COM Outlook Spring 2019

NOVA SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY | 21 differences in gene expression in ME/CFS and GWI patients compared to healthy controls,” she explained. “It was the first time I heard about these diseases, and I became quite interested in this type of research because of that initial exposure.” While the disease names were new to her, the war that caused GWI was not. “I was living in Israel in January 1991 during the Gulf War. I remember sirens, Scuds, and sitting in a sealed room at night, watching the news,” she recalled. “We had gas masks and had to put them on each time the Scud alarms went off.” REVOLUTIONARY RESEARCH LEADS TO NSU When Klimas left the University of Miami to lead the new NSU Institute for Neuro-Immune Medicine (INIM) at the Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteo- pathic Medicine (KPCOM), she offered Nathanson an opportunity to join her. “At UM, I had a technical position, performing analyses for other investigators’ projects. My faculty position at NSU allows me to apply for funding and lead my own projects,” said Nathanson, who has secured a number of federal grants during her KPCOM tenure. “My responsibilities include researching causes and mechanisms of ME/CFS and GWI and providing support in the genetics assays and data analysis.” Because the NSU INIM is a large and innovative entity, Nathanson has the freedom to focus on the ME/ CFS and GWI research she finds most compelling. “I am very fortunate to be part of the INIM team,” she admitted. “I would not be able to achieve anything without the support and resources of our team. I also value the support of Dr. Nancy Klimas, who some- times allows me to do crazy things. A huge INIM asset is our administrative, clinical, computational biology, and lab teams, which are interconnected.” Today, Nathanson is an assistant professor of clinical immunology in the NSU Institute for Neuro-Immune Medicine, a path that combines the passions and talents of her father, a successful mechanical engineer, and her mother, a chemical engineer. Since becoming an NSU faculty member, Nathanson has received two sizable grants from the National Institutes of Health, as well as two from the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program/Department of Defense Gulf War Illness Research Program. She also secured two smaller grants from private sponsors. “I hope to understand the underlying mechanisms of these mysterious diseases,” said Nathanson, who also serves as an adjunct professor in the KPCOM’s Master of Science in Nutrition program and in the NSU Halmos College of Natural Sciences and Ocean- ography. “DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) has all the information about the processes and activities in our cells. RNA (ribonucleic acid) is the main messenger of this information and is the main regulator in our cells. I hope genomics research on the levels of DNA and RNA will help to understand the triggers and ways to cure ME/CFS and GWI,” she said. “There are relatively few scientists working to solve the mysteries of these diseases,” Nathanson added. “Our lab in the NSU Center for Collaborative Research is located next to the INIM clinic, so we see the patients who come in for assessment and treat- ment. Seeing these patients motivates us to find the causes of ME/CFS and GWI and design the cure.” In addition to being fulfilled professionally, Nathan- son is extremely content in her personal life. Although she and her husband eventually divorced, the marriage produced two wonderful sons, David and Yonathan. She also found love again with her boyfriend of more than 12 years, Eugene. As she looks to the future, Nathanson foresees a long and rewarding affiliation with the NSU Institute for Neuro-Immune Medicine. “I would love to con- tinue doing what I am doing, but with the addition of enough funds to have my own group of graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, and technicians— and enough funds to do crazy scientific experiments,” she said laughing. o Left: Lubov Nathanson (standing) assists Leonor Sarria, B.S., research assistant II, with a grant-funded project.