The University of Findlay - Alexander Vaglenov

Dr. Alexander Vaglenov, earned a M.D. degree from the Kharkov Medical Institute in former Soviet Union, and a Ph.D. degree in Medicine and Radiobiology from Bulgarian Medical Academy in Sofia. He previously served in the Military Medical Academy’s Hospital in Sofia, Bulgaria as a microbiologist. After that he obtained a faculty position in the Bulgarian National Centre of Radiobiology and Radiation Protection in Sofia. From 1975 till 1989 he did investigations on space flight experiments carried out in the frame of research program of Moscow Institute for Biomedical Problems (former USSR). At the same time he was involved in the research on biological effects from Heavy Charged Particles with assessment of the health risk for astronauts.

In 1988-89 he was awarded from IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) with post-doctoral fellowship for training in the Department of Radiation and Chemical Mutagenesis at the University of Leiden, The Netherlands. In 1996 he earned competition announced by the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science, and was awarded two years as a visiting professor in the field of Occupational Medicine and Public Health at the Department of Genetics and Microbiology of the Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain.

In 1999 he received a second award from IAEA for scientific research visit in the Department of Radiobiology of the Radiation Effects Research Foundation in Hiroshima, Japan. Meanwhile from 1999-2001 he joined Bulgarian National Centre of Radiobiology and Radiation Protection as Associate Professor. In September 2001 he joined the Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine at Auburn University (AL) and in 2007 joined the School of Pharmacy at The University of Findlay.

Dr. Vaglenov was recipient of several national and international grants, author and co-author of over 60 research publications.

Membership

Radiation Research Society (RRS) U.S.A.
Chlamydia Basic Research Society (CBRS) U.S.A.
Environmental Mutagen Society (EMS) U.S.A.
International Association of Environmental Mutagen Societies (IAEMS).
Federation of American Society of Experimental Biology (FASEB).

Research interests

Population Genetics: Germ and somatic cells spontaneous mutations. Nutrigenomics and genome stability.
Occupational medicine. Biomarkers for occupational exposure to chemical and physical agents. Prophylaxes of occupationally exposed groups.
Genetic control of susceptibility to ionizing radiation: Definition of molecular targets for radioprotective strategies and gene therapy. Computational analysis based on susceptibility of inbred mouse strains to ionizing radiation as an alternative method to the classical QTL analysis.
Biological effects of High and Low LET ionizing radiations:

Genetic effects of Low LET radiation with assessment of the risk. Factors responsible for somatic and germ cells susceptibility and their interaction.
Space Biology and Medicine. Space flight factors influence on hereditary structures of somatic and germ cells. RBE of heavy charged particles and neutrons. Dose-rate effect and radioprotective strategies in interplanetary space missions. Cancer risk assessment.

Cancer biology, mechanisms of cancer development and experimental therapeutics.

Radiosensitivity and repair processes in cancer patients and healthy persons DNA.
Epidemiology of occupational cancer. Antimutagenic/anticarcinogenic treatment and prophylaxes of environmentally or occupationally exposed to ionizing radiation and chemical carcinogens/mutagens risk groups, stem cells technology and gene therapy.

Microbiology, Epidemiology of Infectious diseases, Bioterrorism.

