Bob Boomsma is the Writing Coach for Argonne Education’s undergraduate summer internship programs, helping students develop and improve their research reports and presentations. He meets with students individually and in groups to offer advice on how to properly structure and create their required reports for their internships at Argonne. His goal is to make students more comfortable and capable in presenting research, because he greatly enjoys working with students on research projects and appreciates the role of communication in presenting scientific research.

Due to his interest in the connection between structural biology and biochemistry, Bob acquired a Ph.D. in Anatomy from the University of Illinois Medical Center at Chicago. He has taught anatomy, physiology, and cell biology at Trinity Christian College for 34 years, and he still teaches there in addition to his work at Argonne. He also is an active member of his church and does ministry to provide transitional housing for homeless families in DuPage County. Bob likes to spend time in the outdoors hiking, biking, water and snow skiing, and playing his guitar.

Bob is a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the American Scientific Affiliation (ASA), and the Center for Bioethics and Human Dignity (CBD).

Presentations

Boomsma, R.A., 1981.  The effect of estrogen and progesterone on the progestational response in cat endometrium.  Anat. Rec. 199: 31A.

Verhage, H.G., Boomsma, R.A., Akbar, M., and Jaffe, R.C., 1981. Depletion of progesterone cytosol receptor in cat uterus. Society for Gynecologic Investigation, St. Louis, MO: 41.

Boomsma, R.A., 1982.  Analysis of assay conditions for the measurement of total uterine nuclear estrogen receptor at low temperature.  Biol. Reprod. 26 (suppl. 1): 44A.

Boomsma, R.A. and Verhage, H.G., 1986.  Detection of a progesterone induced secretory protein synthesized by cat endometrium.  Biol. Reprod. 34 (suppl. 1): 121.

Boomsma, R.A., Mavrogianis, P.A., Li, W., Tillema, M., 1989. Immunochemical detection of a progesterone dependent cat endometrial secretory protein.  Biol. Reprod. 40(suppl. 1):130.

Boomsma, R.A. and Mavrogianis, P.A., 1990.  Endometrial (EN) and placental (PL) morphology and protein synthesis during pregnancy (PG) and pseudopregnancy (PS) in the cat.  Biol. Reprod. 42(suppl. 1):144.

Boomsma, R.A. and Mavrogianis, P.A., 1991.  Synthesis of insulin-like growth factor binding protein-1 (IGFBP-1) in pregnant cat uteri.  Biol Reprod. 44 (suppl. 1): 55.

Boomsma, R.A., Mavrogianis, P.A., Verhage, H.G., 1995.  Immunocytochemical (ICC) Localization of Transforming Growth Factor- (TGF-), Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF), and Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) in the Cat Endometrium and Placenta.  Biol. Reprod. 52(suppl. 1):88.

Boomsma, R.A., Dominic Swaminathan, P., Yuzhakova, M.A., Urboniene, D., Geenen, D.L., 2005.  Intravenous administration of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) following myocardial infarction prevents contractile dysfunction.  Keystone Symposium, Molecular Biology of Cardiac Diseases and Regeneration, April 3-8.

Dominic Swaminathan, P., Boomsma, R.A., Goldspink, P.H., D., Geenen, D.L., 2005.  Marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) express cardiac specific protein in co-culture.  Keystone Symposium, Molecular Biology of Cardiac Diseases and Regeneration, April 3-8.

Boomsma, R.A., VanGorp, J.N., Dominic Swaminathan, P., Geenen, D.L., 2006.  Intravenously injected mesenchymal stem cells integrate with the heart after coronary artery occlusion.  Keystone Symposium, Molecular Mechanisms of Cardiac Disease and Regeneration, February 19-24.

VanGorp, J.N. and Boomsma, R.A., 2006.  Migration of mesenchymal stem cells under the influence of SDF-1 and MIP-1.  American Scientific Affiliation, July.

Boomsma, R.A., DeMaster, J.T., Laack, J.T., Geenen, D.L., 2007.  Mesenchymal stem cells secrete factors that inhibit apoptosis in H9c2 cardiac myoblasts.  Keystone Symposium, Molecular Pathways in Cardiac Development and Disease, January 22-27.

