Education

• B.S., Florida Atlantic University, Department of Biological Sciences, 1993
• M.S., Florida Atlantic University, Department of Biological Sciences, 1996
• Ph.D., University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, 2002
• Postdoctoral Training, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Biomedical Science, 2005-2007

Research Interests

• Design, construction and purification of unique hypoxia-regulated tissue-specific self-complementary Adeno-Associated Virus (rAAV) vectors for gene therapy.
• AAV targeting and gene regulation.
• Mechanisms involving the regulation of angiogenesis and neovascularization in diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration and cancer.
• Delivery of mitochondria-targeted antioxidant genes to reduce oxidative stress, vascular permeability and apoptosis in the microvasculature.
• Signal transduction of the oxidative stress, apoptosis and survival pathways.

Professional Background

• Florida Atlantic University College of Biomedical Science, Research Assistant Professor, 2006
• Florida Atlantic University College of Biomedical Science, Postdoctoral Fellow, 2005-2007
• University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Postdoctoral Associate, 2002-2003

Representative Peer Review Publications

• Nachman-Clewner, M., Giblin, F.J., C., Dorey, K.C., Blanks, R.H., Kantorow, M., Runco, J.B., Dang, L., Dougherty, C.J., and Blanks, J.C. Selective Degeneration of Central Retinal Photoreceptors Following Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment in Normal and Metallothionein-Knockout Mice. To be submitted in August, 2007.
• Dougherty, C.J., Smith, G.W., Prentice, H.M., Dorey, Li, J., Webster, K.A. and Blanks, J.C. Cell-Specific and Hypoxia-Regulated Adeno-Associated Virus Vector Targeting the Retinal Pigmented Epithelium. Accepted with Revision to Molecular Vision, July 2007.
• Frazier, D.P., Wilson, A., Dougherty, C.J., Li, H., Bishopric, N.H., and Webster, K.A. PKC-α and TAK-1 are Intermediates in the Activation of c-Jun N-terminal Kinase (JNK) by Hypoxia-Reoxygenation. Am. J. Physiol. 2007; 292:H1675-H1684.
• Dougherty, C.J., Kubasiak, L.A., Frazier, D.P., Li, H., Xiong, W., Bishopric, N.H., and Webster, K.A. Mitochondrial Signals Initiate the Activation of c-Jun N-terminal Kinase by Hypoxia Reoxygenation. FASEB Journal 2004 July 18(10):1060-1070.
• Dougherty, C.J., Kubasiak, L.A., Prentice, H., Andreka, P., Bishopric, N.H., and Webster, K.A. Activation of c-Jun N-terminal Kinase Promotes Survival of Cardiac Myocytes after Oxidative Stress. Biochemical Journal 2002, 362:561-571.
• Andreka, P.J., Zang, J., Dougherty, C.J., Slepak, T.I., Webster, K.A., Bishopric, N.H. Cytoprotection by Jun Kinase During Nitric Oxide-Induced Cardiac Myocyte Apoptosis. Circulation Research 2001; 88: 305-312.

fellowships

• The American Heart Association (AHA), 2006-2008