Contact Information
Mailing Address
University of Northern Colorado
School of Biological Sciences
Campus Box 92
Greeley, CO 80639
Education
Postdoctoral: Molecular Immunology, , Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
Ph.D.: Anatomy & Neurobiology, , Richmond, VA
B.S.: Biology, , Harrisonburg, VA
Professional/Academic Experience
2024-Present; Master’s in Biomedical Science Program Coordinator
2020-Present; Associate Professor, University of Northern Colorado
2017-Present; Graduate Faculty, Â鶹´«Ã½
2016-2020; Assistant Professor, Â鶹´«Ã½
2013-2016; Clark Cox Professor in Science, William Woods University, Fulton, MO
2012-2016; Assistant Professor of Biology, WWU
2010-2012; NIH-IRACDA Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Biology, Virginia Commonwealth
University and the Department of Chemistry, Geology, and Physics, Elizabeth City State
University, NC
Go to this page for a list of courses I teach, including latest syllabi.
Professional Affiliations:
Other Experience
2021-present; Editor-in-Chief (with Dr. Noemi Sinkovics, University of Glasgow), (Elsevier)
2020-2026; Education Committee (Chair 2021-2026),
2019-2022; Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee,
2018-present; Section Editor, Biochemistry and Immunology,
2014-present; Textbook reviewer for Macmillan, Sinauer Associates, Garland Science,
and Morton Publishing Company
2014-2017; Reviewer for the Improving Teacher Quality Grants Program, Missouri Department
of Higher Education
2014-2016; Biological Sciences Section Chair, Missouri Academy of Science
2013-2016; Content expert consultant for the Biology Missouri Educator Gateway Assessment,
Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
2009-2018; Reader and judge for the Virginia Academy of Science
Research/Areas of Interest
My main research areas are:
- Mast cell biology
- Inflammation
- Immune system responses to cancer
- Immunology education & curriculum
Publications/Creative Works
- Royse EA, Pullen NA, Cogswell A, and Holt EA. A scoping review of undergraduate anatomy
and physiology education: approaches to evaluating student outcomes in the United
States. Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education. 2024. DOI:
- Simon LH, Garritson J, Pullen N, and Hayward R. Exercise Preconditioning Preserves
Cardiac Function and Enhances Cardiac Recovery Following Dobutamine Stimulation in
Doxorubicin-Treated Rat Hearts. Journal of Cardiovascular Pharmacology. 2024. DOI: .
- Lisano JK, Kisiolek J, Flores V, Smoak P, Pullen NA, and Stewart LK. Chronic cannabis
use is associated with altered monocyte phenotype, immune response, and depression
in physically active individuals. Canadian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology. 2023.
- Vita AA and Pullen NA. Exploring the mechanism of berberine-mediated Tfh cell immunosuppression. Phytomedicine. 2022; 105 (October).
- Rasé VJ, Hayward R, Haughian JM, and Pullen NA. Th17, Th22, and Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cell Population Dynamics and Response to IL-6 in
4T1 Mammary Carcinoma. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2022 (September); 23(18): 10299. .
- Lopatto D, Rosenwald AG, Burgess RC, ... 98 GEP coauthors, Reed LK. Student Attitudes
Contribute to the Effectiveness of a Genomics CURE. Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education. 2022 (in press, May 16). .
- Pullen NA, Bertran E. Malaria research supported with open access data. Data in Brief. 2022; 41: 108009.
- Vita AA, Royse EA, Pullen NA. Problem-Based Learning for Physiology: Synthesizing
the Cardiovascular System, Respiration, Macronutrient Metabolism, and Renal Function.
CourseSource 2021 (October 14).
- Amiel E, Pullen NA, Carr W (2021). Interactive Instructor's Guide. The Immune System, 5th Edition. New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company. .
- Smoak P, Harman N, Flores V, Kisiolek J, Pullen NA, Lisano J, Hayward R, Stewart LK.
Kefir is a viable exercise recovery beverage for cancer survivors enrolled in a structured
exercise program. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 2021; 53(10):2045-2053.
