Education

1994-2000:

Iowa State University, Ames, IA

Ph.D. in Biochemistry

Dissertation advisor: Dr. Richard M. Robson

Dissertation title: Molecular interactions of the intermediate filament protein synemin

1990-1994:

St. John's University, Collegeville, MN

B.A. in Chemistry with All College Honors and Departmental Distinction; Minor in Biology

Undergraduate honors thesis advisor: Dr. Henry Jakubowski

Thesis title: The effect of encapsulated antibodies on spontaneous translocation of a protein presequence into synthetically produced phospholipid vesicles

Professional Experience

Assistant Professor College of the Holy Cross, Department of Biology (9/02-present).

Postdoctoral Research Fellow Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School (6/01-8/02).

Postdoctoral Advisor: The late Dr. Merton Bernfield

Postdoctoral Research Associate Iowa State University, Department of Biochemistry, Biophyics, and Molecular Biology (5/00-5/01). Postdoctoral Advisor: Dr. Richard Robson

Honors and Memberships

University Research Excellence Award (5/00, Iowa State University Graduate College)

Nominated and Accepted into Sigma Xi as a full member (3/00, Iowa State Chapter of Sigma Xi)

Wakonse College Teaching Fellow (5/99, National Wakonse Foundation)

University Teaching Award (5/98, Iowa State University Graduate College)

Departmental Teaching Award (5/97, Iowa State Univ. Dept. of Biochemistry and Biophysics)

Phi Lambda Upsilon Chemistry Honor Society (5/94, Member-at-Large)

Glen E. Arth Award for Excellent Junior in Chemistry (4/93, St. John's University)

Member of the American Society for Cell Biology (10/95 – present)

Selected Academic Service

Co-chair, Holy Cross Biochemistry Concentration

Holy Cross Community Standards Committee, Academic Standing Committee, First Year Experience Implementation Committee, Consensual Sexual Relations Committee

Reviewer for CBE: Life Science Education; Trends in Biochemical Sciences; Langmuir; and Experimental Cell Research

Selected Funded Research Grants and Fellowships

NSF Major Research Instrumentation Grant (8/05-7/08, National Science Foundation)

Project title: -MRI- Acquisition of a spectral confocal microscope for research and training in biology.

Internal Research Grant (3/06-7/06, Holy Cross Committee on Fellowships, Research & Publications)

Project title: Establishment of a hollow fiber cell growth system for the production of monoclonal antibodies.

Faculty fellowship (5/06-8/06, Holy Cross Committee on Fellowships, Research & Publications)

Project title: Determining the effects of syndecan-specific attachment point density on cellular focal adhesion formation.

NSF Major Research Instrumentation Grant (8/03-7/06, National Science Foundation)

Project title: RUI: Acquisition of protein purification and analysis instrumentation to enhance biochemical research and education at the College of the Holy Cross.

Internal Research Grant (11/05-10/06, Holy Cross Committee on Fellowships, Research & Publications)

Project title: Development of a co-precipitation assay to test protein interactions of the neurofibromatosis type-2 protein merlin.

Internal Research Grant (3/05-7/05, Holy Cross Committee on Fellowships, Research & Publications)

Project title: Use of siRNA to diminish syndecan protein expression in cultured mammalian cells.

Faculty Fellowship (5/04-8/04, Holy Cross Committee on Fellowships, Research & Publications)

Project title: Exploring the role of syndecans in mechanotransduction-based cell responses to external strain.

Internal Research Grant (11/03-10/04, Holy Cross Committee on Fellowships, Research & Publications)

Project title: Exploring the role of syndecans in mechanotransduction-based cell responses to external strain.

Faculty Fellowship (5/03-8/03, Holy Cross Committee on Fellowships, Research & Publications)

Project title: The effect of syndecan-1 loss on the neurofibromatosis type-II protein merlin.

Internal Research Grant (11/02-10/03, Holy Cross Committee on Fellowships, Research & Publications)

Project title: Live cell imaging to study the effect of syndecan-1 loss on the neurofibromatosis type-II protein merlin.

Predoctoral Fellowship, two-year award (8/98-5/00, American Heart Association, Heartland Affiliate)

Project title: Molecular interactions and myogenic role of the muscle cell cytoskeletal protein synemin.

