The UNMC College of Medicine received grants and awards representing more than $15 million in new funding in November, December and January. Awards included:
- Cyrus Desouza, MBBS, internal medicine-DEM, received a grant of $1,443,750 from Brigham & Women’s Hospital for the “PREvention of CardIovascular and DiabEtic kidNey disease in Type 2 Diabetes (PRECIDENTD) Study.”
- Benson Edagwa, PhD, pharmacology and experimental neuroscience, received a grant of $744,473 from the DHHS/NIH/NIAID for the study “Prodrug Formulations Create Sustained Release Antiretrovirals.”
- Birgit Khandalavala, MBBS, family medicine, received a grant of $731,968 from Duke University for the study “Evaluating Inclisiran as a solution to improve LDL-C management and close care gaps in an inclusive ASCVD and ASCVD risk-equivalent population.”
- Mohan Krishnan, PhD, biochemistry and molecular biology, received a grant of $415,832 from DHHS/NIH/NICHD for the study “RBC transfusion exacerbates brain inflammation in anemic murine neonates and causes long term neurodevelopment impairment.”
- Carol Geary, PhD, pathology, microbiology and immunology, received a grant of $299,991 from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute for research capacity building in rural Nebraska; and $80,000 from University of Missouri for the PCORnet® Enhancement Project: Enhancing Capacity of the PCORnet® Common Data Model to Support Patient-Centered Comparative Clinical Effectiveness Research.
- Jennifer Bailey-Lundberg, PhD, pathology, microbiology and immunology, received a grant of $277,374 from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston for a study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of combination systemic chemotherapy and multiple rounds of endoscopic ultrasounds-guided radiofrequency ablation in pancreatic cancer.
- So-Youn Kim, PhD, obstetrics/gynecology, received a grant of $264,861 from Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences for a study of oogenic JNK in gonadotoxic chemotherapy-induced primary ovarian insufficiency.
- Kelly Stauch, PhD, neurological sciences, received a grant of $257,617 from the Michael J. Fox Foundation for a study elucidating the role of PINK1/PRKN in cell type-specific responses to alpha-synuclein pathology.
- Joseph Americo Fernandes, MD, neurological sciences, received a grant of $250,000 from Massachusetts General Hospital for a master agreement: ALL ALS East – ALL ALS Consortium project.
- Mike Wiley, PhD, pathology, microbiology and immunology, received a grant of $231,778 from the National Strategic Research Institute for “Targeted Acquisition of Reference Materials Augmenting Capabilities (TARMAC) Initiative Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) Research Support – Year Two.”
- Matthew Lunning, DO, internal medicine-oncology/hematology, received a grant of $229,140 from West Virginia University for “Increasing Clinical Trials in IDeA States through Communication of Opportunities, Effective Marketing, and Workforce Development.” Dr. Lunning also received a grant of $7,753 from the University of Pennsylvania for a study of dual targeting of CD19 and CD20 antigens using sequential CD19-directed CAR-T cells followed by Mosunetuzumab or Glofitamab in relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell or transformed follicular lymphomas.
- Chi Zhang, MD, PhD, radiation oncology, received a grant of $90,000 from Nebraska DHHS for the study of theranostic roles of miR-210 in glioma stem cells. Dr. Zhang also received a grant of $125,700 from the NRG Oncology Foundation for a master agreement.
- Maher Abdalla, PhD, pathology, microbiology and immunology, received a grant of $211,749 from the American Cancer Society for the study “Targeting Heme Oxygenase-1 Enhances Standard Chemotherapy in Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.”
- Wallace Thoreson, PhD, ophthalmology and visual sciences, received a grant of $190,538 from DHHS/NIH/NEI for a study using optical sensors to measure synaptic glutamate release from retinal rod photoreceptor cells.
- Bernd Fritzsch, PhD, neurological sciences, received a grant of $165,000 from the University of Arizona for a study on determinants of age-induced hearing loss and reversal strategies.
- Melissa Cullimore, MD, PhD, pediatrics-critical care, received a grant of $118,330 from Boston Children’s Hospital for a study on respiratory virus surveillance and COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness (VE) in preventing severe COVID-19, multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C) and related complications in U.S. children.
- Jason MacTaggart, MD, surgery-vascular surgery, received a grant of $105,777 from the University of Nebraska at Omaha for “Axially Prestretched Elastomeric Nanofibrillar Graft (APENG) for Lower Extremity Arterial Bypass.”
