Evangeline M. Deer, PhD
Assistant Professor
Department:
SOM-Pharmacology/Toxicology
Email:
edeer@umc.edu
Work Phone:
(601) 815-1447
Biography
Dr. Deer is an Associate Professor and the Scientific Director of Biobank Mississippi in the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Mississippi Medical Center.
Dr. Deer serves in several leadership capacities. She currently serves on the American Physiological Society Finance Committee, as a fellow on the AJP AJP-Renal Early Career Editorial Fellowship Program, and recently began her term as a standing member of NIH Health, Behavior, and Context Study Section. At the institutional level, Dr. Deer serves as Chair of the UMC Biospecimen Access Committee, as the Chair of the Postdoctoral Advisory Committee, Co-Chair in the Mentoring Committee in the Group on Women in Medicine and Science, assists the Pharmacology clinical research core in consenting patients and collecting samples, is co-director of the Pharmacology Journal Club, and serves as a research mentor for trainees at various levels. She also serves as a reviewer for a number of journals including Hypertension, Hypertension in Pregnancy, BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, Cells, and Cell Cycle. Journal of Hypertension Dr. Deer has published over 20 peer reviewed manuscripts in leading journals for the field of hypertension research and cardiovascular physiology. In addition, she has provided service as a scientific judge in several local science fairs.
Dr. Deer has received several awards throughout her career including the Society for Reproductive Investigation’s President’s New Investigator Plenary Award, the American Physiological Society’s Cardiovascular Section Steven M. Horvath Professional Opportunity Award, the American Heart Association’s Council on Hypertension’s AFHRE Travel Grants for Support of Underrepresented Minorities Award, the American Physiological Society’s Caroline tum Suden/Frances Hellebrandt Professional Opportunity Award, a finalist in the American Physiological Society’s Renal Section Postdoctoral Excellence in Renal Research Award, and was recently a finalist in being selected as a finalist for the Juan Carlos Romero and Water & Electrolyte Homeostasis Section Postdoctoral Research Recognition Award.
Dr. Deer’s laboratory focuses on identifying immunological interactions in the pathophysiology of gestational diabetes and investigating the association between preeclampsia and an increased risk of developing gestational diabetes. Specifically, Dr. Deer’s research focuses on the role of mitochondrial oxidative stress in gestational diabetes, which results in pancreatic β-cell dysfunction and ultimately diabetes during pregnancy. Dr. Deer has worked on developing novel animal models designed to identify how chronic low-grade inflammation is a major causative factor of insulin resistance during pregnancy. Furthermore, Dr. Deer’s models examine how T-cells and B-cells autoimmune mechanisms are involved in abnormal immune regulation of insulin resistance to establish new therapeutic targets for the disease and reduce the gap present in racial disparities in reproductive health.
