Edmund Y. Tong
Professor of Biology
Degrees
Ph.D., M.S., University of Wisconsin, Madison
B.A., Concordia College
Main Interests
To teach human physiology to majors and non-majors, to engage undergraduates in biomedical research, and to develop innovative approaches in the classroom, in the laboratory, and for the science curriculum.
Research Interests
Much of normal tissue growth and development are dependent upon angiogenesis, the proliferation of blood vessels. This process is especially important in young and growing individuals, during different stages of pregnancy, and in wound repair and healing. Angiogenesis also has pathological importance, as in the growth of solid tumors, or the promotion of new coronary vessel growth in heart patients.
Angiogenesis has been a topic for intense biomedical research since the mid-1980s. I also began my research on this topic around that time, first using the rabbit cornea and the chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM), and later the endothelial cell culture. Numerous biology majors worked with me either as research assistants or as independent research students on various projects using one or a combination of thesein vivo and in vitro models.
Many biologically active molecules play an important role in angiogenesis, either in a stimulatory or inhibitory capacity. We have studied the effects of prostaglandins, leukotrienes, cytostatin, etc. During the last few years, we concentrated on the investigation of the angiogenic action of HODEs (hydroxyoctadecadienoic acids). The preliminary data helped us obtain a NIH AREA grant from the National Cancer Institute.
Link to the Wheaton Angiogenesis Team Website.
Teaching Interests
Use of New Technology
My physiology classes are among the first undergraduate classes to use computer simulations and the MacLab system for data acquisition and analysis. We were also one the first to upgrade the system to its second generation, the PowerLab.
I now use Power Point to do all my lectures and email or listserve to communicate with the class. In addition, I am developing a new approach in my class presentation which combines "high teach, low tech and no tech" to integrate lecture, and lab.
Curriculum Development
My "Staircase Plan" for Science/Math curriculum received rave reviews from to the National Science Foundation (NSF) and it was awarded two large equipment grants from the Sherman/Fairchild and Kresge Foundations.
The plan is named after the well-known muscle physiology phenomenon - "The Staircase Phenomenon". I made an innovative overall plan by packaging two already successful programs at Wheaton (steps one and three), one highly promising program based on our past records (step four), and one new program I came up with (step two).
It basically includes the following four steps:
Step (1): First Year Seminar (and Science Lecture Series) in math/science to provide all math/science students the initial exposure to the scientific method
Step (2): short lab projects in all 100 and 200 level math/science courses to introduce the students to scientific research
Step (3): on or off campus internships during the junior year to give students a taste of scientific investigation in a typical research lab
Step (4): one or two semester research experience with a faculty
member during the senior year to prepare the students for graduate or professional programs.
Innovation in the Classroom
To carry out the Step (2) project I proposed to do for "the Staircase Plan", I had the students in Bio 244 conduct a two-week research project on various aspects of exercise physiology in lab. Two years in a row, the class almost unanimously rated it as their favorite laboratory exercise.
My very own "Learning Physiology through Service Program" (Am. J. Physiol. 277 (Adv.Physiol.Educ. 22): S100,1999) started with "Physiology in ER", in which students studied one patient-case each week from the TV show ER. Click here to see the website. Then I expanded it to include "Internship at Sturdy", a service-learning component for students to learn the application of physiological principles while doing volunteer work at Sturdy Memorial Hospital.
Last year, I added another dimension to the program by trying out an "Alum Expert of the Week" program. I asked alums who are M.Ds. or still in medical schools to communicate with my class and answer questions raised by the students.
Other Interests
I had four years of training in oil painting while an undergraduate minoring in chemistry and studio art. I also learned Chinese painting and I have been doing volunteer teaching in a Chinese painting class for children for more than 12 years. More recently I learned printmaking and etching, and I tried to apply the Chinese painting techniques in the process.
I also like photography and videotaping. I was the "Executive Producer" and "Cinematographer" of a video, "A Week in the Life of the Science Center", which had been used during visiting days and open house in the Science Center.
