Professional Activities:

Professional appointments:

• Professor of Medicine, Physiology and Biomedical Sciences
• Executive Director of Translational Medicine Research and Scholarship
• Editor in Chief, Gastroenterology & Physiology, WebMed Central PLUS
• Editorial Board, Integrative Molecular Medicine (IMM)
• Editorial Board, Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Med Carve Publications
• Chairman of Scientific Committee, EUSTM & Global NetWork on Translational Medicine
• Senior Vice President, Research

Professional Experience:

2012-present	Executive Director of Research and Scholarship, Professor of Medicine, Physiology, and Biomedical Sciences Senior Vice President Research, Emerge
2011-present	University of South Carolina School of Medicine- Greenville Greenville Hospital System University Medical Center

Professional and Academic Appointments:

2012-present	Executive Director of Research & Scholarship, Professor of Medicine, Physiology and Biomedical Sciences.
2011-present	Senior Vice President Research, Emerge         University of South Carolina School of Medicine- Greenville Greenville Hospital System University Medical Center 701 Grove Road Greenville, SC  29605.
2010-2012	Global Senior Director, R&D Global Head of Discovery Research and Translational Medicine, Personalized Healthcare Research, Therapeutics & Biomarkers Global Diagnostics and Pharmaceuticals, Abbott Diagnostics and Pharmaceuticals Division Abbott Laboratories Abbott Park, IL  60064
2008-2010	Global Director, R&D Global Clinical & Exploratory Research Affairs, Medication Delivery IV Therapeutics, Drugs, and Nutrition Baxter International Healthcare Corporation Medication Delivery, IV Therapy DF5-3E, One Baxter Parkway Deerfield, IL  60015
2007-2009	Professor of Med., Physiology & Pharmacology Director of Research, Division of Digestive Diseases Rush University Medical Center Department of Medicine Section of Gastroenterology and Nutrition 1725 W. Harrison, Suite 206 Chicago, IL  60612
2002-2006	Associate Professor of Med., Physiol. & Pharmacol. Director of Research, Division of Digestive Diseases Rush University Medical Center Department of Medicine, Section of Gastroenterology and Nutrition
1999-2002	Assistant Professor of Med. & Pharmacology Director of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Research, Section of Gastroenterology and Nutrition Rush University Medical Center Department of Medicine
1997-1999	Assistant Professor of Medicine       Loyola University of Chicago Medical Center Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology 2160 South First Avenue May Wood, IL  60153
1996-1997	Post-Doctoral Fellow St. Louis Univ. Medical Center Dept. of Surgery and Surgical Research Institute St. Louis University Medical Center. St. Louis, MO. With Dr.Thomas. A. Miller, C. Rollins Hanlon Professor & Chairman, Dept. of Surgery
1991-1995	Graduate Student Department of Physiology & BiophysicsUniversity of Tennessee, Memphis Memphis, TN. With Dr. Leonard R. Johnson Gerwin Professor & Chairman Dept. of Physiology and Biophysics

Professional Society Memberships:

• American Gastroenterology Association (AGA), 1996 (active).
• American Physiological Society (APS), 1996 (active).
• Gastroenterology Research Group (GRG), 1997 (active).
• Mid-West Physiological Society, 1999 (active).
• American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET), 1999 (active).

Academic honors and awards:

Undergraduate

• National Biology Honor Society
• George Henry Miles Honor Society (requires GPA of at least 3.7 or higher)
• President of Biology & Science Club, 1986-1987
• Recipient of Wickenhieser’s Presidential Award for an Exceptional/Outstanding College Student (highest GPA among peers)

Graduate

• President of Graduate (Physiology) Student Association, 1992-1994
• Graduate Honor Society 1992-1995

