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DBSP Graduate Students

Jeffry Alexander

Jeffry C. Alexander, DVM, MPH

PhD Candidate, Bacteriology
Department of Biomedical Sciences & Pathobiology
Graduate Advisor: Dr. Stephen Boyle

e-mail: jcalex01@vt.edu

Education

2008 Master of Public Health
Department of Epidemiology and Community Health
School of Medicine
Virginia Commonwealth University
Richmond, VA
1998 Doctor of Veterinary Medicine
Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine
Blacksburg, VA
1994 B.S., Biochemistry and Nutrition (Minors: Chemistry, Biology)
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Blacksburg, VA

Professional Experience

2005-2009 Laboratory Specialist
Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics
Department of Psychiatry
School of Medicine
Virginia Commonwealth University
Richmond, VA
1998-2005 Associate Veterinarian
Small Animal Practice
Richmond, VA

Research Project Involvement

Our research entails designing and delivering antisense technologies (peptide nucleic acids, or PNAs) that can inhibit gene expression in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. We plan to show that PNAs can have bactericidal efficacies similar or superior to those of current pharmacologic regimens.


Research Interests

My research interests include complex disease genetics and epidemiology.


Professional Memberships

  • American Veterinary Medical Association
  • Alpha Psi Veterinary Fraternity
  • Biomedical & Veterinary Sciences Graduate Student Association
  • Alpha Zeta Agricultural Honor Society
  • Phi Sigma Biological Honor Society

Publications and Presentations

  • Alexander J, Kalsi G, Kuo P-H, Patterson D, Walsh D, Kendler K, Prescott C, Riley B. Genetic association of alcohol dependence with the human orthologs of Drosophila hangover in the Irish Affected Sib-Pair Study of Alcohol Dependence (IASPSAD) sample (in preparation).
  • Kalsi G, Kuo P-H, Aliev F, Alexander J, McMichael O, Culbert M, Patterson DG, Walsh D, Zhao Z, Schuckit M, Nurnberger J Jr., Edenberg H, Kramer K, Vladimirov V, Prescott C, Dick DM, Kendler K and Riley B (submitted). A systematic gene-based screen of Chr4q22-Q32 identifies association of a novel susceptibility gene, Dkk2, with the quantitative trait of alcohol dependence symptom counts. Human Molecular Genetics.
  • Alexander J, Kalsi G, Kuo P-H, Patterson D, Walsh D, Kendler K, Prescott C, Riley B (2007). Genetic association of alcohol dependence with the human orthologs of Drosophila hangover in the Irish Affected Sib-Pair Study of Alcohol Dependence (IASPSAD) sample. WCPG 2007 Abstract 499.
    • Oral presentation at August 2008 VCU School of Medicine MPH Research Day (Richmond, VA) – Received Research Day Award for highest evaluation marks of all presenters.
    • Poster presentation at 2007 XVth World Congress on Psychiatric Genetics (New York, NY).
  • Alexander J, Kalsi G, Kuo P-H, O’Connell K, Patterson DG, Walsh D, Dick DM, Kendler KS, Prescott CA, Riley BP (2008) Alcohol Dependence is associated with the Cholecystokinin gene (CCK) in the Irish Affected Sib Pair Study of Alcohol Dependence. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 32 (6): 142A
    • Poster presentation at 2008 Joint Scientific Meeting of the Research Society on Alcoholism and the International Society for Biomedical Research on Alcoholism (Washington, DC).

Interests & Activities

  • Ice hockey goalie, Roanoke No-Check Hockey League
  • Hokies football and basketball
  • Restoring and showing Ford Mustangs
  • River activities (personal watercraft, water skiing)