Education
| University of Mississippi Medical Center, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Pharmacology/Toxicology | 2021 |
| Jackson State University, PhD, Environmental Science/Toxicology | 2019 |
| Mississippi College, MS, Biology | 2009 |
| Tougaloo College, BS, Biology | 2008 |
Current Positions
| Scientific Director of Biobank Mississippi, School of Graduate School in the Health Sciences, Department of Pharmacology / Toxicology | 07/2023 - Present |
| Assistant Professor, School of Graduate School in the Health Sciences, Department of Pharmacology / Toxicology | 07/2023 - Present |
| The University of Mississippi Medical Center Jackson, Mississippi 39216 | |
Academic Appointments or Other Previous Appointments
| Instructor, University of Mississippi Medical Center, School of Graduate School in the Health Sciences, Department of Pharmacology / Toxicology | 06/2021 - 06/2023 |
Sponsored Program Funding
| Extramural, Endothelial PHD2 in Hypertensive Vascular Remodeli, National Institutes of Health | 09/2021 - Present |
| Extramural, Mayo COVID-19 Biobank at UMMC, National Institutes of Health | 07/2021 - Present |
| Extramural, Adducin, Actin, Cytoskeleton and Cognitive Impairment, National Institutes of Health | 04/2019 - Present |
| Extramural, Southern All of Us Network, National Institutes of Health | 08/2017 - Present |
Publications
Review | |
| Campbell NE, Deer EM, Herrock OT, LaMarca BB, The Role of Different Lymphoid Cell Populations in Preeclampsia Pathophysiology. Kidney360, 2022 Oct 27;3(10):1785-1794 | 2022 |
Journal Article | |
| Campbell N, Solise D, Deer E, LaMarca B, Sex Differences in Offspring of Preeclamptic Pregnancies. Current opinion in physiology, 2023 Aug;34 | 2023 |
| Fitzgerald S, Deer E, Hogg J, Cornelius DC, Turner T, Amaral LM, Hoang N, Edwards K, Herrock O, Campbell N, Ibrahim T, LaMarca B, RUPP Th17s cause hypertension and mitochondrial dysfunction in the kidney and placenta during pregnancy. Pregnancy hypertension, 2023 Jun;32:50-56 | 2023 |
| Solise D, Campbell N, Ashraf U, Herrock O, Crudup B, Mallette J, Willis A, Rawls AZ, Turner T, Cockrell K, Zheng B, Deer E, Amaral L, Alexander BT, Lamarca B, Inhibition of angiotensin II type 1 receptor agonistic autoantibodies by direct binding does not impact reduced uterine perfusion pressure offspring birthweight and blood pressure at adulthood. American journal of obstetrics & gynecology MFM, 2023 Jun;5(6):100945 | 2023 |
| Herrock O, Deer E, Amaral LM, Campbell N, Whitney D, Ingram N, Cornelius DC, Turner T, Hardy-Hardin J, Booz GW, Ibrahim T, LaMarca B, Inhibiting B cell activating factor attenuates preeclamptic symptoms in placental ischemic rats. American journal of reproductive immunology (New York, N.Y. : 1989), 2023 Apr;89(4):e13693 | 2023 |
| Deer E, Herrock O, Campbell N, Cornelius D, Fitzgerald S, Amaral LM, LaMarca B, The role of immune cells and mediators in preeclampsia. Nature reviews. Nephrology, 2023 Apr;19(4):257-270 | 2023 |
| Herrock OT, Deer E, Amaral LM, Campbell N, Lemon J, Ingram N, Cornelius DC, Turner TW, Fitzgerald S, Ibrahim T, Dechend R, Wallukat G, LaMarca B, B2 cells contribute to hypertension and natural killer cell activation possibly via AT1-AA in response to placental ischemia. American journal of physiology. Renal physiology, 2023 Feb 1;324(2):F179-F192 | 2023 |
| Vaka R, Deer E, LaMarca B, Is Mitochondrial Oxidative Stress a Viable Therapeutic Target in Preeclampsia? Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland), 2022 Jan 22;11(2) | 2022 |
| Deer E, Jones J, Cornelius DC, Comley K, Herrock O, Campbell N, Fitzgerald S, Ibrahim T, LaMarca B, Amaral LM, Progesterone Induced Blocking Factor Reduces Hypertension and Placental Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Response to sFlt-1 during Pregnancy. Cells, 2021 Oct 20;10(11) | 2021 |