Current

• Dr. Banan serves on over 50 professional committees and over 100 national and international organizations, volunteer boards, government/public health councils, industry, and academia.
• He has secured well over $350 million of research funding from various sources, including private industry, NIH, and venture capital nationally and globally.
• Chair of Scientific Committee for European Society for Translational Medicine (EUSTM) and Global Net Work on Translational Medicine 2013-present.
• Advisory Board for European Society for Translational Medicine  (EUSTM) 2013-present.
• Editor in Chief,Gastroenterology and Physiology, WebMed Central PLUS, 2013-present.
• Editorial Board, WebMed Central PLUS, Scientific Publications, 2013-present.
• Editorial Board, Gastroenterology and Hepatology, MedCarve Publications, 2013-present.
• Editorial Board, Integrative Molecular Medicine (IMM), OAT Publications, 2014-present.
• Senior Vice President Research, Emerge 2011-present
• Repeated Recipient of Experimental Biology (EB) and/or Digestive Disease Week (DDW or American Gastroenterological Association / AGA) Presentations of Distinction (top 5% to 10% from among thousands of submissions) and ORAL FORUMS (Invited Speaker, Top 5%):
• Invited speaker, FASEB (EB): 1474, April 1995
• Invited speaker, FASEB (EB): 1277, April 1997
• Invited Speaker, Surgical Forum, May 1997
• Invited speaker, Gastroenterology (AGA), Vol:112, (#4) A64, May 1997.
• Invited speaker, Gastroenterology (AGA) Vol:116, G2364, May 1999.
• Invited speaker,Central Society for Clinical Res. (CSCR): 218A, 1999.
• Invited speaker, Gastroenterology (AGA) 118 (4, pt 1):2365, May 2000.
• Invited speaker, Gastroenterology (AGA) 120 (5, pt.1):3748, May 2001.
• Presentation of Distinction, Gastroenterology (AGA)120:2563, 2001.
• Invited speaker, Gastroenterology (AGA), 122 (4, pt. 1):771, May 2002.
• Presentation of Distinction, Gastroenterology (AGA) 122: M1132, 2002.
• Invited speaker, Gastroenterology (AGA), 124 (4, pt.1):858, May 2003.
• Presentation of Distinction, Gastroenterology (AGA), 124:M1126, 2003.
• Presentation of Distinction, Gastroenterology (AGA) 124: T1044, 2003.
• Presentation of Distinction, Gastroenterology (AGA) New Orleans, LA

May, 2004

• Invited speaker,Gastroenterology (AGA), Chicago, IL, May 2005.
• Invited speaker,Gastroenterology (AGA), Los Angeles, CA, May 2006.
• Invited speaker,Gastroenterology (AGA), Washington, DC, May 2007.
• Invited Speaker.Baxter Health Care International Symposium, September, 2009 (Belgium).
• Invited Speaker.Baxter Health Care Global Symposium, October, 2009 (China).
• Invited Speaker.Abbott Global Network of Excellence on Translational Medicine, September, 2010 (Germany).
• Invited Speaker.Abbott Global Network of Excellence on Translational Medicine, September, 2011 (France).
• Invited Key Note Speaker.European Society for Translational Medicine and Global Network on Translational Medicine, October 2013 (Luxembourg).
• Invited Key Speaker.European Society for Translational Medicine and Global Network on Translational Medicine, October 2014 (Austria).
• Among 1000 most cited scientists in the world, 2000 – 2008
• NIH Research Career Development Award
• NIH MERIT Award, 2002-2008

Steering Member of:

• American Gastroenterology Association (AGA)
• American Physiological Society (APS)
• American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET)
• Gastroenterology Research Group (GRG)

Other Invited Presentations (Selected from a List of Lver 100 National and International Presentations):