- Haas G, Dunn A, Madsen J, Genovese P, Chauvin H, Au J, Ziemkiewicz N, Johnson D, Paoli
A, Lin A, Pullen N, Garg K. Biomimetic sponges improve muscle structure and function
following volumetric muscle loss. Journal of Biomedical Materials Research Part A. 2021; 109(11):2280-2293.
- Vita AA, Aljobaily H, Lyons DO, Pullen NA. Berberine delays onset of collagen-induced
arthritis through T cell suppression. International Journal of Molecular Sciences 2021; 22(7): 3522.
- Ziemkiewicz N, Hilliard G, Pullen NA, Garg K. The role of innate and adaptive immune
cells in skeletal muscle regeneration. International Journal of Molecular Sciences 2021; 22(6): 3265.
- Garritson J, Krynski L, Haverbeck L, Haughian JM, Pullen NA, Hayward R. Physical activity
delays accumulation of immunosuppressive myeloid-derived suppressor cells. PLoS ONE 2020; 15(6): e0234548.
- Lopatto D, Rosenwald A, DiAngelo JR... Elgin SCR. Facilitating Growth through Frustration:
Using Genomics Research in a Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience. Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education 2020; 21(1).
- Pullen NA. Using Concept Maps to Encourage the Meaningful Interpretation of Immunology
Facts and Processes. AAI Newsletter (2020) .
- Lyons DO and Pullen NA. Beyond IgE: Alternative Mast Cell Activation Across Different
Disease States. International Journal of Molecular Sciences 2020; 21(4): 1498.
- Vita AA, Royse EA, Pullen NA. Nanoparticles and danger signals: oral delivery vehicles
as potential disruptors of intestinal barrier homeostasis. Journal of Leukocyte Biology 2019; 106(1):95-103.
- Lyons DO, Plewes MR, Pullen NA. Soluble transforming growth factor beta-1 enhances
murine mast cell release of Interleukin 6 in IgE-independent and Interleukin 13 in
IgE-dependent settings in vitro. PLoS ONE 2018; 13(11): e0207704. Publication of this article was funded in part by the University of Northern Colorado
Fund for Faculty Publication.
- Pullen NA, Pickford AR, Perry MM, Jaworski DM, Loveson KF, Arthur DJ, Holliday J,
Van Meter TE, Peckham R, Younas W, Briggs S, MacDonald S, Butterfield T, Constantinou
M, Fillmore HL. Current insights into matrix metalloproteinases and glioma progression:
transcending the degradation boundary. Metalloproteinases In Medicine 2018; 5: 13-30.
- Elgin, SC, Hauser, C, Holzen, TM, Jones, C, Kleinschmidt, A, Leatherman, J, Genomics
Education Partnership*. The GEP: Crowd-Sourcing Big Data Analysis with Undergraduates.
Trends in Genetics 2017; 33(2), 81-85. *among the GEP contributing authors.
- Faber TW, Pullen NA, Fernando J, Kolawole EM, McLeod JJA, Taruselli M, Williams K,
Rivera K, Barnstein BO, Conrad DH and Ryan JJ. ADAM10 is Required for SCF-induced
Mast Cell Migration. Cellular Immunology 2014; 290(1): 80-8.
- Morales JK, Saleem SJ, Martin RK, Saunders BL, Barnstein BO, Faber TW, Pullen NA,
Kolawole EM, Brooks KB, Norton SK, Sturgill J, Graham L, Bear HD, Urban JF, Lantz
CS, Conrad DH and Ryan JJ. Myeloid Derived Suppressor Cells Enhance Mast Cell Responses
In Vitro and In Vivo. Journal of Leukocyte Biology 2014; 95(4): 643-50.
- Fernando J, Faber T, Pullen NA, Falanga YT, Kolawole M, Oskeritzian C, Barnstein B,
Bandara G, Li G, Schwartz LB, Gurish M, Spiegel S, Strauss D, Conrad D, Bunting K
and Ryan JJ. Genotype-dependent Effects of TGFβ1 on Mast Cell Function: Targeting
the Stat5 Pathway. The Journal of Immunology 2013; 191(9):4505-13.
