DONCHO VIDEV ZHELEV
Assistant Professor
Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science

Contact Information
225 Hudson Hall
919-660-5335 phone
919-660-8963 fax
dvzh@duke.edu

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Education

	PhD	Dynamic Stability of Interacting Membranes, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 1987
	BS	Physics, Sofia University, 1979

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Experience

	1999-present	Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering
	1999-present	Member, Center for Cellular and Biosurface Engineering, Duke University
	1994-1999	Asst. Res. Professor, Dept of Mechanical Engr. & Materials Science, Duke Univ.
	1993-1994	Research Associate, Dept of Mechanical Engr. & Materials Science, Duke Univ
	1991-1993	Postdoctoral Fellow, Dept Mechanical Engr. & Materials Science, Duke Univ.
	1989-1990	Post Doctoral Fellow, Department of Academic Pathology, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C., Canada
	1984-1989	Research Associate, Central Laboratory of Biophysics, Bulgarian Acad. of Sciences
	1982-1984	Research Assistant, Central Laboratory of Biophysics, Bulgarian Acad. of Sciences
	1979-1982	Research Assistant, Laboratory for Rapid Spectroscopy and Biological Physics, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences

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Selected Publications

1. Chodniewicz, D. and Zhelev, D. V. (2003) Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase Dependent Signaling of Chemoattractant Stimulated Pseudopod Extension in Human Neutrophils. J. Cell Sci. (submitted).
2. Chodniewicz, D. and Zhelev, D. V. (2003) Novel Pathways of F-actin Polymerization in the Human Neutrophil. Blood (in press).
3. Chodniewicz, D. and Zhelev, D. V. (2003) Chemoattractant receptor stimulated F-actin polymerization in the human neutrophil is signaled by two distinct pathways. Blood 101:1181-1184.
4. Zhelev, D. V. and Alteraifi, A. M. (2002) Signaling in the motility responses of the Human neutrophil. Annals Biomed. Eng. 30:356-370.
5. Zhelev, D. V., and Needham, D. (2001) Interactions of pH-sensitive peptides and polymers with lipid bilayers: Binding and membrane stability. In: Peptide-Lipid Interactions (T. McIntosh and S. Simon, eds.) Current Topics in Membranes, Elsevier Science, USA, vol. 52:437-464.
6. Zhelev, D. V., Stoicheva N., Scherrer P., and Needham, D. (2001) Interaction of synthetic HA2 influenza fusion peptide analog with model membranes. Biophys. J. 81: 285-304.
7. Haribabu, B. Richardson, R. M., Verghese, M. W., Barr, A. J., Zhelev, D. V., and Snyderman, R. (2000) Function and regulation of chemoattractant receptors. Immunol. Res. 22:271-279.
8. Haribabu, B., Zhelev, D. V., Pridgen, B., Richardson, R. M., Ali, H., and Snyderman, R. (1999) Chemoattractant receptors activate distinct pathways for chemotaxis and secretion: Role of G-protein usage. J. Biol. Chem. 274:37087-37092.
9. Needham, D, and Zhelev, D. V. (1999) Use of Micropipet manipulation techniquies to measure the properties of giant lipid vesicles. In: Pespectives in Supramolecular Chemistry v. 6: Giant Vesicles, John Wiley & Sons, Chichester, pp. 103-147.

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Short Research Interest Descriptor

The focus of my research is studying the signaling of cellular cytoskeleton dynamics, properties of polyelectrolyte polymer networks and peptide-membrane interactions.

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Research Interest

The movement of individual cells is dependent on the rearrangement of the cellular cytoskeleton. Our laboratory has extensive experience in the characterization of cytoskeleton dynamics during the deformation of passive cells and during pseudopod extension and lamella spreading of activated cells. We developed micropipet assays that allow us to study the signaling of cytoskeleton dynamics after activation with chemoattractant and presently we are defining the role of different key molecules in the signaling of chemotaxis. The goal of this research is to elucidating the signaling mechanisms of chemotaxis and find means of its control. The long-term benefit of this research is to find pharmacological inhibitor that will reduce or arrest unwanted cell migrations, e.g. in cancer metastasis, while preserving the functional capacity of the cels from the immune system.

Some short basic peptides have the capacity to translocate across cell membranes. The interaction of these peptides with model and cellular membranes is studied to determine whether they can be used as mediators for drug delivery for individual cells. We study the capacity of these peptides to deliver into cells nanometer sized liposomes, which will be used for drug encapsulation. We also explore the association of temperature sensitive and pH sensitive polymers with liposome membranes and the capacity of these polymers to destroy the liposome membranes and release into cells the encapsulated content. The long-term goal of this research is to develop efficient non-viral delivery system for proteins and peptides into cells.

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