Ahmed S, Safille S, Clifton V, Sharma S, de Paiva CS, Sharma A.
CA comprehensive review of tear fluid proteome alterations in dry eye disease: Insights into pathophysiology and biomarker potential.
Ocul Surf. 2026 Feb 3;40:71-85.
DOI
Chair’s Note
Message
Welcome from the Chair
Welcome to the first issue of the CBGM Newsletter. At the Center for Biotechnology and Genomic Medicine, we are proud of our mission to advance interdisciplinary and translational research in biotechnology and genomic medicine by bringing together expertise across genomics, proteomics, bioinformatics, computational biology, and related fields to support discovery and improve human health.
This newsletter reflects the strength of our community and celebrates the people and programs that make CBGM such a vibrant scientific center. I want to thank our students, postdocs, faculty, staff, and collaborators for the energy, creativity, and dedication they bring to CBGM every day. I also want to recognize the Newsletter Committee for launching this new forum to share achievements, opportunities, and milestones across the center. I hope this newsletter strengthens our connections and highlights the outstanding work taking place throughout CBGM.
Spotlight
Student / Faculty
Newsletter Committee, CBGM
A dedicated group of students, staff, and trainees working together to create a shared space for communication, recognition, and connection within CBGM.
This inaugural newsletter is the result of collaboration, creativity, and a shared belief that the work of our community deserves to be seen and celebrated. The Newsletter Committee came together with a simple goal: to build a platform that highlights people, research, and opportunities across CBGM in a way that feels inclusive and meaningful. From shaping the structure and design to gathering stories and ideas, the committee invested time and care to ensure this newsletter reflects the spirit of our center. Their initiative marks an important step toward strengthening communication and connection across CBGM, and sets the foundation for future issues to grow and evolve with the community.
Events
UpcomingJan 16
Richard Kontoh-Twumasi
Student • Journal Club • Shruti lab
Details
Journal Club
Scholarship & Presentations
Publications • Presentations • Talks
Jones G, Mayernik D, Ahmed S, Williams E, Altman J, Lee TJ, Estes A, Paiva CS, Martin P, Sharma S, Sharma A.
Comprehensive Profiling of the Human Tear Fluid miRNome Using Small RNA Sequencing.
Ocul Surf. 2026 Feb 2:S1542-0124(26)00017-0.
DOI
Drew Mayernik, Saleh Ahmed, Eliza Williams, Tae Jin Lee, Amy Estes, Pamela Martin, Wenbo Zhi, Vishal Jhanji, Shruti Sharma, Ashok Sharma.
Tear fluid database: a reference website for tear fluid proteomics.
Database, Volume 2026, 2026, baaf091.
DOI
Rivera-Caraballo KA, Lee TJ, Sinha A, Orecchioni M, Pacholczyk R,
Vázquez-Arreguín K, Sharma S, Jones K, Vemuri K, Sahu U, Murphy SA, Hong B,
Kolhe R, Sharma A, Kaur B.
Oncolytic HSV-1-mediated JAG1 blockade induces glioma senescence-associated secretory phenotype to increase
macrophage activation and cetuximab-mediated senolysis.
Cancer Research, 2025.
DOI
Dr. Arnoneel Sinha presented Biostats for Flow Cytometry Users: From “Just Run It” to “Planned and Powerful”
at the
SouthEast Flow Cytometry Interest Group (SEFCIG) Annual Meeting
in Atlanta on March 12, 2026, sharing practical planning techniques for flow cytometry studies.
View event photo
Arnoneel Sinha, Richard McIndoe.
cellivista: An Interactive Seurat-Based R Shiny App for Single-Cell RNA-seq Analysis.
Health Sciences Fair and Expo, Augusta University, GA, 2025.
(Poster presentation)
View event photo
Trudie Ritter, Richard McIndoe.
Advancing a Network-Based Approach for Personalized Drug Synergy Prediction in Cancer: Integrating AI for Future Optimization.
Health Sciences Fair and Expo, Augusta University, GA, 2025.
(Poster presentation)
Dr. Tae Jin Lee and Dr. Arnoneel Sinha attended the Core Fair at the
Georgia Cancer Center, Augusta University, representing the Bioinformatics Core of CBGM.
(2025)
View event photo
Personal Achievements
Milestones • Promotions • RecognitionDr. Ashok Sharma has recently been promoted to Professor, recognizing his sustained excellence in research, mentorship, and service. This milestone reflects his long-standing contributions to CBGM and his impact on advancing scientific discovery and training within the community.
Dr. Ashok Sharma
and his Tear Fluid Proteome Database project were recently highlighted on X (formerly Twitter) by the Director of the
National Eye Institute (NIH/NEI). This national recognition underscores the impact and translational importance
of his work in advancing ocular research and data accessibility.
View the NIH/NEI Director’s post
Antonella Aliste, PhD student in Dr. Shruti Sharma ’s lab, won the National Eye Institute Travel Award to attend the ARVO 2026 Annual Meeting in Denver, Colorado (May 3–7) where she will present her latest work. This award covers her registration and partial travel support and reflects the national recognition CBGM trainees are earning.
Grant Opportunities
FundingFeb 5 • Jun 5 • Oct 5
NIH Research Project (R01) – NEI
Investigator-initiated vision and ocular disease research with standard due dates each cycle; budgets cover personnel, supplies,
and consortium costs for multi-year discovery projects.
Rolling
NIH Director’s High-Risk, High-Reward Research
Pioneer, New Innovator, Transformative, and Early Independence awards support bold, unconventional ideas
with generous five-year budgets ($250K–$700K/yr) and no preliminary data requirement.
Annual
Georgia CTSA Pilot Grants + BizGrants
12–24 month pilot projects supporting translational research collaborations; BizGrants awards two $20K pilot awards
with expectation to submit a follow-on SBIR/STTR.
Tip: Contact the CBGM office (eg, Sarah Gross or Debbie Ellison) for internal routing and support.
Photos
Highlights
Newsletter Committee
Committee
“Be the change you wish to see in the world.” — Mahatma Gandhi
“Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and He will establish your plans." — Proverbs 16:3
“In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on.”― Robert Frost
“If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything.”― Mark Twain
“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”― Ralph Waldo Emerson