| Vaka R, Deer E, Cunningham M, McMaster KM, Wallace K, Cornelius DC, Amaral LM, LaMarca B, Characterization of Mitochondrial Bioenergetics in Preeclampsia. Journal of clinical medicine, 2021 Oct 29;10(21) | 2021 |
| Deer E, Amaral LM, Campbell N, Fitzgerald S, Herrock O, Ibrahim T, LaMarca B, Low Dose of IL-2 Normalizes Hypertension and Mitochondrial Function in the RUPP Rat Model of Placental Ischemia. Cells, 2021 Oct 19;10(10) | 2021 |
| Jayaram A, Deer E, Amaral LM, Campbell N, Vaka VR, Cunningham M, Ibrahim T, Cornelius DC, LaMarca BB, The role of tumor necrosis factor in triggering activation of natural killer cell, multi-organ mitochondrial dysfunction and hypertension during pregnancy. Pregnancy hypertension, 2021 Jun;24:65-72 | 2021 |
| Deer E, Vaka VR, McMaster KM, Wallace K, Cornelius DC, Amaral LM, Cunningham MW, LaMarca B, Vascular endothelial mitochondrial oxidative stress in response to preeclampsia: a role for angiotension II type 1 autoantibodies. American journal of obstetrics & gynecology MFM, 2021 Jan;3(1):100275 | 2021 |
| Deer E, Reeve KE, Amaral L, Vaka VR, Franks M, Campbell N, Fitzgerald S, Herrock O, Ibrahim T, Cornelius D, LaMarca B, CD4+ T cells cause renal and placental mitochondrial oxidative stress as mechanisms of hypertension in response to placental ischemia. American journal of physiology. Renal physiology, 2021 Jan 1;320(1):F47-F54 | 2021 |
| Deer EM, Phillips CL, Welch BA, Himel AR, Duncan BC, Spann RA, Grayson BE, Dysregulated appetitive leptin signaling in male rodent offspring from post-bariatric dams. Current research in physiology, 2020 Dec;3:50-58 | 2020 |
| Cunningham MW, Jayaram A, Deer E, Amaral LM, Vaka VR, Ibrahim T, Cornelius DC, LaMarca B, Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) blockade improves natural killer cell (NK) activation, hypertension, and mitochondrial oxidative stress in a preclinical rat model of preeclampsia. Hypertension in pregnancy, 2020 Nov;39(4):399-404 | 2020 |
| Vaka VR, Cunningham MW, Deer E, Franks M, Ibrahim T, Amaral LM, Usry N, Cornelius DC, Dechend R, Wallukat G, LaMarca BD, Blockade of endogenous angiotensin II type I receptor agonistic autoantibody activity improves mitochondrial reactive oxygen species and hypertension in a rat model of preeclampsia. American journal of physiology. Regulatory, integrative and comparative physiology, 2020 Feb 1;318(2):R256-R262 | 2020 |
| Deer EM, Welch B, Hernandez LL, Seeley RJ, Grayson BE, Nutrient and hormone composition of milk is altered in rodent dams post-bariatric surgery. Journal of developmental origins of health and disease, 2020 Feb;11(1):71-77 | 2020 |
| Howard CB, McDowell R, Feleke K, Deer E, Stamps S, Thames E, Singh V, Pervin S, Chemotherapeutic Vulnerability of Triple-negative Breast Cancer Cell-derived Tumors to Pretreatment with Vernonia amygdalina Aqueous Extracts. Anticancer research, 2016 Aug;36(8):3933-43 | 2016 |
| Herrock O, Deer E, LaMarca B, Setting a stage: Inflammation during preeclampsia and postpartum. Frontiers in physiology, 2023;14:1130116 | |
Presentations
| Platform Presentations, Adoptive Transfer of Diabetic CD4+T Cells cause increased glucose, blood pressure and placental mitochondrial dysfunction in a novel rat model of diabetes during pregnancy, American Physiology Summit, Long Beach, California | 04/2023 |
| Poster Presentation, AT1-AA Induced Hypertension During Pregnancy Decreases Maternal Cerebral Blood Flow Autoregulation Postpartum, American Heart Association Council on Hypertension Scientific Sessions, San Diego, CA | 09/2022 |
| Poster Presentation, B Cells Induce Hypertension, AT1AA, And Complement Activation In Preeclampsia Or In Response To A Prior Covid-19 Infection During Pregnancy., American Heart Association Council on Hypertension Scientific Sessions, San Diego, CA | 09/2022 |