After learning and practicing Tai Chi for more than 12 years, I have been teaching an adult Tai Chi class once a week in Sharon, MA on a volunteer basis. I have also learned a few other forms of martial arts.
But my passion is gardening and landscaping! My front yard, backyard, and "side yards" are my own combination of American garden, English garden and Chinese garden.
Student Projects
Bio 500 Students since 1985 (Two Semester Project with Honors Thesis)
+ Gale, Melissa J., '85 The release of prostaglandins and leukotrienes during sympathetic nerve stimulation in the rabbit lung"
Burdick, Martha L. '85 "Reproductive behavior and ovarian prostaglandin
(Psychobiology major) levels"
+ White, Ketti K. '85 "The angiogenic effects of prostaglandins and leukotrienes on the chick chorioallantoic membrane"
# Merriam, Jennifer J., '86 "The effects of indomethacin and nordihydroguariaretic acid on the omentum factor stimulation of angiogenesis"
++ Adams, Leah F., '89 "The effect of indomethacin on inflammation,
Prostaglandin levels, and angiogenesis on the rabbit cornea"
# Callahan, Colleen E., '90 "Inhibition of angiogenesis by a cytostatic factor on the chick chorioallantoic membrane"
Nichols, Carolyn H., '91 "A guide to the northern New England coastline"
(Bio/Art major)
++ Manuel, Catherine R.E., '92 "The inhibitory effect of a cytostatic protein on
angiogenesis"
# Doraiswamy, L. Vidhya,'92 "The in vivo effect of a cytostatic factor on the
rabbit corneal angiogenesis"
++ Frizzell, Eric, '94 "The effect of gangliosides on prostaglandin E1 mediated angiogenesis"
++ Gray, Robyn A. '94 "Angiogenic factors produced during adipogenesis"
# Graf, Jennifer A., '95 The involvement of H-acetylneuraminic acid on ganglioside-induced angiogenesis"
++ Zawasky, Mathew '96 "The effect of monobutyrine on angiogenesis"
+++ Connor, Allyson J.,'96 "The effect of 13-hydroxyoctadecadienoic acid (13-HODE)
on angiogenesis"
+++Jancik, Sarah, '98 "The angiogenic effect of interleukin-11 on the chick chorioallantoic membrane"
# Beal, Jonathan, '99 "The effect of interleukin-11 on endothelial cell growth"
+ MulCahy, Larry, '99 "The effect of 9-HODE and 12-HODEide on endothelial cell growth"
# Takahashi, Satoe, '99 " The effect of monobutyrine on endothelial cell growth"
++ Lotterman, Seth, '99 "The effect of 9-HODE on angiogenesis"
Bio 499 Students (One Semester Project) and Research Assistants (since 1985)
++ Hughes, Linda A. '85 "The relationship among arachidonic acid metabolites, inflammation, and corneal neovascularization"
# Costa, Rachel A., '86 "The effect of platelet derived growth factor on angiogenesis"
# Dowgiert, Rebecca,'87 "Prostaglandins and Leukotrienes: their possible role in the mechanism of the omentum factor"
++ Klauber, Nancy, '87 "Omental lipids and angiogenesis"
Hughes, Laura '89 "The angiogenic effects of cytostatin and digitoxin on the chick CAM model"
# Pink, Heather, [OE]92 "Radioimmunoassay of Prostaglandins E2 and F2alpha"
++ Stabile, Jonathan, '93 "Image analysis of angiogenic action"
+ Whelan, Steve, '94 "The effect of HODE on angiogenesis"
# Khayat, Alex, '94 "The effect of gangliosides on endothelial cell growth"
# Archie, David, '96 "Bovine capillary endothelial cell growth"
# Thayer, Jonathan, '97 "Estimation of endothelial cell growth using a
(Psychobiology major) microtiter plate reader"
## Campbell, Jean, [OE]00 "The effect of HODEs on endothelial cell migration"
+ Received or working on Ph.D.
++ Received or working on M.D.
