation, and over-production of inflammation response. I have worked on a group of multi-drug resistant bacteria called carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) and I have shown that the potentiator molecules can re-potentiate drug-resistant CRE bacteria against the existing antibiotics in the market. Furthermore, I have used the potentiator molecules to eliminate assemblages of surface-associated microbial cells, called biofilms, that attach to wound surfaces and are very hard to kill with standard of care antibiotics. I have demonstrated that applying BPEI and PEG-BPEI as dressings on the surface of CRE biofilms can eradicate the bacterial communities and restrict their survival. I am currently working on the immunology of chronic wounds and reducing the excess inflammation that develops in these wounds. I have shown that the potentiators can reduce the excess immune response caused by bacterial debris in human immune cells. The inflammation reduction can help to prevent many acute ulcers from becoming chronic wounds, therefore alleviating the risk of recurrent infection and impaired wound repair.

After receiving my PhD, I would like to join the pharmaceutical and biotech industry to help build pipelines of anti-infective drugs.

Publications, Presentations & Awards

Publications

Published

Panlilio H, Neel A, Heydarian N, Best W, Atkins I, Boris A, Bui M, Dick C, Ferrell M, Gu T, Haight T, Roedl C. C, Rice C. V. Anti-biofilm activity of PEGylated branched polyethyleneimine. American Chemical Society Omega (Accepted Oct 2022).
Moen E. L, Pusavat J, Wouters C. L, Panlilio H, Heydarian N, Peng Z, Lan Y, Rice C. V. Dimerization of 600 Da Branched Polyethyleneimine Improves β-lactam Antibiotic Potentiation Against Antibiotic Resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Chemical Biology & Drug Design. 2021.
Panlilio H, Lam A. K, Heydarian N, Haight T, Wouters C. L, Moen E. L, Rice C. V. Dual- Function Potentiation by PEG-BPEI Restores Activity of Carbapenems and Penicillins against Carbapenem Resistant Enterobacteriaceae. ACS Infect Dis. 2021, 7, 6, 1657-1665.
Heydarian N, Favaedi R, Gilani M. S, Shahhoseini M. CDY1 Gene Expression as a Potential Marker for Prediction of Sperm Recovery. Int J Reprod BioMed. 2016, 14, 6, 383-388.

Submitted Transcripts

Heydarian N, Wouters C. L, Neel A, Ferrell M, Panlilio H, Haight T, Gu T, Rice C. V. Eradicating biofilms of Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae. Manuscript submitted to ChemMedChem (under review).
Wouters C. L, Heydarian N, Pusavat J, Panlilio H, Lam A. K, Moen E. L, Brennan R. E, Rice C. V. Potentiating Gram-Positive Drugs Against Gram-Negative Bugs: Killing E. coli and K. pneumoniae with Oxacillin. Manuscript submitted to Antibiotics (under review).

Presentations

Heydarian N, Wouters C. L, Neel A, Rice C. V. (2022) “Effect of Cationic Branched Polyethylenimine (BPEI) on Planktonic Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae and their Biofilms”, American Chemistry Society, San Diego, California, USA.
Heydarian N, Wouters C. L, Neel A, Rice C. V (2022). Eradicating of Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae Biofilms. Annual Meeting of the Missouri Valley branch of the American Society for Microbiology, Stillwater, Oklahoma.
Heydarian N, Wouters C. L, Neel A, Rice C. V. (2021) “Cationic Branched Polyethylenimine (BPEI) as a Potential Adjuvant Against Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae”, Pfizer Chemistry Connect, New York City, New York, USA (virtual).
Heydarian N, Wouters C. L, Panlilio H, Rice C. V. (2021) “The Effect of Cationic Branched Polyethylenimine (BPEI) on the Virulence Factors of Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae”, NOBCChE, Annapolis, Maryland, USA (virtual).
Heydarian, N, Wouters C. L, Panlilio H, Rice C. V. (2021) “600-Da Branched Polyethyleneimine (BPEI) as a Potential Adjuvant to Neutralize E. coli LPS and Biofilm Virulence Factors”, ACS Great Lakes Regional Meeting, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA (virtual).
Heydarian, N, Wouters C. L, Rice C. V. (2021) “BPEI Disturbs the Life of Multi Drug Resistant Bacteria, Multiple Imaging Techniques Open a Window to Visualize the World of their Irregular Morphology”, Annual Meeting of Oklahoma Microscopy Society, Norman, Oklahoma, USA (virtual).
Heydarian N, Shahhoseini M. (2015) “The Emerging Epigenetic Role of Altered Chromatin Condensing Factors in Male (in)Fertility”, European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology, Lisbon, Portugal.
Heydarian N, Favaedi R, Gilani M. S, Shahhoseini M. (2015) “Defect in Epigenetic Function of CDY1 Histone Acetyltransferase in Testis Tissue May Associate with Male Infertility”, National Conference on Reproductive and Infertility Updates, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Heydarian N, Favaedi R, Gilani M. S, Shahhoseini M. (2014) “Evaluation of Epigenetic Role of CDY1 Protein on Regulatory Region of TNP and PRM Genes in Infertile Men”, Royan International Twin Conference on Reproductive Biomedicine and Stem Cell Biology and Technology, Tehran, Iran.
Heydarian N, Shahhoseini M, Eelaminejad Z, Favaedi R, Gilani M. A. (2014) “Decreased Expression Level and Chromatin Incorporation of Histone Acetyltransferase CDY1 in Testicular Biopsies of Infertile Men with Non-Obstructive Azoospermia”, European Human Genetics Conference, Milan, Italy.
Heydarian N, Shahhoseini M. (2013) “CDY1 as a Molecular Biomarker”. Iranian Conference of Medical Genetics, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Heydarian N, Favaedi R, Shahhoseini M. (2013) “Decreased Expression Levels of TNP1 and TNP2 Genes in Testis Tissue of Infertile Men”. Yazd International Conference and Student Award in Reproductive Medicine, Yazd Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran.

Awards

Kenneth and Joye Harwell Endowed Scholarship, University of Oklahoma, October 2022, $1200
Robberson Travel Grant, University of Oklahoma, January 2022, $1000
The Provost’s Certificate of Distinction in Teaching represents the top 10 percent of all graduate assistants across campus and 3 out of 90 in the department, University of Oklahoma, October 2021