Boomsma, R.A., DeMaster, J.T., Laack, J.T., Geenen, D.L., 2008.  Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells secrete factors that exert anti-apoptotic and pro-apoptotic effects on H9c2 cardiac myoblasts.  Keystone Symposium, Tumor Suppressors and Stem Cell Biology, February 24-29.

Boomsma, R.A. and Geenen, D.L., 2009.  Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells secrete factors that alter the phosphorylation state of BAD and Akt in H9c2 cardiac myoblasts.  Keystone Symposium, Cardiac Disease: Development, Regeneration, and Repair, March 15-20.

Boomsma, R.A. and Geenen, D.L., 2009.  Mesenchymal stem cells secrete factors that reduce caspase-3 activity and affect BAD and Akt in H9c2 cardiac myoblasts.  Center for Cardiovascular Research Symposium, UIC, April 15.

Boomsma, R.A. and Geenen, D.L., 2010.  Mesenchymal stem cell secreted paracrine factors induce temporal changes in MAP kinase activity in rat cardiac myoblasts consistent with altered phosphorylation of Akt and BAD.  Keystone Symposium, Cardiac Development and Repair, February 28 – March 5.

Boomsma, R.A. and Geenen, D.L., 2010.  Mesenchymal stem cell secreted paracrine factors temporally suppress MAP kinase phosphorylation and later phosphorylation patterns of Akt and Bad in hypoxic rat cardiac myoblasts.  Center for Cardiovascular Research Symposium, UIC, June 17.

Page, P.G.T., DeJong, J.R. and Boomsma, R.A., 2014.  Effect of oxygen levels and serum concentration on mRNA expression of paracrine factors in mesenchymal stem cells. National Conference for Undergraduate Research, April 3-5.

Boomsma, R.A. and Page, P.G.T., 2015.  Hypoxia and heat inactivation of serum alters mRNA expression for MCP-1, VEGF, MMP-2, cardiac troponin-T, and connexin 43 in mesenchymal stem cells.  American Society for Cell Biology, December 12-16.

Jochems, V.K., Spotts, A.R. and Boomsma, R.A., 2016.  Effect of laminin, fibronectin and serum on mesenchymal stem cell migration.  National Conference for Undergraduate Research, April 7-9.

Boomsma, R.A., Jochems, V.K., and Spotts, A.R., 2017.  Effect of hypoxia and heat inactivated serum on mesenchymal stem cell migration.  Experimental Biology, April 22-26.

Jousma, J. and Boomsma, R.A., 2017.  The effect of co-culturing H9c2 cardiomyocytes with mesenchymal stem cells on the expression of cardiac troponin-T.  National Conference for Undergraduate Research, April 6-8.

Van Weelden, A., Dolence, J. and Boomsma, R.A., 2018.  Urban waterways: effect on hatching enzymes in zebrafish.  National Conference for Undergraduate Research, April 4-7.

Boomsma, R.A. and Jousma, J., 2018.  Expression of cardiac troponin-T in cardiac H9c2 cells during co-culture with mesenchymal stem cells.  Experimental Biology, April 21-25.

Sonnenburg, M., Shoberg, A., and Boomsma, R.A., 2019.  Mitochondrial transfer between mesenchymal stem cells and cardiac H9c2 cells.  National Conference for Undergraduate Research, April 11-13.

Publications

Boomsma, R.A., Jaffe, R.C. and Verhage, H.G., 1982.  The uterine progestational response in cats: changes in morphology and progesterone receptors during chronic administration of progesterone to estradiol primed and non primed animals. Biol. Reprod. 26: 511 521.

Boomsma, R.A. and Verhage, H.G., 1982.  The uterine progestational response in cats: ultrastructural changes during chronic administration of progesterone to estradiol primed and non primed animals.  Am. J. Anat. 164: 243 254.

Verhage, H.G., Boomsma, R.A., Murray, M.K. and Jaffe, R.C., 1983. Subcellular compartmentalization of the progesterone receptor in cat uteri following the acute administration of progesterone.  Biol. Reprod. 28: 545 550.

Okulicz, W.C., Boomsma, R.A., MacDonald, R.G. and Leavitt, W.W., 1983.  Conditions for the measurement of nuclear estrogen receptor at low temperature.  Biochim. Biophys. Acta 757: 128 136.