+++ Accepted by or attending Vet. School
# Received Masters Degree and/or working in biomedical research
##Applying to medical school, graduate school, or vet school
Selected Publications, Creative Work or Performances
1. Tong, E.Y. and Tjioe, D.T., Effects of gastric distention on activity of abdominal muscles in dogs. Am. J. Physiol. 221:1652,1971.
2. Schmidt, H. and Tong, E.Y., Inhibition by actinomycin D of the denervation- induced action potential in frog slow muscle fibers. Proc. Royal Soc., London 184:91, 1973.
3. Bittar, E.E., Hift, H., Huddart, H. and Tong, E.Y. The effects of caffeine on Na transport, membrane potential, mechanical tension and ultrastructure in barnacle muscle fibers. J. Physiol. (London) 242:1, 1974.
4. Tong, E.Y., Mathé, A.A. and Tisher, P.W., The release of norepinephrine by sympathetic nerve stimulation from rabbit lungs. Am. J. Physiol. 234:H803, 1977.
*5. Tong, E.Y., Leibowitz, H.M., Kupferman, A., Ryan Jr., W.J. and Yang, D.M., Time course of prostaglandin and thromboxane release from the inflamed cornea.Fed. Proc. 42:423, 1983.
*6. Tong, E.Y., White, K. and Kollett, L.S. The effect of prostaglandins on angiogenesis on the chick chorio-allantoic membrane. Fed. Proc. 44:904, 1985.
*7. Tong, E.Y., and Hughes, L.A. Prostaglandins and corneal neovascularization.
Fed. Proc. 46:872, 1987.
*8. Tong, E.Y., Hughes, L.A., Callahan, C.E. and Shen, W.C. Inhibition of
angiogenesis by cytostatin. The FASEB Journal 4: A487, 1990.
*9. Tong, E.Y., Frizzell, E.R. The angiogenic effect of gangliosides on the chick chorio-allantoic membrane. The FASEB Journal 8: 1126, 1994.
*10. Tong, E.Y. , Graf, J.A. and Khayat A. The relationship between sialic acid
residues and the angeogenic effect of gangliosides. The FASEB Journal 10:1547, 1996.
*11. Tong, E.Y. From the class room to the emergency room. The FASEB Journal 12: A59, 1998.
*12. Tong, E.Y., Connor, A.J., Whelan, S., Lotterman, S.A., Mulcahy, L.R.,
Takahashi, S., Beal, J.L., Campbell, J.M.. The Effect of 13-HODE on Angiogenesis on the Chick Chorioallantoic Membrane. The FASEB Journal 13: A526, 1999.
13. Tong, E.Y. Learning physiology through service. Am. J. Physiol. 277 (Adv.Physiol.Educ. 22): S100,1999.
14. Tong, E.Y., Connor, A.J., Whelan, S., Lotterman, S.A., Mulcahy, L.R., Takahashi, S., Beal, J.L., Campbell, J.M.. TheAngiogenic Effect of 13-HODE.
(MS in preparation).
* Presented at FASEB Meetings and later Experimetal Biology Meetings
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Grants & Awards
Grants
NIH, 1985 "Corneal Neovascularization"
NSF, 1988 "Microcomputer-Controlled Instrumentation for an Undergraduate Physiology Laboratory"
DOE, 1989 "Computer Based Life Science Lessons for Junior High Students with Limited English Proficiency"
NSF, 1996 "the Staircase Plan" (approved but not funded)
Sherman/Fairchild, 1996 "the Staircase Plan"
Kresge, 1996 "the Staircase Plan"
Mass. Campus Compact, 1997 "From the Classroom to the Emergency Room"
NIH, 1999 "HODEs and Angiogenesis"
Awards Received by Bio 500 Students
(TriBeta Biological Honor Society Northeastern Region Conference)
1996 - Matt Zawasky won 1st place in the Johnson C. Johnson Award for Excellence in Student research
- Allyson Connor won 2nd place
1998 - Sarah Jancik won 1st place
1999 - Jonathan Beal won 1st place
- Satoe Takahashi won 2nd place