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Past Awardees



Past Awardees

Pilot Project Awards

The Institute of Integration for Medicine & Science is pleased to announce the following recipients of the Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) Pilot Projects for 2019.

2019 IIMS/CTSA Program

Name Institute Title
Yidong Bai, PhD The role of Hispanic specific mitochondrial haplogroups on HCC in Mexican Americans
Jeffery Boychuk, PhD Metabolic disorders interfere with behavioral and cellular stroke recovery: Effects of high fat diet
Xiao-Dong Chen, MD, PhD

Jean Jiang, PhD

Mesenchymal stem cells suppress tumor cell growth
Yvonne Covin, MD Diagnostic Excellence through Patient Engagement (DICE) study
David Morilak, PhD

April Risinger, PhD

Developing a rat prostate cancer model as a platform to investigate cancer therapy-induced cognitive impairment and its treatment
Naomi Sayre, PhD

Miranda Orr, PhD

Investigating a role for celluar senescence in brain trauma-induced neurodegeneration and cognitive impairment
Eun Yong Shim, PhD

Hai Rao, PhD

Targeting Brca1- or Brca2-Mutant Ovarian Cancers by Small Molecule-Induced Proteolysis of Rad52
Kexin Xu, PhD

Matthew Hart, PhD

Stanton McHardy, PhD

Development of small-molecule inhibitors of EZH2 using a new strategy
Qitao Ran, PhD

James Lechleiter, PhD

Astrocyte activation by small-molecule compounds as a novel therapy for motor neuron disease
Soo Chan Lee, PhD

Alexi Tumanov, MD, PhD

Interaction between intestinal fungi and bacteria in the regulation of gut permeability and inflammation

2016-2017 Pilot Project Awards

The Institute of Integration for Medicine & Science is pleased to announce the following recipients of the Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) Pilot Projects for September 2016-August 2017.

IIMS/CTSA Program

Armen Akopian, PhD
Associate Professor
Endodontics
UTHSCSA
Approaches in management postoperative pain in aged individuals
Thomas Boyer, PhD
Professor
Molecular Medicine
UTHSCSA
Targeting uterine fibroid stem cells with precision‐based therapies
Sara Espinoza, MD, MSc
Associate Professor
Medicine/Geriatrics, Gerontology & Palliative Care
UTHSCSA/STVHCS
Intranasal Oxytocin for Treatment of Sarcopenic Obesity in Older Adults
Janna Lesser, PhD, RN
Professor
Family & Community Health Systems
UTHSCSA
Reaching an Underserved and Hard to Reach Population in a Rural County at Risk for Type 2 Diabetes
Andrew Meyer, MD, MS
Assistant Professor
Pediatrics/Critical Care
SAMHS/UTHSCSA
EMILIN2 genetic variation effects on platelet aggregation and thrombosis
Polly Noel, PhD
Associate Professor
Family & Community Medicine
UTHSCSA
Linking Older Primary Care Patients to Community‐based Resources to Improve Health & Functioning
Luke Norton, PhD
Assistant Professor
Medicine/Diabetes
UTHSCSA
The Regulation of Hepatic Pyruvate Metabolism by Pioglitazone
Raymond Palmer, PhD
Professor
Family & Community Medicine
UTHSCSA
An Exploratory Investigation of Organic Chemicals Measured in Deciduous Teeth
Luiz Penalva, PhD
Associate Professor
Cellular & Structural Biology
UTHSCSA
miRNA‐transcription factor networks in neurogenesis and tumorigenesis
Hai Rao, PhD
Associate Professor
Molecular Medicine
UTHSCSA
Overcoming VCP‐induced ALS
Shivani Ruparel, PhD
Assistant Professor
Endodontics
UTHSCSA
Role of BDNF in Oral Cancer Pain

 

IIMS/TBRI Program

Luis Giavedoni, PhD
Scientist
Virology & Immunology
TBRI
Towards a cure for AIDS in the SIV/rhesus macaque model

IIMS/MHI Program

Michael Liss, MD
Assistant Professor
Urology
UTHSCSA
Transitional Care of Service Members with Genitourinary Injury
Mary Jo Pugh, PhD
Associate Professor
Epidemiology & Biostatistics
UTHSCSA/STVHCS
Military and Veteran Caregiver Epilepsy Survey
Lora Watts, PhD
Assistant Professor
Cellular & Structural Biology
UTHSCSA
Could gut microbes serve as biomarkers for traumatic brain injury?

