Rita Upmacis

Faculty Bio

Dr. Upmacis obtained both her BSc and PhD degrees in Chemistry from the University of Nottingham, UK. She was a postdoctoral fellow in Bio-inorganic Chemistry at the California Institute of Technology, and performed research at Rohm and Haas Company (Philadelphia) and Weill Cornell Medical College (New York) before coming to Pace University in 2010.

Awards and Honors

• NY section, American Chemical Society, 2024, Outstanding Four-Year Undergraduate College and University Chemistry Faculty Teaching Award
• Royal Society of Chemistry, 2014, Elected to Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC)
• Dyson College, 2014, Inducted as Dyson Fellow in the Society of Fellows
• Provost's Office, 2014, Provost's Award (2nd Annual Research Day)

Research Interest

Dr. Upmacis’ research focuses on investigating factors that lead to oxidative and nitrative stress under conditions of inflammation during disease states and also infections. Oxidative and nitrative stress occurs when there is an overproduction of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species that can act together to cause toxic effects in cells and contribute to inflammation. Recent research has examined the products formed when certain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, found in fish oils, scavenge oxygen. In addition, the effects of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and their oxidized products on parasite survival are under investigation.

Grants, Sponsored Research and Contracts

Calcium and Atherosclerotic Vascular Disease: Acquisition of a Calcium Ion Electrode
Upmacis, R. K. Scholarly Research, Pace University. Funded.

Trichomoniasis: New Targets of Intervention and Novel Drug Candidates
Upmacis, R. K., Yarlett, N. & Athanasopoloulos, D. NIH R21/R33, Federal. Not Funded.

An Undergraduate Green Chemistry Course & Videotaping Experiments in an Analytical Chemistry Course
Upmacis, R. K. Kenan Fund for Faculty Development, Pace University. Funded.

Chemical Composition of Fingerprints: A New Focus in Forensic Science Education
Upmacis, R. K. The Camille & Henry Dreyfus Foundation, Inc, Private. Not Funded.

Gender-Specific Prostaglandin Production
Upmacis, R. K. Dyson College 2014 Faculty Summer Research Grant, Pace University. Funded.

MRI: Acquisition of a Q Exactive Mass Spectrometer for Use in Research and Education in Chemistry, Biology and Forensic Science at Pace University
Upmacis, R. K., Athanasopoulos, D., Dai, Z., Mojica, E. & Yarlett, N. NSF, Federal. Not Funded.

Acquisition of an LCMS for Research and Teaching
Dai, Z., Upmacis, R. K., Athanasopoulos, D. & Mojica, E. NSF, Federal. Not Funded.

Interactive whiteboards and computerized assistance in Chemistry.
Mojica, E., Upmacis, R. K. & Karaalioglu, C. Verizon Thinkfinity Foundation through Pace Provost's Office, Pace University. Funded.

Past Courses

BIO 480: Research in Biology
BIO 491: Internship in Biology
BIO 492: Internship in Biology II
BMB 710: Research I
BMB 711: Research II
CHE 111: Chemistry I Discussion Group
CHE 111: General Chemistry I
CHE 111: General Chemistry I (Lecture)
CHE 112: General Chemistry II
CHE 112: General Chemistry II (Lab)
CHE 112: General Chemistry II (Lecture)
CHE 112: General Chemistry II- Dis Grp
CHE 221: Analytical Mthds & Techniques
CHE 310: Green Chemistry
CHE 330: Advanced Inorganic Chemistry
CHE 480: Research in Chemistry
UNV 101: First-Year Smnr Unvrsty Cmmnty

Publications

Peer-Led Team Learning and Student Success
Upmacis, R. K. Advances in Peer-Led Learning. Vol 1 (Issue 1) , pages 25-43. https://dx.doi.org/10.54935/apll2021-01-04-25

Crystal structure of tetrakis(μ-2-hydroxy-3,5-diisopropylbenzoato)bis[(dimethyl sulfoxide)copper(II)]
Shlian, D. G., Summers, R. H., Martinez, K. & Upmacis, R. K. (2024). Acta Crystallographica Section E Crystallographic Communications. Vol 80 (Issue 3) , pages 335-338. https://dx.doi.org/10.1107/s205698902400166x

Challenges Encountered and Students’ Reactions to Practices Utilized in a General Chemistry Laboratory Course During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Mojica, E. & Upmacis, R. K. (2022). Journal of Chemical Education. Vol 99 (Issue 2) , pages 1053-1059. https://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.1c00838

Analysis of Sex-Specific Prostanoid Production Using a Mouse Model of Selective Cyclooxygenase-2 Inhibition
Upmacis, R. K., Becker, W. L., Rattendi, D. M., Bell, R. S., Jordan, K. D., Saniei, S. & Mejia, E. (2022). Biomarker Insights. Vol 17 , pages 117727192211421. https://dx.doi.org/10.1177/11772719221142151

Coordination of metronidazole to Cu(II): Structural characterization of a mononuclear square-planar compound.
Palmer, J. H., Wu, J. & Upmacis, R. K. (2015). Journal of Molecular Structure. Vol 1091 , pages 177-182.

Teaching Green Chemistry principles to undergraduate students.
Rozov, M., Brescia, T., Valdez, L. & Upmacis, R. K. Athens Journal of Sciences.

Eicosapentaenoic acid modulates Trichomonas vaginalis activity.
Korosh, T., Jordan, K. D., Wu, J., Morada, M., Yarlett, N. & Upmacis, R. K. Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology. Vol 63 , pages 153-161.

Mass spectrometric analysis of oxidized eicosapentaenoic acid sodium salt.
Upmacis, R. K. & Jordan, K. (2013). Lipid Insights. Vol 6 , pages 21-35.
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Inducible nitric oxide synthase provides protection against injury-induced thrombosis in female mice.
Upmacis, R. K., Shen, H., Benguigui, L., Lamon, B., Hajjar, K. & Hajjar, D. (2011). Am. J. Phys. Heart and Circ. Phys.. Vol 301 , pages H617-H624.

Human SolCD39 inhibits injury-induced development of neointimal hyperplasia.
Drosopoulos, J. H., Kraemer, R., Shen, H., Upmacis, R. K., Marcus, A. J. & Musi, E. (2010). Thrombosis and Haemostasis. Vol 103 , pages 426-434.

Inducible nitric oxide synthase gene deletion exaggerates MAPK-mediated cyclooxygenase-2 induction by inflammatory stimuli.
Lamon, B. D., Upmacis, R. K., Deeb, R. S., Koyuncu, H. & Hajjar, D. P. (2010). Am. J. Phys. Heart and Circ. Phys.. Vol 299 , pages H613-H623.

Physical evidence for substrate in preservation of cyclooxygenase function under nitrative stress.
Deeb, R. S., Cheung, C., Nuriel, T., Lamon, B. D., Upmacis, R. K., Gross, S. S. & Hajjar, D. P. (2010). J. Am. Chem. Soc.. Vol 132 , pages 3914-3922.

Professional Memberships

• American Society for Microbiologists [Member]
• American Society for Investigative Pathology [Member]
• North American Vascular Biology Organization [Member]
• American Chemical Society [Member]
• Royal Society of Chemistry [FRSC]