- John Davis, PhD, obstetrics/gynecology, received a grant of $95,987 from Kings College London for the study “Understanding the Role Of FSHR Oligomerization and Trafficking in Transducing Age-dependent Changes In FSH Glycoforms.”
- Ruirui Liu, PhD, radiation oncology, received a grant of $93,325 from Glebe Medical Research Foundation-NU Foundation for the study “Development of a proton SBRT FLASH treatment technique with integrated biological optimization using patient-specific 3D ridge filters for lung cancer patients.”
- Scott Lundgren, DO, internal medicine-cardiovascular, received a grant of $86,847 from Colorado Prevention Center for a trial to determine the efficacy and safety of finerenone on morbidity and mortality among heart failure patients.
- Sidharth Mahapatra, MD, PhD, pediatrics-clinical care, received a grant of $76,750 from the American Heart Association for the study “Silencing B7-H3 mitigates tumor aggressiveness in group 3 medulloblastoma.”
- Samuel Gillman, genetics, cell biology and anatomy, received a grant of $69,550 from the American Heart Association for the study “A New Potential Regulator of Respiratory Homeostasis: The Role of the Afferent Vagal C-Fiber in the Hering-Bruer Reflex.”
- Jasmine Marcelin, MD, internal medicine-infectious diseases, received a grant of $62,984 from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine for a study evaluating equity in antibiotic stewardship and disparities in appropriateness of antibiotic treatment.
- Michele Aizenberg Ansari, MD, neurosurgery, received a grant of $55,478 from the University of Pennsylvania for a study of dMRI-based visualization of non-enhancing tumor for guiding supra-total resection of high-grade gliomas.
- Andy Vasey, MD, internal medicine-general medicine, received a grant of $48,561 from the University of Mississippi Medical Center for a study of Immulina as an antiviral immune modulator for patients with PASC and persistent inflammation.
- Rebecca Deegan, PhD, biochemistry and molecular biology, received a grant of $38,375 from Columbia University for a study of gut microbiome-focused approaches for improving treatment of acute radiation injuries.
- Abigail Hall, pathology, microbiology and immunology, received a grant of $34,774 from the American Heart Association for the study “Regulation of Thiol Homeostasis by the Spx Redox Switch.”
- Laura Graeff-Armas, MD, PhD, internal medicine-DEM, received a grant of $28,022 from Nebraska Educational Biomedical Research Association as the Nebraska ICA for ZEUS Project for Jenna Eggert.
- Melissa Thoene, PhD, pediatrics-newborn medicine, received a grant of $25,000 from ASPEN Rhoads Research Foundation for “Evaluation of the Nutritional Antioxidant Content of Feedings for Hospitalized Infants Based on Standard Clinical Practices for Storage, Preparation, and Delivery.”
- Peng Zhong, PhD, neurological sciences, received a grant of $25,000 from Nebraska EPSCOR for a study on excitatory control of sleep in the mammalian brain.
- Keely Buesing, MD, surgery-acute care, received a grant of $22,617 from Johns Hopkins University for the study “Driving Pressure-Limited Ventilation in Hypoxemic Respiratory Failure.”
- Stephen Rennard, MD, internal medicine-pulmonary, received a grant of $16,378 from University of Nebraska-Lincoln for a study of a multimodal wearable device with distributed AI framework to access physiologic connectivity for health status.
- Ellen Kerns, PhD, pediatrics-biomedical informatics, received a grant of $12,500 from the American Academy of Pediatrics as a consulting contract.
- Russell McCulloh, MD, pediatrics-biomedical informatics, received a grant of $7,675 from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences for “The BREATHE Study: Bronchiolitis Recovery and the Use of High Efficiency Particle Air (HEPA) Filters.”
- Marat Sadykov, PhD, pediatrics-infectious diseases, received a NASA Nebraska Space Grant of $5,000 for a study evaluating personal protection materials in near-space environments using bacteria and spores on a high-altitude platform.
- Shirley Delair, MD, pediatrics-infectious diseases, received a grant of $5,000 from the University of Colorado Denver for “The INFLUENTIAL Trial- Inpatient FLU Vaccination Program Effectiveness: National Trial Implementing Best Practices and Learning Collaboratives.”
- Jill Beck, MD, pediatrics-hematology-oncology, received a grant of $3,070 from the Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital for a study of PET/CT imaging for evaluating vascular inflammation and risk for venous thromboembolism in pediatric, adolescent and young adult oncology.
Industry-sponsored grants and contracts:
The following industry-sponsored grants and contracts were received.
- Benjamin Tepley, MD, internal medicine-oncology/hematology, received funding for a study of MK-5684 vs. alternative Abiraterone Acetate or Enzalutamide in participants with Metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) previously treated with next-generation hormonal agent.