 

IIMS/UTSA Program

Ashok Chaturvedi, PhD
Assistant Professor
Biology/STCEID
UTSA
Repurposing FDA‐approved Ebselen and Auranofin as antifungals: teaching old drugs new tricks
Stan McHardy, PhD
Director, CIDD
Chemistry, College of Sciences
UTSA
Design, Synthesis and Evaluation of Novel Fatty Amino Acid Hydrolase Inhibitors for Schizophrenia Pharmacotherapy

2015-2016 Pilot Project Awards

The Institute of Integration for Medicine & Science is pleased to announce the following recipients of the Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) Pilot Projects for October 2015-September 2016.

IIMS/CTSA Program

Robert Ferrer
Professor
Family & Community Medicine
UTHSCSA
“Poner La Mesa: building skills for healthy eating in a vulnerable primary care population”
Veronica Galvan
Assistant Professor
Physiology/ Barshop
UTHSCSA
“Neurovascular tau in dementia”
Cara Gonzales
Assistant Professor
Comprehensive Dentistry
UTHSCSA
“Development of Novel Capsazepine Analogs to Treat Oral Cancer: A Collaborative Drug Development Program between UTHSCSA Dental School and UTSA Center for Innovative Drug Discovery”
Yves Gorin
Associate Professor
Medicine/Nephrology UTHSCSA “Dual oxidase 2 as a novel therapeutic target in diabetic kidney disease”
Dharam Kaushik Assistant Professor Urology
UTHSCSA
“Radical Cystectomy Compared with Combined Modality Treatment for Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer: A Pilot Randomized Control Trial”
Ellen Kraig
Professor
Cellular & Structural Biology
UTHSCSA/VA
“Acarbose as a safe effective modulator of aging deficits in geriatric subjects”
Senlin Li
Professor
Medicine/ Infectious Disease
UTHSCSA
“Disruption of CCR5 gene in blood stem cells followed by transplantation as curative therapy for HIV ”
Marcus Restrepo Associate Professor Medicine/Pulmonary and Critical Care
UTHSCSA/VA
“Detection of Heart Scarring by Contrast MRI after a Pneumococcal Pneumonia Episode”
Donald Royall Professor Psychiatry
UTHSCSA
“A phase II clinical trial: Methylene blue in healthy aging and Alzheimer’s disease patients”
Sandeep Sagar
Assistant Professor
Medicine/Cardiology
UTHSCSA
“Admittance to Detect Pre-Clinical Heart Failure”
Paula Stigler Granados
Assistant Professor
Management, Policy & Community Health
UTSPH
“Exploring impacts on drinking water from unconventional oil and gas development in the Eagle Ford Shale”
Robert Svatek
Assistant Professor
Urology
UTHSCSA
“Humanized animal model platform to investigate cancer immune therapy in bladder cancer patients”

 

IIMS/TBRI Program

Anthony Comuzzie
Scientist
Genetics
TBRI
“Mechanisms of appetite control in lean individuals with a family history of obesity”
Marcel Daadi
Associate Scientist/ Associate Professor
Stem Cells & Regenerative Medicine
TBRI
“Imaging dopaminergic grafts in marmoset model of Parkinson’s disease”
Ruth Ruprecht
Scientist
Department of Virology & Immunology
UTHSCSA/TBRI
“Structural analysis of a monoclonal antibody that targets a novel region on HIV-1 gp41”

 

IIMS/GCCRI Program

Ann Griffith
Assistant Professor
Microbiology & Immunology
UTHSCSA
“Novel strategies to improve T cell reconstitution after cytoablative therapy”
Sang Eun Lee
Professor
Molecular Medicine UTHSCSA “Role of SLX4IP in Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia”
Yuzuru Shiio
Associate Professor
Biochemistry
UTHSCSA
“Cytokine addiction in Ewing sarcoma”

2014-2015 Pilot Project Awards

The Institute of Integration for Medicine & Science is pleased to announce the following recipients of the Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) Pilot Projects for August 2014-July 2015.

