The UNMC College of Medicine received grant and funding awards representing more than $3 million in new funding in June. Awards included:
Shilpa Buch, PhD, pharmacology and experimental neuroscience, received a grant of $469,340from the DHHS/NHI/NIDA for the study “HIV Tat and Opiate-mediated aberrations in glial-neuronal crosstalk: Implications for the role of extracellular RNA in HAND.”
Matt Van Hook, PhD, ophthalmology and visual sciences, received a grant of $393,416 from U.S. Army/USAMRMC/CDMRP for a study on the influence of ocular blast injury on retinal output synapses in the brain.
Steve Caplan, PhD, biochemistry and molecular biology, received a grant of $320,742 from the DHHS/NHI/NIGMS for the “Fundamental Training Program in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Research.”
Scot Ouellette, PhD, pathology, microbiology and immunology, received a grant of $207,225 from DHHS/NIH/NIAID for the study “Characterizing the Function of Cyclic di-AMP on Chlamydial Growth and Differentiation.”
Ashley Deschamp, MD, pediatrics-pulmonary, received a grant of $120,718 from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation for the Therapeutics Development Center Award.
Rahul Dogiparthi, genetics, cell biology and anatomy, received a grant of $80,000 from the American Society of Hematology for a study of transcriptional control of erythropoiesis via signal responsive enhancers.
Kurt Fisher, MD, PhD, pathology, microbiology and immunology, received a grant of $65,000 from Nebraska DHHS for an assessment of vulnerabilities of oncogenic driver mutations in colorectal cancer.
Abhijit Aithal, PhD, biochemistry and molecular biology, received a grant of $65,000 from Nebraska DHHS for an immunopeptidome analysis of mucins in pancreatic cancer.
Pi-Wan Cheng, PhD, biochemistry and molecular biology, received a grant of $65,000 from Nebraska DHHS for the development of Siglec 7-based therapy of pancreatic cancer.
Juan Santamaria, MD, surgery-surgical oncology, received a grant of $50,000 from the John Wayne Cancer Foundation for the study on the efficacy of FLX475 (Tivumecirnon), a novel CCR4 inhibitor, against ErbB2-positive and triple-negative breast cancer brain metastasis.
Padmashri Ragunathan, PhD, neurological sciences, received a grant of $50,000 from the Edna Ittner Trust Fund UN Foundation for a study on the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on the auditory system.
Anna Dunaevsky, PhD, neurological sciences, received a grant of $50,000 from the Edna Ittner Trust Fund UN Foundation for a study of cholesterol dysregulation in Fragile X Syndrome.
Nora Sarvetnick, PhD, surgery-transplant, received a grant of $50,000 from the Edna Ittner Trust Fund UN Foundation for a study on understanding and altering the balance of immunosuppressive and pathogenic Tregs for treatment of autoimmune patients.
John Shepherd, MD, ophthalmology and visual sciences, received a grant of $37,032 from the University of California-Los Angeles for the study “Beacon Sensors and Telerehabilitation to Assess and Improve use of Devices for visual functioning (BeST-AID) for Low Vision.”
Kusum Kharbanda, PhD, internal medicine-GI, received a grant of $35,564 from Auburn University for a study of the role of Intestinal Autophagy in the Pathogenesis of Alcohol Associated Liver Disease.
Yulong Li, MD, PhD, emergency medicine, received a grant of $29,420 from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston for a study on whether optogenetic modulation of cardiac vagal function improves prognosis in diabetes.
Megan Rolfzen, MD, anesthesiology, received a grant of $15,000 from the Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologist for the study “Association of Mental Illness with Perioperative Outcomes in Cardiothoracic Surgery.”
Jacques Izard, PhD, internal medicine-GI, received a grant of $9,011 from Brigham & Women’s Hospital for a study on whether, by beneficially altering microbiome, yogurt (the whole food) may be more beneficial to mental health than non-dairy probiotic supplements.
Carol Geary, PhD, pathology, microbiology and immunology, received a grant of $5,000 from Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia for the 2024 CHOP/PCORI research services agreement.
Industry-sponsored grants and contracts:
The following industry-sponsored grants and contracts were received.
Bhavina Sharma, MD, internal medicine-oncology/hematology, received funding for a study of MK-2870 vs. chemotherapy (Docetaxel or Pemetrexed) in previously treated advanced or metastatic nonsquamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with EGFR mutations or other genomic alterations.”
Chris Maloney, MD, PhD, pediatrics-hospitalists, received funding for the FAST picoSAT convenience sampling for SpO2 accuracy in neonate, infant, and pediatric patients project.
Jonathan Thompson, MD, surgery-vascular surgery, received funding for a trial of the “Nectero EAST System for Small to Mid-Sized Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms (AAA) StaBiLization: Evaluation of Efficacy (stAAAble).”
William Thorell, MD, neurosurgery, received funding for the “THUNDER: Acute Ischemic Stroke Study with the Penumbra System, including Thunderbolt Aspiration Tubing.”
Jason Payne, MD, internal medicine-cardiovascular, received funding for the assessment of the safety and efficacy of a combined cardiac contractility modulation and implantable cardioverter defibrillator device for subjects with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction (INTEGRA-D).
Daniel Hershberger, MD, internal medicine-pulmonary, received funding for a trial of the long-term safety and efficacy of BI 1015550 taken orally in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and progressive pulmonary fibrosis.
Thanh Nguyen, PhD, emergency medicine, received funding for an at-home blood smear screening test to rapidly screen for blood pathologies.
John Um, MD, surgery-cardiothoracic surgery, received funding from Spectrum Health System for “The Minimally Invasive Heartmate Network: The MiniHeart Registry.”