| Platform Presentations, Gestational Diabetic CD4+T Cells cause increased glucose, blood pressure and placental mitochondrial dysfunction in a novel rat model of diabetes during pregnancy, American Heart Association Council on Hypertension Scientific Sessions, San Diego, California | 09/2022 |
| Poster Presentation, IL17 administration in the Absence of T cells Results in Hypertension, NK cell Activation, and Reduced Pup Weight at Birth, but No Changes in Blood Pressure or Weight at Maturation of Offspring, Experimental Biology, Philadelphia, PA | 04/2022 |
| Platform Presentations, The Role of B Cells in Mediating Hypertension in Preeclampsia or COVID‐19 Infection During Pregnancy, Experimental Biology, Philadelphia, PA | 04/2022 |
| Platform Presentations, Maternal B Cell Depletion Reduces Blood Pressure and Improves Fetal Weights in Male Offspring of a Rat Model of Preeclampsia, Experimental Biology, Philadelphia, PA | 04/2022 |
| Poster Presentation, Gestational Diabetic Cd4+ T Cells Cause Increased Glucose, Blood Pressure And Placental Mitochondrial Dysfunction In A Novel Rat Model Of Diabetes During Pregnancy, Experimental Biology, Philadelphia, PA | 04/2022 |
| Platform Presentations, CD4+T Cells cause increased glucose, mitochondrial dysfunction, and hypertension in a Novel Pregnant Rodent Model of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental Biology, Philadelphia, PA | 04/2022 |
| Platform Presentations, CD4+T Cells cause increased glucose, mitochondrial dysfunction, and hypertension in a Novel Pregnant Rodent Model of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus, Society for Reproductive Investigation, Denver, Colorado | 03/2022 |
| Poster Presentation, CD4+T Cells cause mitochondrial dysfunction, an increase in glucose, and hypertension in a novel Rat Model of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus, APS New Trends in Sex and Gender Medicine, Virtual | 10/2021 |
| Poster Presentation, Progesterone induced blocking factor attenuates hypertension, placental and endothelial cell mitochondrial dysfunction and reactive oxygen species in response to sFlt-1 during pregnancy, AHA Council on Hypertension Scientific Sessions, Virtual | 09/2021 |
| Platform Presentations, Maternal B Cell Depletion Lowers Blood Pressure And Improves Fetal Weights In Offspring In A Rat Model Of Preeclampsia, AHA Council on Hypertension Scientific Sessions, Virtual | 09/2021 |
| Platform Presentations, Inhibiting B Cell Activating Factor Normalizes The Hypertension And Cytolytic Natural Killer Cells Associated With Placental Ischemia, AHA Council on Hypertension Scientific Sessions, Virtual | 09/2021 |
| Platform Presentations, IL-17 Causes Hypertension, Reduced Fetal Weight And Natural Killer Cell Activation In The Absence Of T Cells. Hypertension, AHA Council on Hypertension Scientific Sessions, Virtual | 09/2021 |
| Platform Presentations, Cd4+t Cells Cause Hypertension, Increased Glucose, And Mitochondrial Dysfunction In A Novel Rodent Model Of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus, AHA Council on Hypertension Scientific Sessions, Virtual | 09/2021 |
| Poster Presentation, Progesterone induced blocking factor attenuates hypertension, placental and endothelial cell mitochondrial dysfunction and reactive oxygen species in response to sFlt-1 during pregnancy, Society for Reproductive Organization, Virtual | 06/2021 |
| Platform Presentations, Low Dose of IL-2 Normalizes Hypertension and Mitochondrial Function in Response to Placental Ischemia, Society for Reproductive Investigation, Virtual | 06/2021 |
| Poster Presentation, IL-17 causes hypertension and multi-organ tissue dysfunction which is attenuated with blockade of agonistic autoantibodies to the angiotensin II type I (AT1-AA) receptor during pregnancy, Experimental Biology, Virtual | 04/2021 |