Publications

Vaglenov A., Fedorenko B., Karadjov A. Gamma dose-rate adverse effect on genetic damage in mammals. Adv Space Res., 2008, (in press)
Vaglenov A., Fedorenko B., Kaltenboeck B. Genetic effectiveness of protons, heavy charged particles and 1.5 MeV neutrons. Adv Space Res, 39, 2007, 1093-1101
Wang C., Kim T., Gao D., Vaglenov A., Kaltenboeck B. Rapid high-yield mRNA extraction for reverse-transcription PCR. J. Biochem Biophys Methods, 70, 2007, 507-509
Li D., Borovkov A., Vaglenov A., Wang C, Kim T., Gao D, Sykes K., Kaltenboeck B. Mouse model of respiratory Chlamydia pneumoniae infection for a genomic screen of subunit vaccine candidates. Vaccine, 24 (15), 2006, 2917-2927
Kaltenboeck B, H. Hehnen, A. Vaglenov Bovine Chlamydophila spp. Infection: Do we underestimate the impact on fertility? Veterinary Research Communications, 29 (Suppl.1), 2005, 1-15
Dan Li, A. Vaglenov, T. Kim, C. Wang, B. Kaltenboeck. High-yield culture and purification of Chlamydiaceae bacteria. Journal of Microbiological Methods, 61, 2005, 17-24
Wang C., Gao D., Vaglenov A., Caltenboeck B. One-step duplex reverse transcriptase PCRs simultaneously quantify analyze and Housekeeping gene mRNAs. Biotechiques, March, 36 (3)2004, 508-519.
Pitarque M., A.Vaglenov, M.Nosko, S.Pavlova, V.Petkova, A.Hirvonen, H.Norppa, A.Creus, R.Marcos. The application of SCE and MN assay in the biomonitoring of solvent exposed shoe workers. Environ. Health Perspectives 110, 4, 2002, 399-404.
Vaglenov A., A.Creus, S.Lalchev, V.Petkova, S.Pavlova, A, Creus, R.Marcos. Occupational exposure to lead and genetic damage induction. Environ. Health Perspectives, 109, 3, 2001, 295-298.
Vaglenov A., M.Nosko, R.Georgieva, E.Carbonell, A.Creus, R.Marcos. Genotoxicity and radioresistance in electroplating workers exposed to chromium. Mutation Res., 446, 1999, 23-34.
Pitarque M., A.Vaglenov, M.Nosko, A.Hirvonen, H.Norppa, A.Creus, R.Marcos. Evaluation of DNA damage by Comet assay in the shoe workers exposed to toluene and other organic solvents. Mutation Res., 441, 1999, 115-127.
Vaglenov A., E.Carbonell. Radiosensitivity of Young and Adult subjects. Centr Europ. J. of Occupat. And Environ. Medicine, 4(4), 1998, 361-371.
Vaglenov A., E.Carbonell, R.Marcos. Biomonitoring of workers exposed to lead. Genotoxic effects, its modulation by polyvitamin treatment and evaluation of the induced radioresistance. Mutation Res., 1998, 79-92.
Vaglenov A., V.Petkova, S. Lalchev et al., Cytogenetic monitoring of workers exposed to lead. Centr. Europ. J. of Occupat. and Environ. Medicine, 3(4), 1997, 298-308.
Vaglenov A., A.Karadjov. Micronucleus frequencies in Bulgarian control populations. Centr. Europ. J. of Occupat. and Environ. Medicine, 3(3), 1997, 187-194.
Vaglenov A., E.Yaneva, S.Lalchev et al. Antimutagenetic prophylaxis of occupational risks groups. Centr. Europ.J. of Occupat. and Environ. Medicine, 3(2), 1997, 114-124.
Vaglenov A., V.Bliznakov, A.Karadjov. Cytogenetic monitoring of workers from a nuclear power plant. Centr.Europ.J. of Occupat. and Environ. Medicine, 3(1), 1997, 40-47.