• Relationship between polyamines, actin cytoskeleton, and gastric mucosal ulcer healing. University of  Tennessee Health Sciences Center, October 1994.
• Role of poly amines in gastric mucosalulcer healing.St. Louis University Medical Center, Dept. of Surgery (Guest of Dr. T.A. Miller), December 1994.
• Relationship between poly amines, actin cytoskeleton,and gastric mucosal ulcer healing. Harvard University, Brigham & Womens’ Hospital, Divison of Gastroenterology (Guest of Dr. W. Silen), November 1994.
• Prostaglandins protect human intestinal cells against ethanol injury by stabilizing microtubules: Role of protein kinase C and enhanced calcium efflux. Loyola University Medical Center,Department of Medicine /Digestive Diseases, December1997.
• Prostaglandins cytoprotection: signal transduction mechanisms.  Loyola University Medical Center, Dept. of Cell Biology, May 1998.
• Protection against oxidative barrier dysfunction by growth factors in a human colonic cell line: role of G- & F-actin cytoskeleton.  Central Society for Clinical Research Chicago, October 1999.
• Growth Factors Protect against Intestinal Epithelial Hyperpermeability by Stabilizing Microtubules: Role of Protein Kinase C Signal Activation and Calcium homeostasis. Rush University Medical Center, Dept. of Pharmacology, March 2000.
• Growth Factors Protect against Intestinal Epithelial Hyperpermeability by Stabilizing Microtubules: Role of Protein Kinase C Signal Activation and Calcium homeostasis. American Gastroenterology Association, Forum Invited Talk at International Conference of Digestive Disease Week (DDW) May, 2000.
• Delta (d) Isoform of PKC (PKC-d) Explains How Oxidants Disrupt the Microtubule Cytoskeleton and Injure Monolayers of Intestinal Epithelia. American Gastroenterology Association, Forum Invited Talk at International Conference of Digestive Disease Week (DDW) May, 2002.
• Evidence that NF-kB Activation is Critical to Oxidant Disruption of Cytoskeleton & Barrier integrity and that it’s Inactivation is key to EGF Protection of Monolayers of Intestinal Epithelia. American Gastroenterology Association, Forum Invited Talk at International Conference of Digestive Disease Week (DDW) May, 2003.
• EGF,Microtubule Cytoskeleton, and Gut Barrier Integrity.Rush University Medical Center, Dept. of Biochemistry, 2004.
• Zeta (z) Isoform of PKC Is A Unique Modulator of the I-kB Kinase beta (I-kK-b) Pathway and Is Crucial to Monolayer Protection by EGF: A Novel Anti-inflammatory Mechanism in Intestinal Epithelium. American Gastroenterology Association¸ Forum Invited Talk at International Conference of Digestive Disease Week (DDW) May, 2005.
• Protein Kinase C-Delta (PKC-d) Isoform Is a Key Regulator of NF-kB and Its Endogenous Modulator I-kB During Oxidative Stress Injury: A Crucial Pro-Inflammatory Mechanism in Gut Epithelium.  American Gastroenterology Association¸ Forum Invited Talk at International Conference of Digestive Disease Week (DDW) May, 2006.
• Activation Of PKC-b1 Isoform – A Novel Mechanism For The Beneficial Effects Of Lactobacillus GG (LGG) On Monolayers Of Intestinal Epithelial Cells. American Gastroenterology Association¸ Forum Invited Talk at International Conference of Digestive Disease Week (DDW) May, 2006.
• Critical Role of NO Overproduction and Oxidative Stress (Nitration, Carbonylation) In Increased Gut Barrier Leakiness In An Animal Model of Alcoholic-Liver Disease (ALD). American Gastroenterology Association¸ Forum Invited Talk at International Conference of Digestive Disease Week (DDW)  May, 2007.
• EGF and PKC isoforms are modulators of the inflammatory pathways and crucial to gut barrier integrity:  Novel anti-inflammatory mechanisms in gut epithelium.  University of Iowa, Dept. of Medicine/Digestive Diseases (Guest of Dr. B. Luxon), June 2008.
• Innovative Translational Medicine Strategies for Discovering and Developing Modern Therapeutics. Baxter Health Care International Symposium, September, 2009 (Belgium).
• Translational Medicine Strategies for NutritionalTherapeutics. Baxter Health Care Global Symposium, October, 2009 (China).
• Key role of Translational Medicine and Personalized HealthCare in Clinical Development Strategies for New Therapeutics:  Cutting Edge Approaches.Abbott Global Network of Excellence on Translational Medicine, September, 2010 (Germany).
• Global Strategies in Translational Medicine and Personalized HealthCare.  Abbott Global Network of Excellence on Translational Medicine, September, 2011 (France).
• Translational Medicine and Personalized HealthCare:  Bridging the Gap from Basic Sciences to the Clinics on a Global Scale.  Key Note Speech. European Society for Translational Medicine and Global Network on Translational Medicine, October 14th 2013 (Mondorf Luxembourg).
• Global Efforts inTranslational Medicine. Invited Key Speaker.European Society for Translational Medicine and Global Network on Translational Medicine, October 2014 (Vienna Austria).

