RI-INBRE Investigator Spotlight
Pioneering Neurodevelopmental Research and STEM Education: Dr. Belinda Barbagallo’s Impact at Salve Regina University (SRU)
Understanding the barriers to brain development and how they lead to neurodevelopmental disorders is the focus of Dr. Belinda Barbagallo’s research at Salve Regina University. “Approximately 8.5% of children and adolescents in the US have some sort of neurodevelopmental disorder and these rates are projected to rise. These disorders are thought to arise from multiple factors including environmental exposure, genetics, early childhood experiences, nutrition and many more” Dr. Barbagallo says. Her laboratory uses Drosophila and C. elegans models to study the impact of genetic mutations and environmental factors on neuronal structure and development.
Dr. Barbagallo is currently an associate professor and Chair of the Department of Biology and Biomedical Science at SRU. After seven years at the university, she has developed a robust research program with numerous collaborators. “[I] collaborate with Dr. Niall Howlett to investigate the newly discovered neurological aspects of Fanconi Anemia. We have a series of Fanconi mutant worms that we use to assess neuronal function, numbers, and morphology as a first step towards determining the molecular basis of Fanconi Anemia Neurological Syndrome (FANS).” She also studies the environmental effects of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) on neurological development. PFOS is a “forever chemical” that has been detected in 98% of human serum samples. “My lab is using the C, elegans model system to evaluate the impact of maternal PFOS exposure on structural and functional development of key neuronal classes. This work is an offshoot of work done with my ECD mentor Dr. John Clark, who is interested in PFOS and metabolic disorders.” Dr. Barbagallo also collaborates with numerous neuroscience faculty across Rhode Island, many of whom she met through the RI-INBRE program. These collaborations have led to multiple outreach projects and an upcoming book.
In her first year at SRU, Dr. Barbagallo received an Early Career Development award from RI-INBRE. “This award allowed me to get my research lab up and running right away. I was able to fund research students my first summer at Salve. This funding allowed me to publish a paper with my mentor, Dr. Clark, and apply for additional funding. This research project supported my successful tenure application in 2023” she explains. The award also allowed her to train multiple students who have gone on to graduate and medical school across the country. She also took advantage of RI-INBRE’s teaching postdoc program to train Renalison Ferias-Pereira for two years. Dr. Ferias-Peneira taught the laboratory sections of Dr. Barbagallo’s cell biology course and is currently an assistant professor in biological sciences at Keen University.
Recently, Dr. Barbagallo was awarded a $1 million grant through the National Science Foundation titles “Supporting STEM Scholars to Engage in the Blue Economy”. This is SRU’s first NSF grant and their second federal grant. “This grant will allow us to establish a scholarship program for low-income students majoring in STEM fields,” she says. “The program will provide significant financial assistance for students, including help with tuition, room & board, books, computers… [and] will provide students with scaffolded training and support to ensure that they finish their degrees.” These supports include a mentor network to help develop academic and research skills, soft skills workshops to introduce students to the culture and practices of academia, and research skill development through one-on-one interactions with upperclassmen and research faculty. “The major goal of this project is to provide the wide array of supports necessary to help low-income students complete a STEM degree and move on to either graduate programs or jobs in STEM.” The program provides 16 nearly full-ride scholarships to low-income students. Dr. Barbagallo’s team includes other SRU researchers involved with RI-INBRE including Dr. Khadine Higgins (co-investigator) and Drs. Gabriella Papale and Edward Dougherty (mentors). Dr. Barbagallo sees enormous potential for the program. “[It] benefits RI by training a workforce for the growing blue economy and STEM sectors in the state. We are working with a diverse group of community partners across RI to provide our students the training they will need to thrive in the local economy… or in graduate work.”