Education:
- 2009 - 2010 Postdoctoral Scholar, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, OUHSC, Oklahoma City, OK
Research focus: Glycobiology and HA Synthase functional characterization
Mentor: Paul H. Weigel, Ph.D.
- 2005 - 2009 NRSA/Sandler Postdoctoral Fellow, Biochemistry and Biophysics, UCSF, San Francisco, CA
Research focus: Integral membrane protein structure, function, and production
Mentor: Robert M. Stroud, Ph.D.
- 2000 - 2005 Doctor of Philosophy, Biochemistry and Biophysics, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR
Dissertation: Sequence Dependent Conformational Variations in DNA Holliday Junctions
Committee: Pui Shing Ho, Ph.D. (Advisor); Joseph Beckman, Ph.D.; Andrew Karplus, Ph.D.; Tory Hagen, Ph.D.; Mike Schimerlik, Ph.D.; Ken van Holde, Ph.D.
- 1996 - 2000 Bachelor of Science, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK
Senior Thesis: Direct Substrate Channeling in Glycolytic Dehydrogenases
Advisor: H Olin Spivey, Ph.D.
Teaching:
Undergraduate:
- HES 2823: Introductory Nutrition, OU in Arezzo (Italy)
Graduate & Professional:
- NS 5104: Nutritional Biochemistry and Physiology
- NS 5823: Energy Nutrients
- NS 5833: Non-Energy Nutrients
Graduate:
- NS 5970: MS Seminar
- AHS 6970: PhD Seminar
- BMSC 5221: Interdisciplinary First Year Journal Club
Research Interests:
The Redox and Nutritional Biochemistry Laboratory is focused on defining roles of bioactive redox small molecules in human biology and health. Studies in the Hays lab include a range of methodologies: computational and structural biology, protein biochemistry, food chemistry, in vitro and in vivo bioassays, zebrafish genetics, database development, and foodstuff preparation and compositional analysis. Three primary projects are currently ongoing: 1) developing a special interest database on nitrate and nitrite composition in common foodstuffs and dietary supplements, 2) defining functional role of the p66Shc adaptor protein in ischemia reperfusion injury during cardiac ischemia, peripheral wound healing, and organ transplantation, and 3) functional characterization of tetraspanin integral membrane proteins in vascular inflammation and formation of membrane microdomains.
Funding:
Recent funding, see CV for complete list
- Hays, F. A. (PI), "Nitrates and Nitrites in Foods and Botanical Dietary Supplements" U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA Agreement #58-8040-4-015)
July 1st, 2024 – May 29th, 2027
- Hays, F. A. (PI), "Development of a Database on Nitrite and Nitrate in Foods and Dietary Supplements" U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA:NIH Office of Dietary Supplements Interagency Agreement #60-8040-2-006)
June 1st, 2022 – September 30th, 2026
- Hays, F. A. (PI), Zhang, X. (Co-PI), "Tetraspanin CD8 Lipid-Dependent Structural Changes Involved in Inhibition of Tumor Cell Movement" Stephenson Cancer Center, CAH, & VPR Research Support, Non-Sponsored
July 1, 2023 - June 30, 2025
- Hays, F. A. (PI), "Deciphering ShcA-mediated ROS Production as a Novel Intervention Strategy in Diabetes Therapy" NIH R01, Sponsored by National Institutes of Health, Federal Grant/Contract Number: 1R01GM118599
September 15, 2016 - July 31, 2021
Select Publications:
Select Publications, See CV or PubMed for a complete list:
- Leveraging Generative Artificial Intelligence to Improve Motivation and Retrieval in Higher Education Learners. Monzon N, Hays FA. JMIR Med Educ. 2025 Mar 11;11:e59210. doi: 10.2196/59210. PMID: 40068170 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40068170/
- Pinaffi-Langley, A., Nguyen, H. V. M., Whitehead, D., Roseland, J. M., Heydorn, K., Wu, X., Pehrsson, P., Hays, F. A., and Hord, N. G.# (2025). “Nitrate and nitrite quantification in U.S. vegetable-based baby foods and infant formula via ozone chemiluminescence” J. of Food Compost. Anal., Jan 137(A):106902 (Co-Corresponding)
Exploring the Gut-Mitochondrial Axis: p66Shc Adapter Protein and Its Implications for Metabolic Disorders. da C Pinaffi-Langley AC, Melia E, Hays FA. Int J Mol Sci. (2024) Mar 25;25(7):3656. doi: 10.3390/ijms25073656. PMID: 38612468 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38612468/
- Haslem, L.*, Hays, J. M., Zhang, X. A., and Hays, F. A. (2022). “P66Shc (Shc1) Zebrafish Mutant Line as a Platform for Testing Decreased Reactive Oxygen Species in Pathology” J Cardiovasc Dev Dis, Nov 9; 9(11). PMID: 36354784 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36354784/
- Pinaffi-Langley A., Dajani, R.M., Prater M.C., Nguyen H.V., Vranken K., Beaver L., Hays F.A., and Hord N.G. (2023) “Dietary nitrate from plant foods: a conditionally essential nutrient for cardiovascular health”. Adv. Nutr. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38008359/
- Haslem, L., Hays, J. M., Schmitz, H., Matsuzaki, S., Sjoelund, V., Byrum, S. D., Humphries, K. D., Frazer, J. K., Demeler, B., Benbrook, D. M., Tierney, R. M., Duggan, K. D., and Hays, F. A. (2022) “p66Shc is an Apoptotic Rheostat Whose Targeted ROS Inhibition Improves MI Outcomes”. https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.04.14.487897v1.full
- Haslem, L., Brown, M., Zhang, X.A., Hays, J.M. and Hays, F. A. (2022) "Purification of Membrane Proteins Overexpressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae". Methods Mol. Bio.; 2507:143-173; PMID:35773581 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35773581/
- Haslem, L., Hays, J.M. and Hays, F. A. (2022) "p66Shc in Cardiovascular Biology". Cells; June 6; 11(11):1855; PMID: 35681549
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35681549/