- Garg K, Pullen NA, Oskeritzian CA, Ryan JJ and Bowlin GL. Macrophage functional polarization
(M1/M2) in response to varying fiber and pore dimensions of electrospun scaffolds.
Biomaterials 2013; 34(18):4439-51.
- Pullen NA, Barnstein BO, Falanga YT, Wang Z, Suzuki R, Lama Tamang TD, Khurana MC,
Harry EA, Rivera J, Draber P, Bunting KD, Mizuno K, Wilson BS and Ryan JJ. Novel mechanism
for FcεRI-mediated STAT5 tyrosine phosphorylation and the selective influence of STAT5B
over mast cell cytokine production. The Journal of Biological Chemistry 2012; 287(3) 2045-54.
- Pullen NA, Falanga YT, Morales JK, and Ryan JJ. The Fyn-STAT5 pathway: a new frontier
in IgE and IgG-mediated mast cell signaling (peer-reviewed review). Frontiers in Immunology 2012; 3: 117.
- Falanga YT, Chaimowitz NS, Charles N, Finkelman FD, Pullen NA, Barbour S, Dholaria
K, Faber T, Kolawole M, Huang B, Odom S, Rivera J, Carlyon J, Conrad DH, Spiegel S,
Oskeritzian CA, and Ryan JJ. Lyn but not Fyn kinase controls IgG-Mediated Systemic
Anaphylaxis. The Journal of Immunology 2012; 188(9):4360-8.
- Pullen NA, Anand M, Cooper PS and Fillmore HL. Matrix metalloproteinase-1 expression
enhances tumorigenicity as well as tumor-related angiogenesis and is inversely associated
with TIMP-4 expression in a model of glioblastoma. Journal of Neuro-Oncology 2012; 106(3) 461-71.
- Kabolizadeh P, Engelmann BJ, Pullen NA, Ryan JJ, Stewart J, and Farrell NP. Platinum
anti-cancer agents and antidepressants. Desipramine enhances platinum-based cytotoxicity
in human colon cancer cells. Journal of Biological Inorganic Chemistry 2012; 17(1) 123-32.
- Pullen NA and Fillmore HL. Induction of matrix metalloproteinase-1 and glioma cell
motility by nitric oxide. Journal of Neuro-Oncology 2010; 96(2):201-9.
- Rife T, Rasoul B, Pullen N, Mitchell D, Grathwol K and Kurth J. The Effect of a Promoter
Polymorphism on the Transcription of Nitric Oxide Synthase I and Its Relevance to
Parkinson’s Disease. Journal of Neuroscience Research 2009; 87(10):2319-25.
- Golding SE, Pullen NA, Lama Tamang T, Hubbard N, and Barbour S. Undergraduate research
training blossoms at VCU: pollinated by students, nurtured by faculty. Featured vignette,
CUR Quarterly 2012; 33(1): 31.
Honors and Awards
2019; College of Natural and Health Sciences Excellence in Teaching Award
2018-2020; Â鶹´«Ã½ Sponsored Research Fellow
2018; Early Career Faculty Grant, American Association of Immunologists
2016; Undergraduate Faculty Travel Grant (Seattle, WA), American Association of Immunologists
2015; Louis D. Beaumont Dad’s Association Distinguished Professor Award for Excellence
in Teaching, WWU
2015; AAI Undergraduate Science Faculty Program (Long Beach, CA), American Association
of Immunologists
2014; Undergraduate Faculty Travel Grant (Pittsburgh, PA), American Association of Immunologists
2013; Clark Cox Distinguished Professor of Science, chair endowed by the Kresge Foundation,
WWU
2010; IRACDA Postdoctoral Fellowship, NIGMS, VCU
2008; Jack Denning Burke Award for Excellence in Cell Biology Research, VCU
2007; A.D. Williams Fellowship, VCU