CTSA Program

Timothy Q. Duong
Professor/MRI Division Chief
Research Imaging Institute
UTHSCSA
“Effects of Methylene Blue on Cognitive and fMRI Brain Activity in Healthy Humans”
Kristina W. Whitworth
Assistant Professor
School of Public Health, San Antonio Campus “Partners for a Healthy Community and Environment (PACE)”
Timothy Anderson
Scientist
Genetics
Texas Biomedical Research Institute
“Population Genomic Tools for Schistosome Parasites”
David Kadosh
Associate Professor
Microbiology & Immunology UTHSCSA “Development of a Novel Antifungal Treatment for Candida Species Biofilms”
Linda J. Roman
Associate Professor
Biochemistry
UTHSCSA
“Nitric Oxide and Insulin Signaling in Skeletal Muscle”
Edward Y. Sako
Professor, Division Chief, Adult Cardiac Surgery
Cardiothoracic Surgery
UTHSCSA
Ex vivo Studies of Tricuspid Valve Mechanics”
Qiang Shen
Assistant Professor/ Research
Ophthalmology and Research Imaging Institute
UTHSCSA
“Oxygen‐challenge T2*‐Weighted MRI of Acute and Chronic Ischemic Stroke”
Shweta Bansal
Assistant Professor
Medicine/Nephrology
UTHSCSA
“Regulation of FGF23 in CKD: Beyond Phosphate”
Anand Ramasubramanian
Assistant Professor
Biomedical Engineering
UTSA
“A Rapid, Low-cost Device for MRSA Identification and Drug Susceptibility”
Donna M. Lehman
Associate Professor
Medicine
UTHSCSA
“TCF7L2 Genetic Editing in Human Glutamatergic Neurons”

 

IIMS/CTRC Program

Andrew Hinck
Professor
Biochemistry
UTHSCSA
“Blocking Tumor-and Fibrosis Promoting Activity of TGF-beta with Novel Small Molecule Assembly Inhibitors”
Md Mizanur Rahman
Assistant Professor/ Research
Medicine – Clinical Immunology
UTHSCSA
“Efficacy of Combining Valproic Acid (VPA) and Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) in Treating Prostate Cancer”

 

IIMS/GCCRI Program

Alexander Bishop
Associate Professor
Greehey CCRI
UTHSCSA
“Bloom Syndrome, Chronic Stress and Cancer”
Rong Li
Professor
Molecular Medicine UTHSCSA “BRCA1 and its Cofactor in Anthracycline Cardiotoxicity Among Pediatric Cancer Survivors”
Alex Pertsemlidis
Associate Professor
Greehey CCRI
UTHSCSA
“Elucidating how Chromosome 21 Protects Against Neuroblastoma Occurrence”

2013-2014 Pilot Project Awards

The Institute of Integration for Medicine & Science is pleased to announce the following recipients of the Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) Pilot Projects for 2013-2014.  The IIMS/CTSA partnered with the Cancer Therapy and Research Center (CTRC), the Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute (GCCRI), the Center for Biomedical Neuroscience (CBN) and the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) to fund a total of 17 projects.

