Krishna Deo Sharma, a student in the molecular biosciences Ph.D. program, is lead author of an article published in Plos One. He analyzes how exosomes derived from glioma, a type of brain tumor, could help identify pathways and therapeutic targets for treatment. He has worked under the direction of various faculty, including Dr. Malathi Srivatsan, emeritus professor of neurobiology and former program director. The article is online.

Dr. Paul Sikkel, associate professor of aquatic biology, and three of his Ph.D. students, Matthew Nicholson and Gina Hendrick, A-State, and Andres Pagan, University of Porto, are co-authors of an article in Marine Biology. The researchers, who were studying damselfishes of the genus Stegastes, found that bacterial communities residing on the skin of these fishes were related to taxonomy, environment and ontogeny.  Their results align with earlier analyses of the dynamics of fish skin microbiomes.

Dr. Lauren Schack Clark, professor of music and department chair, is the director-elect of the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) South Central Division, and will be director and a full member of the MTNA national board of directors in two years. Clark, who earned her Doctor of Musical Arts degree in collaborative piano from Boston University, joined the A-State faculty in 2003.

Dr. Edward Salo, associate professor of history, prepared an article for Inkstick that examined the communists' use of bounties against U.S. soldiers during the Vietnam War. The article, based on his ongoing research into military history and special operations, placed into modern context the recent news reports about alleged Russian bounties on American military forces in Afghanistan. Salo's article is available online.

Joe Ford, associate professor of graphic design, is the lead investigator on a grant from Arkansas Biosciences Institute. He and Dr. Troy Camarata of NYITCOM are undertaking a two-year study of the relationship between agricultural burning and air quality in Northeast Arkansas. The project will culminate with a mobile app, which Ford will design and build, to inform users about current air quality.