Verhage, H.G., Murray, M.K., Boomsma, R.A. and Jaffe, R.C., 1984. The postovulatory cat oviduct and uterus: correlation of morphological features with progesterone receptor levels. Anat. Rec. 208: 521 531.

Boomsma, R.A. and Verhage, H.G., 1987.  Detection of a progesterone dependent secretory protein synthesized by cat endometrium.  Biol. Reprod. 37: 117 126

Verhage, H.G., Boomsma, R.A., Mavrogianis, P., Tillema, M., Fazleabas, A.T.,  1989.  Immunological detection of the progesterone dependent cat endometrial secretory protein. Biol. Reprod. 41:347 354.

Boomsma, R.A., Mavrogianis, P., and Verhage, H.G., 1991. Endometrial and placental protein synthesis and morphology during pregnancy and pseudopregnancy in the cat.  Biol. Reprod. 44:345-356.

Li, W., Boomsma, R.A. and Verhage, H.G., 1992.  Immunocytochemical analysis of estrogen and progestin receptors in the steroid-treated and pregnant cat uterus.  Biol. Reprod. 47:1073-1081.

Boomsma, R.A., Mavrogianis, P.A., Fazleabas, A.T., Jaffe, R.C., Verhage, H.G., 1994. Detection of an insulin like growth factor binding protein in the implantation site of the cat.  Biol. Reprod. 51:392-399.

Boomsma, R.A., Mavrogianis, P.A., Verhage, H.G., 1997.  Immunocytochemical localization of transforming growth factor-, epidermal growth factor, and epidermal growth factor receptor in the cat endometrium and placenta. Histochemical Journal 29:495-504.

Verhage, H.G., Mavrogianis, P.A., Boomsma, R.A., Schmidt, A., Brenner, R.M., Slayden, O.V. and Jaffe, R.C., 1997.  Immunologic and molecular characterization of an estrogen-dependent glycoprotein in the rhesus (Macaca mullata) oviduct.  Biol. Reprod. 57:525-531.

Verhage, H.G., Mavrogianis, P.A., O’Day-Bowman, M., Schmidt, A., Arias, E.B., Donnelly, K.M., Boomsma, R.A., Thibodeaux, J.K., Fazleabas, A.T. and Jaffe, R.C., 1998.  Characteristics of an oviductal glycoprotein and its potential role in the fertilization process.  Biol. Reprod. 58:1098-1101.

Boomsma, R.A., Scott, H. and Walters, K., 2001.  Immunocytochemical localization of epidermal growth factor-receptor in early embryos of the Japanese medaka fish (Oryzias latipes). The Histochemical Journal 33(1): 37-42.

Boomsma, R.A., 2004  Embryonic stem cells and a Reformed Christian worldview.  Perspective on Science and Christian Faith 56(1): 38-48.

Boomsma, R.A., Dominic Swaminathan, P. and Geenen, D.L., 2007.  Intravenously injected mesenchymal stem cells home to viable myocardium after coronary occlusion and preserve systolic dysfunction without altering infarct size.  Int. J. Cardiol., 122:17-28.

Boomsma, R.A. and Geenen, D.L., 2012.  Mesenchymal stem cells secrete multiple cytokines that promote angiogenesis and have contrasting effects on chemotaxis and apoptosis.  PLoS One 7: e35685.

Boomsma, R.A. and Geenen, D.L., 2014.  Evidence for transfer of membranes from Mesenchymal stem cells to HL-1 cardiac cells.  Stem Cells International 2014: ID 653734.

Page, P., DeJong, J., Bandstra, A. and Boomsma, R.A., 2014.  Effect of serum and oxygen concentration on gene expression and secretion of paracrine factors by mesenchymal stem cells.  International Journal of Cell Biology 2014: ID 601063.

Boomsma, R.A., Page, P.G.T., Jochems, V.K. and Spotts, A.R., 2019.  Mesenchymal Stem Cell Differentiation, Paracrine Factor Expression, and Migration on Laminin and Fibronectin: Effect of Hypoxia and Serum Inactivation that Mimics Cardiac Ischemia.  Stem Cells International, submitted.