| Platform Presentations, An Immunological Perspective on Preeclampsia, Conference for Black Physiologists, Virtual | 04/2021 |
| Platform Presentations, AT1-AAs cause Vascular Endothelial Mitochondrial Oxidative Stress associated with Preeclampsia, Experimental Biology, Virtual | 04/2021 |
| Poster Presentation, Preeclamptic placental CD4+ T cells cause hypertension, AT1-AA stimulation and cNK cells in pregnant nude-athymic rats, American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology | 02/2021 |
| Poster Presentation, IL-17 stimulates B cells to secrete AT1-AA in hypertension and multi-organ tissue dysfunction during pregnancy, American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology | 2021 |
| Platform Presentations, Inhibition Of T Cell Activation In Response To Placental Ischemia During Pregnancy Improves Hypertension And Activation Of Natural Killer Cells, American Heart Association Council on Hypertension, Virtual | 09/2020 |
| Poster Presentation, Mitochondrial Dysfunction And Natural Killer Cell Activation Stimulated By Il-17 Signaling From Th17 Cells In Response To Placental Ischemia During Pregnancy, American Heart Association Council on Hypertension, Virtual | 09/2020 |
| Poster Presentation, RUPP rat model CD4+ T Cells activate NK cells and cause mitochondrial oxidative stress and hypertension in normal pregnant rats, AHA Council on Hypertension Scientific Sessions, Virtual | 09/2020 |
| Poster Presentation, IL‐17 Signaling Stimulates Natural Killer Cell Activation and Causes Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Response to TH17 Cells Stimulated in Response to Placental Ischemia During Pregnancy., Experimental Biology, Virtual | 04/2020 |
| Platform Presentations, Progesterone induced blocking factor improves blood pressure, mitochondrial dysfunction and reactive oxygen species in response to sFlt‐1 induced hypertension during pregnancy, Experimental Biology, Virtual | 04/2020 |
| Platform Presentations, CD4+ T Cells from RUPP rat model activate NK cells and cause mitochondrial oxidative stress and hypertension in normal pregnant rats, Experimental Biology, Virtual | 04/2020 |
| Platform Presentations, Progesterone induced blocking factor attenuates hypertension, placental and endothelial cell mitochondrial dysfunction and reactive oxygen species in response to sFlt-1 during pregnancy, Society for Reproductive Investigation, Vancouver, Canada | 03/2020 |
| Poster Presentation, NK cell-mediated mitochondrial oxidative stress and hypertension in response to CD4+ T cells from RUPP rats., American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Virtual | 2020 |
| Poster Presentation, RUPP CD4+T Cells activate NK cells, cause mitochondrial oxidative stress, and hypertension in normal pregnant rats., University of Mississippi Medical Center’s Research Day, Jackson, MS | 10/2019 |
| Poster Presentation, Leptin Signaling Defects in Offspring of Dams Having Received Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy, Experimental Biology, Orlando, FL | 04/2019 |
| Poster Presentation, Dysregulated Leptin Signaling in Post-Bariatric Rodent Offspring, University of Mississippi Medical Center’s Research Day, Jackson, MS | 10/2018 |
| State/Local Invited Seminars/Lectures, Mechanisms of altered androgen processing following surgical weight loss, Cardiovascular-Renal Research Center, Jackson, Mississippi | 09/2018 |
| Invited Symposia, Inhibition of Leptin Secretion by Vernonia amygdalina Extract, International Symposium on Recent Advancements in Environmental Health Research and Metal Ions in Biology and Medicine, Jackson, MS | 09/2017 |
| Invited Symposia, Inhibition of Leptin Secretion in Adipocytes by Vernonia amygdalina Extract, CSET/LSMAP Research Symposium, Jackson, Mississippi | 02/2015 |
Honors, Awards, and Recognition
| Appreciation Award, Tri Beta Sigma Epsilon | 2023 |
