Laurie A Minns

Laurie Minns, PhD is an assistant professor of Clinical Research in the College of Health and Human Sciences at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. She earned her PhD in Microbiology and Immunology from the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College followed by postdoctoral training in clinical research at the Center for Translational Medicine at Dartmouth and GSK Vaccines. Dr. Minns has led pre-clinical through phase 2 clinical immune monitoring and bioassay development in academic and industry settings. She also heads a translational medicine group focused on improving health outcomes in caregivers of patients with primary brain tumors through a mixed methods research program. She has presented data from her team at international brain tumor conferences. She runs an interprofessional translational medicine research group that focuses on pre-clinical discovery and biomarker support for faculty in the school of nursing, chemistry, and marine biology.

Education

Ph.D. Microbiology and Immunology Geisel School of Medicine Dartmouth College
B.S. Microbiology University of Montana
B.A. Psychology University of Montana

Specialization in Teaching

Clinical research from pre-clinical studies to patient interventions

Research Interests

Laboratory Studies: Immune cell dysregulation leads to diseases like autoimmune disorders, allergies, chronic inflammation, and cancer. Normally, inflammation self-resolves, but chronic conditions disrupt this process, causing disease. Marine algae contain components similar to pro-resolving mediators. Our lab studies extracts from marine algae, such as Karenia brevis, to modulate macrophage immune responses. Early drug discovery efforts focus on screening marine extracts for their effects on macrophages and lymphocytes. Six undergraduate students have completed research projects on this topic.
Marine algae and phytoplankton-derived compounds show potential as novel anti-parasitic agents. Despite their known bioactivity, few have been explored for pharmaceutical uses. Our proposal aims to expand the observed antimalarial activity of phytoplankton-derived compounds to target Toxoplasma gondii, the leading cause of fatal foodborne illness in the U.S. Funded by the Center of Marine Science Research Innovation Grant, this interdisciplinary project involves Laurie Minns and Remington Poulin. One MS Chemistry student and an 2 undergraduate students are working on this project.
Quality of life studies: Improving quality of life for patients with high grade brain tumors and their family caregivers. Glioblastoma (GBM) is a terminal cancer causing severe cognitive and physical impairments, affecting both patients and their primary caregivers, often spouses. This remote research project involves qualitative and mixed methods to better understand the experiences of patients and caregivers and to design tailored interventions to improve quality of life. This research involves an interprofessional team of nurse scientists and MS and undergraduate students.

Professional Service

Consortium of Academic Programs in Clinical Research
Executive Board Member, Glioblastoma Support Network
Advisory Board Member, Artemis Immersive
Consultant, biotechnology

Community Engagement

Council on Undergraduate Research Scholars Transforming Research Program
Human Cadaver Lab Visits Montana High School Students 2011-2021
Elementary School Cow Eye Dissection 2011

Honors & Awards

Best Research Poster, American Brain Tumor Association meeting 2024
Best Research Poster, 14th Annual Naval Medical Research Conference, 2024
Outstanding Performance Award for Excellence in Teaching, University of Montana 2019
University of Montana Professor of the week 2017
Outstanding Performance Award for Excellence in Teaching, University of Montana 2017
Merit Recognition for Excellence in Teaching and University Service, University of Montana 2011-2017
Pedagogy Project Steering Committee Member 2014-2021