- Michael Hadaddin, MBBS, internal medicine-oncology/hematology, received funding for a study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of Axatilimab in combination With Ruxolitinib in participants with newly diagnosed chronic graft-versus-host disease.
- Tanya Wildes, MD, internal medicine-hematology/oncology, received funding for a study comparing Talquetamab in combination with Pomalidomide (Tal-P), Talquetamab in Combination with Teclistamab (Tal-Tec), and investigator’s choice of other combinations; also for a study comparing Teclistamab in combination with Daratumumab SC and Lenalidomide (Tec-DR) and Talquetamab in combination with Daratumumab SC and Lenalidomide (Tal-DR) vs. other comibnations.
- Greg Bociek, MD, internal medicine-oncology/hematology, received funding for a trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of Epcoritamab + Rituximab and Lenalidomide (R2) compared to chemoimmunotherapy in previously untreated follicular lymphoma.
- Christopher D’Angelo, MD, internal medicine-oncology/hematology, received funding for a study to evaluate the safety and preliminary efficacy of BMS-986393 in novel combinations in patients with relapsed and/or refractory multiple myeloma.
- Mridula Krishnan, MBBS, internal medicine-oncology/hematology, received funding for a study of the efficacy and safety of Adjuvant Autogene Cevumeran plus Atezolizumab and mFolfirinox versus mFolfirinox alone in patients with resected pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.
- Steven Yeh, MD, ophthalmology and visual sciences, received funding for a study to investigate the safety and efficacy of oral Brepocitinib in adults with active, non-infectious intermediate-, posterior- and panuveitis.
- Dr. Bailey-Lundberg also received funding for preclinical testing of pulse field ablation (pfa) for pancreatic adenocarcinoma.
- Chittalsinh Raulji, MBBS, pediatrics-hematology/oncology, received funding for a trial of DAY101 monotherapy vs. standard-of-care chemotherapy in patients with pediatric low-grade glioma harboring an activating RAF alteration requiring first-line systemic therapy; Dr. Raulji also received funding for a study investigating efficacy, safety and pharmacokinetics of concizumab prophylaxis in children below 12 years with haemophilia A or B with or without inhibitors.
- Ruxana Sadikot, MD, internal medicine-pulmonary, received funding for a study to evaluate safety, pharmacokinetics and pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic relationships of RLS-0071 in patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
- Laura Tenner, MD, internal medicine-oncology/hematology, received funding for a study of perioperative Dostarlimab monotherapy vs. standard of care in participants with untreated T4N0 or Stage III dMMR/MSI-H resectable colon cancer.
- Hana Niebur, MD, pediatrics-allergy, received funding for a study evaluating the efficacy and safety of PT027 compared with PT007 administered as needed in participants 12 to <18 years of age with asthma.
- Melissa Muff-Luett, MD, pediatrics-nephrology, received funding for a study – US FDA 522 pediatric post market surveillance study.
- Trevor Van Schooneveld, MD, internal medicine-infectious diseases, received funding for a study of the efficacy and safety of treatment with MNKD-101 (Clofazimine Inhalation Suspension) when added to guideline- based therapy.
- Scott Koepsell, MD, PhD, pathology, microbiology and immunology, received funding for Alfa-evaluation HemosIL D-Dimer XLN, VTE sample collection.
- Scott Campbell, MD, PhD, pathology, microbiology and immunology, received funding for Dataset of electronic health records for N3C clinical enclave according to the NCATS DUA.
- Michael Lankhorst, MD, anesthesiology, received funding for “Spinal cord stimulation for patients with painful diabetic neuropathy and peripheral arterial disease: mechanistic insights from a single-center, randomized, blinded, sham-controlled cross-over proof-of-concept trial.”
- Salehi Afshin, neurosurgery, received funding for an observational study on BK Medicals N20P6 (9007) transducer.
- Jill Poole, MD, internal medicine-allergy/immunology, received funding for the Atopic Status Across the USA Study.
- Dr. Lunning also received funding for a study of UB-VV111 in combination with rapamycin in relapsed/refractory (R/R) CD19+ hematologic malignancies.
- Dr. Desouza also received funding to study the efficacy and safety of co-administered cagrilintide and semaglutide (CagriSema) 1.0 mg/1.0 mg s.c. once weekly vs. tirzepatide 5 mg s.c. once weekly in participants with type 2 diabetes inadequately controlled.
- Jingwei Xie, PhD, surgery-transplant, received funding for a student stipend.