 

IIMS/CTSA Program

Reto Asmis, PhD
Professor and Associate Dean
Clinical Lab Science and Biochemistry
UTHSCSA
Novel dual-modality matrix metalloproteinase-2 activatable folate recepto-targeting delivery system for the in vivo imaging of vascular inflammation
Adelita Cantu, PhD, RN
Assistant Professor
Community and Family Health Systems
UTHSCSA
Community perceptions of the environmental issues related to the Donna Reservoir: An environmental justice CBPR pilot study
Suman Challa, BDS, MS
Assistant Professor
Comprehensive Dentistry
UTHSCSA
Novel use of deciduous teeth to explore early life exposure to environmental pollutants in childhood obesity
Yong-Hee Patricia Chun, DDS, MS, PhD
Assistant Professor/ Research
Periodontics
UTHSCSA
Prevalence of molar-incisor hypomineralization in South Texas
Eric Muir, PhD
Instructor
Ophthalmology/ Research Imaging Institute
UTHSCSA
Ocular vascular dysfunction and hypoxia in a mouse model of glaucoma
Jason O’Connor, PhD
Assistant Professor
Pharmacology
UTHSCSA
Neuroinflammatory shift in tryptophan metabolism: A novel mechanism driving cognitive impairment?

CTRC/IIMS Program

Yidong Bai, PhD
Associate Professor
Cellular and Structural Biology
UTHSCSA
The effect of mitochondrial deficiency caused by a colorectal cancer associated complex I ND5 mutation on metastasis
Bradley Pollock, MPH, PhD
Professor and Chair
Epidemiology and Biostatistics
UTHSCSA
Assessment of risk factors of hepatocellular cardinoma in the SABOR population
Manjeet Rao, PhD
Assistant Professor
Cellular and Structural Biology
GCCRI
Improving the efficacy of chemotherapy drugs in treating drug-resistant breast cancers

GCCRI/IIMS Program

Liqin Du, PhD
Instructor/Research
Cellular and Structural Biology
GCCRI
A high-content functional screen to identify long-coding RNAs controlling neuroblastoma cell differentiation
Helen Parsons, PhD
Assistant Professor
Epidemiology and Biostatistics
UTHSCSA
Epidemiology of MRI-confirmed cardiac late effects in anthracycline-exposed survivors of childhood cancer
Yuzuru Shiio, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor
Biochemistry
GCCRI
Fli-1-EWS: A dark horse in Ewing sarcoma

UTSA/IIMS Program

Stanton McHardy, PhD
Director, Associate Professor
(Co-PI, Rong Li, PhD, Professor, Molecular Medicine)
Center for Innovations in Drug Development, Research, Chemistry

UTSA

Discovery of novel inhibitors on oncoprotein EYA2 in breast and ovarian cancers
Jiahua Ruan, PhD
Assistant Professor
(Co-PI, Tim Hui-Ming Huang, PhD, Professor, Molecular Medicine)
Computer Science

UTSA

Network-based integrative analysis of epigenetic changes in cancer genomes

2012-2013 Pilot Project Awards

The Institute of Integration for Medicine & Science is pleased to announce the following recipients of the Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) Pilot Projects for August 2012-July 2013.  The IIMS/CTSA partnered with the Cancer Therapy and Research Center (CTRC) and the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) to fund a total of 13 projects.

IIMS Program

Veronica Galvan, PhD Physiology Preservation of vascular integrity in Alzheimer’s disease by rapamycin
Marie-Claire Gauduin, PhD TBRI/Virology and Immunology Development of a novel HIV vaccine approach using chimeric SIV/varicella virus
Jonathan Gelfond, MD, PhD Epidemiology and Biostatistics Building an Electronic Data Analysis Record System
Dean L Kellogg, MD, PhD Physiology Pilot study to assess whether rapamycin will improve immunity in octogenarians
Xin-Yun Lu, MD, PhD Pharmacology Alterations in leptin receptor signaling in major depression
Raymond F Palmer, PhD Family and Community Medicine Distribution of exogenous chemicals in deciduous dentin and enamel
Qiang Shen, PhD Research Imaging Institute Probe focal ischemic tissue viability and functional recovery by using multimodal MRI

UTSA/IIMS Program

Janakiram Seshu, PhD (Co-PI: Brian Wickes, PhD, Microbiology) UTSA/Biology Validation of genotype-specific detection of the agent of Lyme disease
Floyd Wormley, PhD (Co-PI: Thomas Patterson, MD, Medicine/Infectious Disease) UTSA/Microbiology and Immunology Vaccine Potential of Recombinant Cryptococcus neoformans Heat Shock Protein 90 Against Experimental Pulmonary Cryptococcus