Presentations

Vaglenov, A., Karadjov, A., Fedorenko, B. Re-anmalysis of dose-rate effect after mammalian Low LET germ cells irradiation. Implication for human risk assessment. 38th Annual meeting of EMS, 20-24 October, 2007, Atlanta, GA, Environmental and Molecular Mutagenesis, 2007, 48, 7, 585.
Vaglenov A., Kaltenboeck, B., Brawner, W., Carpenter, D., Fortin A., Brandhrst, H., Yihang, L. Genetic dissection of susceptibility/resistance to ionizing radiation by use of Recombinant Congenic Strain Mice. 38th Annual Meeting of EMS, 20-24 October, 2007, Atlanta, GA, Environmental and Molecular Mutagenesis, 2007, 48, 7, 587.
Vaglenov, A., Lalchev, S., Marcos, R., Creus, A. Genomic instability in shoe workers modulated by polyvitamin/polymineral treatment. Evaluation of therapeutic effect before and after 4 months 2 tablets daily intake of Centrum using pancentromeric FISH. 38th Annual meeting of EMS, 20-24 October, 2007 Atlanta, GA, Environmental molecular Mutagenesis, 2007, 48, 7, 623
Vaglenov A.K, Min-Oo, G., Fortin P., Gauthier K., Li Y., Kaltenboeck B., Gros P. Linkage analysis of resistance to C. pneumoniae in (B6 x A/J) F2 mice. 11th International Symposium on Human Chlamydia Infection, June 2006, Niagara, Ontario, Canada
Wang C., van Ginkel FW, Kim T., Vaglenov A., Kaltenboek B. Severe disease associated with early immunosuppression in Chlamydia pneumoniae mouse lung infection. First Biennial Meeting of the Chlamydia Basic Research Society, March 7-10, 2003, Memphis, Tennessee, USA, 11th International Symposium on Human Chlamydia Infection, June 2006, Niagara, Ontario, Canada
Li D., A.Vaglenov, D. Gao, B.Kaltenboeck. High-yield culture of Chlamydia bacteria. Poster Session A, (A-24) Second European Cytogenetic Conference, July 3-6 1999, Vienna, Austria
Vaglenov A., S.Lalchev, M.Nosko, J.Sabeva, V.Petkova. Chromosome aberrations and micronuclei in plastic industry workers exposed to vinyl-chloride monomer. Cytogenetics and Cell Genetics, 85:5, 1999, 103. XVIII International Congress of Genetics, August 10-15, 1998, Beijing, China
Vaglenov A., S.Lalchev, V.Georgieva. Cytogenetic investigation ofp ersons exposed to lead, Abstract - 9S47, p.210. Biomarkers in Monitoring of Occupational and Environmental Exposure to Organix Genotoxic Substances, October 23-24, 1997, Ustran, Poland, Workshop.
S.Lalchev, A.Vaglenov, P.Papazafiri, F.Zarani, A. Kappas, V.Georgieva, E.Mirkova. Genotoxicity of some organic solvents studied in vivo and in vitro, Abstract, p.25. 7th International Conference on Environmental Mutagenesis, Toulouse, France, September 8-12, 1997
Vaglenov A., E.Yaneva, S.Lalchev, M.Nosko, V.Petkova, S.Pavlova, K.Doneva, M.Demirova. Antimutagenic prophylaxis of occupational risk groups. Mutation Res. 1992, 179, p.379.

Honors

Invited Lecturer: Department of Genetics and Microbiology, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain
“Biomonitoring of human populations exposed to heavy metals with special attention on the aging processes on cytogenetic endpoints”, May 1997.
“Biomonitoring of human populations exposed to organic solvents”, September 1998.
“Antimutagenic/anticarcinogenic prophylaxis of occupationally exposed groups”, May 1999. Department of Radiobiology of the Radiation Effects Research Foundation, Hiroshima, Japan, September 1999.
“Cytogenetic monitoring of groups exposed to ionizing irradiation. Adaptive response”
“Biomonitoring of environmentally exposed to tobacco and alcohol populations. Role of antioxidant treatment to increase their radioresistance”

Awards

Award from International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for outstanding researcher. Three months training in the Lab of Radiation and Chemical Mutagenesis in Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands, 11/01/1988-1/01/1989.
Grant award from Spanish Ministry of Education and Culture for one and half Sabbatical year in the Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain, 1997-1999.
Award from International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for 21 days scientific visit in The Radiation Effects Research Foundation, Hiroshima, Japan, September-October 1999.