Internal medicine research awards announced

Last week, the UNMC Department of Internal Medicine recognized seven individuals — two faculty, one fellow, one postdoctoral fellow, one resident, one staff member and one medical student — for their specific research accomplishments at the 16th Annual Internal Medicine Research Awards.

Carol Casey, Ph.D,. was given the department’s Career Research Award for her extensive research contributions which include 72 journal articles in peer-reviewed journals, book chapters and more than 30 abstracts that have been presented either orally or with a poster within the last five years. She has had a well-funded research program exploring the fundamental basis of alcoholic liver disease and endocytosis since she became a faculty member at UNMC in 1984. In 2013, Dr. Casey was appointed to a four-year term of the NIAAA Advisory Council.

Apar Ganti, M.D., received the Internal Medicine Clinical Research Award for his work in the areas of lung and head and neck cancers. His scholarship is demonstrated by his 100-plus publications in peer-reviewed journals and his many presentations at important national meetings like ASCO, ASH and the Tandem Bone Marrow Transplantation meetings. Dr. Ganti is currently the site principle investigator for a National Cancer Institute grant. He has had a VA Career Development Award, was awarded a Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute grant regarding stage IV lung cancer and has been the PI for numerous clinical trials.

Other recipients were:

• Sarah Bligh, M.D., who received the Internal Medicine Fellowship Research Award;
• Murali Ganesan, Ph.D., who received the Postdoctoral Research Award;
• Bryant England, M.D., who received the Resident Research Award;
• Jennifer Cavalieri, who received the Internal Medicine Daughton Research Award; and
• Brian Coburn, an M.D./Ph.D. student, who received the Internal Medicine Medical Student Research Award.