CTRC/IIMS Program

William P Clarke, PhD Pharmacology In vivo and ex vivo models of peripheral neuropathy induced by microtubule targeting anticancer drugs.
Rita Ghosh, PhD Urology Hormone-induced reactive species in prostate cancer
Susan L Mooberry, PhD Pharmacology Clinical development of new microtubule stabilizers
Patricia Renee Yew, PhD Molecular Medicine Targeting aggressive prostate cancer through the Rb-MCM7-TGFβ1 axis

2011 Pilot Project Awards

The Institute of Integration for Medicine & Science is pleased to announce the following recipients of the Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) Pilot Projects for June 2011-April 2012.  The IIMS/CTSA partnered with the Cancer Therapy and Research Center (CTRC) and the School of Medicine to fund a total of 16 projects.

IIMS Program

Name Department Project Title
Nedal Arar, MD Medicine / Nephrology Genomic-based Research Applications for Community Engagement (GRACE).
Tim Duong, PhD Ophthalmology Predicting acute ischemic tissue fate in a clinically relevant non-human primate stroke model.
Franco Folli, MD, PhD Medicine / Diabetes Impact of Mechanical Unloading, Nutrition, and Neuro-hormonal Mediators on Bone Metabolism after Bariatric Surgery.
Peter Fox, MD Research Imaging Inst. Neural and genetic correlates of executive function.
Georgianna Gould Physiology Neuropharmacological impacts and non-invasive markers of high-dose acetaminophen exposures.
Michael Henry Endodontics Role of the OLAM System in Inflamed Human Tissue.
Scott Johnson CT Surgery Efficacy of Inhaled Nanoparticle Tacrolimus in Preventing Rejection in a Rodent Lung Transplant Model.
Claude Jourdan-LeSaux Medicine / Cardiology Evaluation of inhaled tacrolimus as a potential therapeutic compound in pulmonary fibrosis.
Amrita Kamat Medicine/
Geriatrics
Effects of poor maternal diet on regulation of hepatocyte nuclear factor 4 alpha and diabetes.
Roman Kuranov Ophthalmology Layer Specific Functional Optical Imaging of Diabetic Retinopathy.

 CTRC/IIMS Program

Name Department Project Title
Rong Li, PhD Molecular Medicine Regulation of ERbeta-Specific Functions in Breast Cancer
Sunil Sudarshan, MD Urology A novel oncometabolite in renal cancer
Robert Svatek, MD Urology Combined intravesical chemo- and immunotherapy for non-muscle invasive bladder cancer
Bin Zhang, MD, PhD Medicine / Hematology-Oncology A novel cell labeling of T lymphocytes allows in vivo cellular imaging of anti-tumor T cell homing to the tumor by MRI

 School of Medicine Program

Name Department Project Title
Patricia Dahia, MD, PhD (Co-PI:   I-Tien Yeh, MD Pathology) Medicine / Hematology-Oncology Gene discovery in cancer using next generation technology
Charles Leach, MD (Co-PI:  Ellen Kraig, PhD C&SB) Pediatrics / Infectious Diseases Association of Distinct Microbiomes with Cardiovascular Disease in a Mexican-American Cohort
Senlin Li, MD (Co-PI:  Suzette Tardif, PhD,  C&SB and Barshop) Medicine/ Infectious Diseases Preclinical study of a neuroprotective therapy for Parkinson’s disease in non-human primate

2010 Pilot Project Awards

Recipients of the Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) Pilot Projects for June 2010-April 2011.