Projects and Clinical Research Interests:

1. Role of growth factors (e.g., EGF; TGF-a) in gastrointestinal mucosal protection and repair:  Novel therapeutic approaches for inflammatory bowel disease/ IBD (Principal Investigator on a 5 yr NIH R01, NIDDK originally funded study).
2. The effects of herbal antioxidants on gut mucosal barrier function and inflammatory events:  Potential uses in IBD Therapy? (Principal Investigator on a 3 yr NIH R-21, NCCAM originally funded study).
3. Oxidative effects of alcohol on gastrointestinal mucosa (Co- Principal Investigator on a 5 yr NIH R01, NIAAA originally funded study).
4. Modulation of GI Microtubule Cytoskeleton: Novel Molecular Signals (Principal Investigator on a newly submitted 5 yr NIH R01, NIGMS study).
5. EGF and Intestinal Barrier Integrity & Inflammation: Molecular Mechanisms in vivo & in vitro (Principal Investigator on a newly submitted 5 yr NIH R01, NIDDK study).
6. Beneficial effects of a new herbal IBD mixture - IBD Mix B - for gut health: Anti-Inflammatory Actions (Principal Investigator on a newly submitted 3 yr NIH R-21, NCCAM study).
7. Novel Mechanism for Alcohol Promotion of Breast and Colon Cancer (Co- Investigator on a newly submitted 5 yr NIH R01, NIH Cross agency study).
8. Role of TACE (ADAM17) in Intestinal Permeability and Inflammation (Co- Investigator on a newly submitted 5 yr NIH R01, NIDDK study).
9. Ozone Air Quality and Promotion of Gut Inflammation: A Novel Approach to How Inflammation in IBD Develops (Principal Investigator, to be submitted 5 yr NIH R01, NIEHS study).
10. Heregulin-b and ErbB 3/4 Growth Factor Receptor Signaling & Inflammation-Induced Cancer in GI Mucosa (Principal Investigator, to be submitted 5 yr NIH R01, NIDDK study).
11. Molecular mechanisms of mucosal tissue injury induced by Alcohol: PKC-lambda Dependent events (Principal Investigator, to be submitted 5 yr NIH R01, NIAAA study).
12. Alcohol and “EMT” Promotion of Colon Cancer (Co- Investigator, to be submitted 5 yr NIH R01, NIAAA study).
13. Role of reactive oxygen and nitrogen metabolites in inflammatory bowel disease.
14. The effects of NF-kB and inducible-nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) pathways on gastrointestinal barrier integrity.\
15. Role of Protein Kinase C isoform (e.g., b1, z, d, l, q) signaling in modulation of the integrity of the gastrointestinal barrier function.
16. Role of ErbB growth factor signaling in GI inflammation (and cancer) and development of inflammatory bowel disease.
17. Novel transcription factor Nurr-1 in GI barrier integrity and mucosal inflammation.
18. The effects of oxidative stress (e.g., alcohol and oxidants) on the gut cytoskeletal and tight-junctional permeability.
19. Shared pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and alcoholic liver disease (ALD) in Gut Mucosa: Role of Oxidative stress and barrier hyperpermeability induced by Novel PKC isoform mediated signaling events.
20. Calcium signaling and Gut barrier dysfunction.
21. Role of Phospholipase C (e.g., g1) signal transduction in gut barrier stability by growth factors.
22. Role of cytoskeletal (a-tubulin, b-actin) mutations in the development of gastrointestinal inflammation (e.g., inflammatory bowel disease).
23. Intestinal micro-flora in Health and Disease: How IBD Develops.