John A Pollock (professor)

Education

After receiving a B.S. and M.S. in physics from Syracuse University, Pollock earned his Ph.D. in biophysics in 1984 under the guidance of Dr. Edward Lipson. He did his post doctoral training at the California Institute of Technology with Seymour Benzer, where he studied the molecular neurogenetics of the developing eye and brain.

Scientific career

Pollock worked at Carnegie Mellon University as an assistant professor of biology and director of biological sciences graduate programs. In 2001 he became an associate professor of biology at Duquesne University, where he continues his research in molecular neurobiology and serve as director of the graduate program.

Pollock’s research in neurobiology focuses on the development of nerve cells in the fruit fly Drosophila. His early work explored the cell specific expression of genes such as sevenless, the opsins and arrestins. He also helped to develop techniques for the subcellular localization of mRNAs by high voltage electron microscopy. His research has more recently identified that the RUNX1 transcription factor, Lozenge, initially influences cells with undetermined fates to choose survival over death, while Lozenge proteins contribute to how a cell chooses a specific fate. His current research investigates the genes regulating Lozenge and subsequently what Lozenge specifically regulates during axon growth and guidance. He has published in several academic journals, including Nature, Journal of Neuroscience, Development Genes and Evolution, as well as Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Pollock also collaborates with Dr. David Somers of the Rangos School of Health Sciences at Duquesne University analyzing the roles transient receptor potential channels (TRP) and TRP proteins play in chronic pain physiology and exploring changes in TRP expression. In addition to neurobiology, Pollock has taught such subjects as developmental biology, light microscopy, physics, calculus, astronomy and ethics. He is an honorary editor for the academic journal Journal of Risk Management and Healthcare Policy (Dove Medical Press).

Planetarium Shows

As director and executive producer of the Partnership in Education, Pollock specializes in creating planetarium shows and interactive multimedia that visualize topics in health and biology. Many of his productions focus on the potential for stem cell and tissue engineering research to help patients suffering from bone, heart and spinal cord trauma and disease, as well as autoimmune diseases like Type I Diabetes.

Pollock initially became interested in animation as a way to simplify and communicate important topics in science while a graduate student at Syracuse University, where he was the only science major in his animation class. As a research fellow at the STUDIO for Creative Inquiry at Carnegie Mellon, an interdisciplinary arts center that enables art-science collaboration, he began collaborating with colleague Patricia Maurides and the Pittsburgh Tissue Engineering Initiative (PTEI) in 1996. He was science adviser to Journey into the Living Cell (1996) and co-director and science adviser for the internationally distributed Gray Matters: The Brain Movie (2000).

Building on these initial successes, in 2000 Pollock (as co-PI) and his collaborators at the STUDIO for Creative Inquiry and PTEI received a $1.62 million five-year Science Education Partnership Award from the National Center for Research Resources Pollock then received a second five-year SEPA in 2006 and as PI created the interdisciplinary informal science education project, Regenerative Medicine Partnership in Education, hosted by Duquesne University. Since 2000, Pollock has directed and produced several health literacy planetarium shows including Tissue Engineering for Life, Regenerobot and the Robot Science Fair, Dr. Allevable's Unbelievable Laboratory - Bone and Heart and Our Cells, Our Selves. Many have shown at the Carnegie Science Center Buhl Planetarium, and have been distributed to science centers and educators worldwide. Partnering with the Entertainment Technology Center, Pollock led the production of several video games that expand upon lessons in the films. He received national recognition at the 2010 Games for Health conference.

Darwin 2009

Upon receiving the 2008 Darwin Evolution/Revolution Award from the NIH, Pollock and his team marked the bicentennial of the birth of Charles Darwin with a year-long celebration titled "Darwin 2009: A Pittsburgh Partnership". The life and intellectual impact of Darwin was celebrated in Pittsburgh with a citywide series of events for children, teachers, students, and the general public. Unique aspects of Darwin’s accomplishments were highlighted using the distinct abilities and resources of six major cultural institutions throughout Pittsburgh. The key event was the Darwin Synthetic Interview, an interactive display created in partnership with the ETC that allows visitors to ask 199 questions to a virtual re-creation of Darwin. The exhibit is installed as a permanent installation at the Carnegie Science Center, and the software has been used as part of the science curriculum of Pittsburgh Public Schools.

Scientastic!

Other projects led by Pollock include Scientastic!, a television series for pre-teens and teens that explores topics in health and science, as well as social issues. The pilot episode debuted on WQED, Pittsburgh’s local PBS station, in September 2010. Pollock is currently producing a new planetarium show about reproduction and growth (How We Grow) with development and distribution partner Green Eye Visualization, slated to be released in late 2011. He is the recipient of the 2011 Carnegie Science Award, honoring his efforts in informal science education.

Pollock also engages in community outreach by volunteering as a reading tutor at local schools. He previously served as a volunteer coordinator for the Persad Center, a Pittsburgh-based counseling center.

Funding and Awards

Publications (2000-2011)

1. J. Ricou, J. A. Pollock (2012) The Tree, The Spiral And The Web of Life: A Visual Exploration. Leonardo Journal. Volume 45, Issue 1, in press.
2. K. Lawrence, C. Stilley, J.A. Pollock, D. Webber, E. Quivers (2011) A family-centered educational program to promote independence in pediatric heart transplant recipients. Progress in Transplantation, vol 21. March 2011.
3. N.A. Siddall, G.R. Hime, J.A. Pollock, P. Batterham (2009) Ttk69-dependent regulation of lozenge expression is necessary for correct R7 differentiation in the developing eye of Drosophila melanogaster. Biomed Central: Developmental Biology Dec 9; 9:64.
4. J.P. McKay, B. Nightingale and J.A. Pollock (2008) Helmsman is expressed in both trachea and Photoreceptor development; partial inactivation alters trachea morphology and visually guided behavior. Journal of Neurogenetics, Apr-Jun;22(2):1.
5. S. Sethi, W. Adams, J.A. Pollock and P.A. Witt-Enderby (2008) C-terminal domains within human MT(1) and MT(2) melatonin receptors are involved in internalization processes. J Pineal Res. 2008 Mar 13.
6. K. Behan, J. Fair, S. Singh, M. Bogwitz, T. Perry, V. Grubor, F. Cunningham, C. Nichols, T. Cheung, P. Batterham and J.A. Pollock (2005) Alternative splicing removes an Ets interaction domain from Lozenge during Drosophila eye development. Dev Genes Evol. 215:423-435.
7. N. Siddall, K.J. Behan, N., J.R. Crew, T.L. Cheung, J.A. Fair, P. Batterham, and J.A. Pollock (2003) Mutations in lozenge and D-Pax2 invoke ectopic patterned cell death in the developing Drosophila eye using distinct mechanisms. Dev Genes Evol 213:107-119.
8. K.J. Behan, C.D. Nichols, T. L. Cheung, A. Farlow, B. M. Hogan P. Batterham and JA Pollock (2002) Yan regulates Lozenge during Drosophila eye development. Dev Genes Evol, 212:267-276.