 
Name Department Project Title
James H. Jorgensen Ph.D. Pathology Development of Improved Diagnostic Methods for Detection of Multi-Drug-Resistant Bacteria that Produce Extended-Spectrum Beta-Lactamases, Carbapenamases or Plasmid-Mediated AmpC Enzymes
Pawel A. Osmulski Ph.D. Molecular Medicine Creating and screening novel, rapamycin-based anti-cancer compounds
Vikhyat Bebarta MD Emergency Medicine, Div of Medical Toxicology Cobinamide – evaluation of a new cyanide antidote in a critically ill swine model of acute cyanide toxicity
Timothy Q, Duong Ph.D. Research Imaging Institute Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Human Retina
Anand K. Ramasubramanian Ph.D. Biomedical Engineering CaBChip: A high-throughput screen for antifungal drug discovery
Anne-Marie Langevin MD Pediatrics Translational genomics studies of dysregulated miRNAs in osteosarcoma
M. Danet Lapiz-Bluhm BSN, Ph.D. Chronic Nursing Care Alterations in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and cognitive functioning in combat and civilian trauma PTSD
Barbara Saatkamp Taylor MD MS Epi Medicine Epigenetic predictors of immune response to antiretroviral therapy for HIV
Luzhe Sun Ph.D. Cellular & Structural Biology Preclinical Investigation of the Role of Hedgehog Pathway in Androgen-Independent Prostate Cancer with a Hedgehog Inhibitor
Peter W. Nathanielsz MD Ph.D. ScD Obstetrics and Gynecology A nonhuman primate model of teenage pregnancy
Adelita Gonzales Cantu Ph.D. RN Chronic Nursing Care Internet Use in Providing Enhancement and Sustainability of a Community-Based Health and Wellness Promotion Program in a Mexican American Population

2009 ARRA funded Pilot Projects

Thanks to ARRA funding, the Institute of Integration for Medicine & Science was able to fund the following recipients of the Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) Pilot Projects for 2009-2010.

 
Name Department Project Title
Dahia, Patricia MD PhD Medicine/Hematology Molecular studies of a novel tumor suppressor gene
Villar, Cristina DDS MS PhD Periodontics Regulation of oral epithelial cell endocytic and apoptotic pathways by Candida albicans
Feldman, Marc MD Medicine/Biomedical Engineering Admittance for heart failure detection
Burge, Sandra PhD Family & Community Medicine Changes in opioid use in patients with chronic low back pain
Fernandes, Gabriel PhD (Hazuda) Medicine/Immunology and Rheumatology Diet, neurotoxicity, and insulin resistance: an exploration of the potential impact of aspartame consumption on neurodegeneration and metabolic dysfunction in rodents and humans
Hazuda, Helen PhD (Fernandes) Medicine/Clinical Epidemiology Diet, neurotoxicity, and insulin resistance: an exploration of the potential impact of aspartame consumption on neurodegeneration and metabolic dysfunction in rodents and humans
Tardif, Suzette PhD Cellular & Structural Biology Development of a nonhuman primate model of age-related functional decline
Renteria, Rene PhD Physiology Rapamycin as a treatment for structural and functional deficits of the retina in diabetic retinopathy
Anzueto, Antonio MD Medicine/Pulmonary Diseases Rosuvastatin/Placebo in Influenza H1N1

2009 Pilot Project Awardees

 
Name Department Project Title
Aguiar, Ricardo C. MD, PhD Medicine/Hematology & Medical Oncology Therapeutic targeting of PDE4B and associated survival pathways in B-cell lymphomas
Blanco, Cynthia, MD Pediatrics Insulin signaling and glucose metabolism in the premature baboon model
Block, Karen, PhD Medicine/Nephrology Role of p22phox-mediated oxidative stress in renal carcinogenesis: Translational Applications
Frei, Christopher, PharmD, MSc Pharmacotherapy Education & Research Center CA-MRSA: Genetics, Resistance, and Treatment in a South Texas Practice-Based Research Network
Hinck, Andrew, PhD Biochemistry Inhibition of the tumor-promoting activities of TGF-β by novel structure-based inhibitors
Peng, Qi, PhD Radiology Novel High Resolution and High Contrast Imaging Technologies for Improved White Matter Diffusion Tensor Imaging on Human
Theresa Powell, PhD Obstetrics & Gynecology Omega 3 supplementation in gestational diabetes to improve the health of women and their babies