Research Publications

Bellin, R.M. and K.V. Mills (2007) The Holy Cross Biochemistry Concentration: An Integrated Four-Year Program to Develop Undergraduate Research Scholars in Designing, Implementing, and Sustaining a Research-Supportive Undergraduate Curriculum (K.K. Karukstis and T.E. Elgren, eds.), pp. 394-396, Council on Undergraduate Research

LeDuc, P.R. and R.M. Bellin (2006) Nanoscale intracellular organization and functional architecture mediating cellular behavior. Ann. Biomed. Eng. 34:102-113

Lee, H.-S., R.M. Bellin, D.L. Walker, B. Patel, P. Powers, H. Liu, B. Garcia-Alvarez, J.M. de Pereda, R.C. Liddington, N. Volkmann, D. Hanein, D.R. Critchley and R.M. Robson (2004) Characterization of an actin-binding site within the talin FERM domain. J. Mol. Biol. 343: 771-784

Robson, R.M., T.W. Huiatt, and R.M. Bellin (2004) Muscle Intermediate Filament Proteins in Methods in Cell Biology Vol. 78 (M.B. Omary and P.A. Coulombe, eds.), pp. 519-553, Elsevier Science, USA

Bellin, R.M., I. Capila, J. Lincecum, P.W. Park, O. Reizes and M.R. Bernfield (2003) Unlocking the secrets of syndecans: transgenic organisms as a potential key. Glycoconj. J. 19: 295-304

Stromer M.H., M.S. Mayes, R.M. Bellin (2002) Use of actin isoform-specific antibodies to probe the domain structure in three smooth muscles. Histochem. Cell Biol. 118: 291-299

Bellin, R.M., T.W. Huiatt, D.R. Critchley, and R.M. Robson (2001) Synemin may function to directly link muscle cell intermediate filaments to both myofibrillar Z-lines and costameres. J. Biol. Chem. 276: 32330-32337

Lee, H.S., R.M. Bellin, and R.M. Robson (2001) Talin in The Encyclopedia of Molecular Medicine Vol. 5, pp. 3087-3089, John Wiley & Sons, New York

Schweitzer, S., M.W. Klymkowsky, R.M. Bellin, R.M. Robson, Y. Capetanaki, and R.M. Evans (2001) Paranemin and the organization of desmin filament networks. J. Cell Sci. 114:1079-1089

Sultana, S., S.W. Sernett, R.M. Bellin, R.M. Robson, and O. Skalli (2000) Intermediate filament protein synemin is transiently expressed in a subset of astrocytes during development. Glia 30:143-153

Bellin, R.M., S.W. Sernett, B. Becker, W. Ip., T.W. Huiatt, and R.M. Robson (1999) Molecular characteristics and interactions of the intermediate filament protein synemin: Interactions with a-actinin may anchor synemin-containing heterofilaments. J. Biol. Chem. 274: 29493-29499

Bellin, R.M., S.W. Sernett, and R.M. Robson (1999) Synemin in Guidebook to the Cytoskeletal and Motor Proteins, Second Edition (T. Kreis and R. Vale, eds.), pp. 322-324, Oxford Univ. Press, UK

Bilak, S.R., S.W. Sernett, M.M. Bilak, R.M. Bellin, M.H. Stromer, T.W. Huiatt, and R. M. Robson (1998) Properties of the novel intermediate filament protein synemin and its identification in mammalian muscle. Arch. Biochem. Biophysics 355: 63-76

Hemken, P.M., R.M. Bellin, S.W. Sernett, B. Becker, T.W. Huiatt, and R.M. Robson (1997) Molecular characteristics of the novel intermediate filament protein paranemin: sequence reveals EAP-300 and IFAPa-400 are highly homologous to paranemin. J. Biol. Chem. 272: 32489-32499

Becker, B., R.M. Bellin, S.W. Sernett, T.W. Huiatt, and R.M. Robson (1995) Synemin contains the rod domain of intermediate filaments. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 213: 796-802

Selected Meeting Abstracts

Frigault, M.*,B. Matthews, M. McKenna*, E. Morse*, S. Sreepathi*, D. Ingber, R. Bellin(2007) Syndecan-4 promotes de novo focal adhesion formation. Mol. Biol. Cell 18S

Kubicek J., H. Barnes*, L. Duncan*, A. Kamien*, R. Bellin, P. LeDuc (2006) Mechanotransduction Through Transmembrane Syndecan Proteins Independent of Integrin Attachments. Proceedings of the ASME- Bioengineering Conference