| Water & Electrolyte Homeostasis Section Postdoctoral Research Recognition Award Finalist, American Physiological Society | 2023 |
| Award for the Support of Underrepresented Minorities, American Heart Association Council on Hypertension | 2022 |
| Postdoctoral Excellence in Renal Research Award Finalist, American Physiological Society | 2022 |
| Steven M. Horvath Professional Opportunity Award, American Physiological Society | 2021 |
| President’s New Investigator Plenary Award, Society for Reproductive Investigation | 2021 |
| AFHRE Travel Grants for Support of Underrepresented Minorities, American Heart Association Council on Hypertension | 2020 |
| Caroline tum Suden/Frances Hellebrandt Professional Opportunity Award, American Physiological Society | 2020 |
| Bill Gates Millennium Scholar, The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation | 2002 |
Professional Membership and Service
| International Society for Biological and Environmental Repositories, Member | 2023 - Present |
| American Heart Association, Member, Council on Hypertension Scientific Sessions | 2019 - Present |
| American Physiological Society, Member, Experimental Biology; American Physiology Summit-Judge for Barbara A. Horwitz and John M. Horowitz Excellence in Undergraduate Research Award | 2019 - Present |
| American Association for the Advancement of Science, Member | 2011 - Present |
| Association of Southeastern Biologists, Member | 2011 - Present |
Committee Service
| American Physiological Society Finance Committee, Member | 2024 - Present |
| Biospecimen Access Committee, Chair | 2023 - Present |
| Fellowship Clinical Competency Committee, Member | 2023 - Present |
| Group on Women in Medicine and Science, Mentoring Committee Co-Chair | 2021 - Present |
| Advisory Committee for the Office of Postdoctoral Studies, Chair | 2019 - Present |
Community Service
| Discovery U, Volunteer | 2022 - Present |
| Michelle Obama Early College High School, Judge | 2021 - Present |
| MS IDeA Conference, Judge | 2018 - Present |
| Local and Regional High School Science Fair, Judge | 2012 - Present |
| Habitat for Humanity, Volunteer | 2012 - Present |
Other Service
| Renal Physiology Early Career Editorial Fellowship Program, Trainee | 07/2023 - Present |
| NIH: Health, Behavior, and Context Study Section, Standing Member | 2023 - Present |
| Hypertension in Pregnancy | 2022 - Present |
| Journal of Hypertension | 2022 - Present |
| Cell Cycle Journal | 2020 - Present |
| Cells Journal | 2020 - Present |
| BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth Journal | 2020 - Present |
Teaching Experience
| PH702, Graduate, Course, Course Director, Recent Advances in Pharmacology and Toxicology | Annual 2022 |
| Graduate, Course, Lecturer, MFM Research Tools in Molecular Biology | Spring 2022 |
| PH702, Graduate, Course, Co-director, Recent Advances in Pharmacology and Toxicology | Annual 2021 - 2022 |
Directed Student Learning
| Research Advisor, Advised: Macia Outlaw | 2023 - Present |
| Research Advisor, Advised: Keanna Lee | 2023 - Present |
| Research Advisor, Advised: LaBrenda Bell | 2022 - Present |
| Research Advisor, Advised: Thamar Scipio | 2022 - 2022 |
| Supervised Research, Advised: Hawthorne Cleveland | 2022 - Present |
| Supervised Research, Advised: Nathan Campbell | 2019 - Present |
| Supervised Research, Advised: Jalisa Jones | 2019 - 2019 |
| Supervised Research, Advised: Sarah Fitzgearld | 2019 - Present |
| Supervised Research, Advised: Owen Herrock | 2019 - 2023 |
Fellows supervised
| MFM Fellowship Program, Training Faculty, 1 fellows supervised | 08/2023 - Present |
| MFM Fellowship Program, Research Advisor, 2 fellows supervised | 08/2022 - Present |
| MFM Fellowship Program, Training Faculty, 1 fellows supervised | 08/2021 - 05/2023 |
| MFM Fellowship Program, Training Faculty, 1 fellows supervised | 08/2019 - 05/2022 |