Kubicek J., H. Barnes*, L. Duncan*, A. Kamien*, R. Bellin, P. LeDuc (2006) Mechanotransduction Through Transmembrane Syndecan-4. Biophysical Journal: Biophysical Society National Meeting Abstracts

Bellin, R.M., J. Kubicek, A. Kamien*, M. Frigault*, B. Keil*, P. LeDuc (2006) Mechanotransduction Through Transmembrane Syndecans. Mol. Biol. Cell 17S

Kubicek, J., M. DiGiacomo*, A. Kamien*, P.R. LeDuc, R.M. Bellin (2005) Probing the Role of Syndecan-Based Spreading on Cell Structure. Mol. Biol. Cell 16S

Lee, H.S., R.M. Bellin, D.L. Walker, M.H. Stromer, D.R. Critchley, and R.M. Robson (2002) Characteristics of an Actin-binding Site (ABS) in the Talin Head Domain and Comparison to an ABS Near the C-terminus of the Molecule. Mol. Biol. Cell 13:56a

Bellin, R.M., T.W. Huiatt, and R.M. Robson (2000) Mapping the protein interaction domains of the intermediate filament protein synemin. Mol. Biol. Cell 11:532a

Bellin, R.M., S.A. Seiler, S.W. Sernett, and R.M. Robson (1999) Molecular interactions of synemin and paranemin demonstrated by yeast two-hybrid analysis. Mol. Biol. Cell 10:12a

Lee, H.S., R.M. Bellin, D.R. Critchley, M.H. Stromer, and R.M. Robson (1999) Defining the actin-binding site within the head domain of talin. Mol. Biol. Cell 10:393a

Bellin, R.M., S.W. Sernett, T.W. Huiatt, and R.M. Robson (1998) Molecular interactions of synemin. Gordon Research Conference on Intermediate Filaments.

Bellin, R.M., S.W. Sernett, T.W. Huiatt, and R.M. Robson (1998) Synemin may function as a component of heteropolymeric intermediate filaments. Mol. Biol. Cell 9:45a

Seiler, S.A., S.W. Sernett, R.M. Bellin, and R.M. Robson (1998) Cytoskeletal interactions involving the intermediate filament protein paranemin. Mol. Biol. Cell 9:45a

Bellin, R.M., S.W. Sernett, T.W. Huiatt, and R.M. Robson (1997) Molecular interactions of specific domains of the intermediate filament protein synemin. Mol. Biol. Cell 8:391a

Hemken, P.M., B. Becker, R.M. Bellin, T.W. Huiatt, and R.M. Robson (1996) Nucleotide sequence of paranemin reveals it is a novel intermediate filament protein. Mol. Biol. Cell 7:557a

Bellin, R.M., S.W. Sernett, B. Becker, T.W. Huiatt, and R.M. Robson, (1996) Complete sequence and molecular interaction studies of the intermediate filament protein synemin. Mol. Biol. Cell 7:555a

Bellin, R.M., B. Becker, S.W. Sernett, T.W. Huiatt, W. Ip, and R.M. Robson (1995) Sequence analysis and functional studies of the intermediate filament protein synemin. Mol. Biol. Cell 6:376a

Hemken, P.M., B. Becker, R.M. Bellin, T.W. Huiatt, and R.M. Robson (1995) Molecular cloning and characterization of muscle paranemin, an intermediate filament-associated protein. Mol. Biol. Cell 6:377a

Selected Invited Seminars

Mechanotransduction through transmembrane syndecans. Biology Department Seminar Series, Clark University, October 2006

Mechanotransduction through transmembrane syndecans. Biology Department Seminar Series, Southern Connecticut State University, November 2006

Recent studies on synemin. Gordon Research Conference on Intermediate Filaments, Queen's College, Oxford, July 2000.

Synemin is a novel intermediate filament protein that may function as a cytoskeletal crosslinker. Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology Seminar Series, University of Illinois-Chicago, May 2000.

Molecular interactions of the cytoskeletal protein synemin. Department of Chemistry Seminar Series, College of St. Benedict/St. John's University, October 1998.

Students sponsored

I have directed nineteen undergraduate research students during the past five years at Holy Cross.

Author names denoted by an asterisk(*) are/were Holy Cross students.

Last updated: 19 September 2007