Award Recipients- Round 1

Daniel Ballhorn

Project title: Endophytic fungi in root nodules of red alder as a novel source of bioactive compounds

Endophytic fungi are a hyperdiverse group of microbes that live in plant tissues and that produce a broad range of natural compounds. The aim of Dr. Ballhorn’s pilot project was to screen fungal endophytes that reside on the root nodule of red adler, to see which endophyte cultures are bioactive against bacteria, fungi, and human cell lines. The goal of the project was to gain insight into whether the strains have the potential to be used in breast and prostate cancer treatments. During the pilot project, Dr. Ballhorn’s lab collected over one hundred distinct endophyte strains and found that a large portion exhibited bioactivity against more than one test organism without demonstrating general toxicity, a finding that makes the potential for use of these compounds in cancer treatment more likely. A goal of future research is the development of culture conditions that will better maintain the rate of production of fungal compounds observed in fresh cultures. Dr. Ballhorn provided mentorship to several undergraduates in his lab, who were involved with the extraction and maintenance of fungal isolates and the extraction of DNA for molecular fingerprinting. Mentees also supported the development of manuscripts that were submitted for publication. Pilot project data was used in a funded application to NSF.

Jennifer Blakeslee

Project title: Support Network Assessment and Intervention Development to Promote Functioning of Transition-Age Foster Youth

Dr. Blakeslee’s goal is to develop a theory-based program model that will be used in child welfare practice to assess and address deficits in youth support network functionality. The aims of the pilot project were to identify assessable and intervenable characteristics of youth networks and to understand how these characteristics can be linked to service strategies that youth find engaging and supportive and that are feasible for providers to deliver. BUILD EXITO Scholar Grace Tumwebaze was involved in the development of the qualitative codebook in preparation for analysis of youth support networks, and participated in the subsequent quantitative coding of the qualitative data. Grace used this data in her presentation at the Scholar Symposium in summer 2017. Additionally, Grace was included as a coauthor on a conference abstract reporting findings from this project submitted to the 2018 Society for Social Work Research Conference. Dr. Blakeslee then submitted an R21 application using the pilot project data to NIMH in 2018, and is awaiting a funding decision.   

Mitch Cruzan

Project title: Clonal Evolution - a Plant Model for Investigations into Somatic Mutation Accumulation

Clonal evolution results as mutations in genetic information are passed vertically from one generation of cells to the next. A potential end product of clonal evolution is cancer. While researchers have developed a better understanding of which mutations lead to cancer, less is understood about the evolutionary process that ensues as mutations accumulate. Dr. Cruzan’s pilot project aimed to develop a plant model to explore clonal evolution, which could provide further insight into the development of cancer and its treatment. Another aim of Dr. Cruzan’s project was to develop analytical methods to understand which somatic mutations are most likely to accumulate and result in phenotypic effects, and how these processes vary under different environmental conditions like those presented by cancer drug treatment. BUILD EXITO Scholar Elizabeth Perez worked closely with Dr. Cruzan, gaining background knowledge about clonal evolution and gaining valuable research experience in bioinformatics methods and data analyses. With Dr. Cruzan’s mentorship, Elizabeth also worked on an independent project exploring post-mating selection. Elizabeth was the lead author on a paper presented with Dr. Cruzan at the Evolution 2017 conference held in Portland, OR.  Results from the pilot project supported an application to NIH in February 2017. Results from the pilot project were also used in the development of a manuscript, currently under review.

Alice Graham

Project title:  Advances in neuroimaging methods to examine early neurobiological predictors of executive functioning

Executive functioning is the capacity to engage in purposeful, goal-directed behaviors. Executive functioning provides a foundation for mental health as well as academic and social functioning and is a target for early intervention services aimed at reducing risk for psychopathology and school difficulties. Currently, targeted intervention efforts are limited by the difficulty of assessing executive functioning and related brain systems prior to age two. Dr. Graham’s project sought to employ advanced computational methods to characterize brain networks involved in executive functioning beginning in the neonatal period. This work involved collecting resting state functional connectivity MRI data in neonates and adapting tools for optimal processing and analyses to be well suited for this age group. Through better characterizing the status of the brain at birth, Dr. Graham aims to advance understandings of the early neural foundations of executive functioning. Findings from Dr. Graham’s pilot project will be used to support the identification of early neurobiological risk factors and markers for poor executive functioning, and offer opportunity for further research into potential early interventions. Undergraduate mentees in Dr. Graham’s lab were involved in conducting MRI scans with newborns, collected saliva and hair samples, processed MRI and fMRI data, conducted hypothesis testing, and conducted analyses using computational methods. The undergraduate mentees in Dr. Graham’s lab also were involved in manuscript preparation. The results of Dr. Graham’s project were used to prepare a successful application for a K-award to NIMH.

Jun Jiao

Project title:  Development of a vertically aligned alumina nanowire array (VAANA) as a high throughput biomolecule delivery platform for cancer therapeutics

Dendritic cells are specialized cells in the body that help the body to recognize cancerous cells and to trigger an effective T cell immune response. A promising area of current cancer research is an immunotherapeutic approach utilizing personalized dendritic cell vaccines. Dr. Jiao’s project sought to develop a mechanism by which these developing vaccines can be introduced to the body. Prior to the pilot project Dr. Jiao developed a vertically aligned alumina nanowire array (VAANA) as a delivery platform, and preliminary results with the VAANA demonstrated its potential as a mechanism to deliver a dendritic cell-based vaccine. Dr. Jiao’s pilot project was a collaboration with Dr. Evan Lind at OHSU. Their collaborative effort is to optimize the functionality of the VANNA to induce the dendritic cell maturation and T cell response. In order to achieve this, Dr. Jiao and Dr. Lind’s labs used the VAANA to deliver the Ovalbumin (OVA) antigen and mir-155 to induce a T cell response. Graduate students and undergraduate students participated this pilot project.  In addition, Dr. Jiao provided mentorship to EXITO RLC scholar Candice Stauffer, who has actively participated in funded research in Dr. Jiao's group for the last two years. This research experience has helped Candice to win a full scholarship to pursue a PhD in Astrophysics at Northwestern University beginning Fall 2018.

Sonnet Jonker

Project title: Developmental stress shapes cardiovascular growth and function 

Humans are born with a set number of cardiomyocytes, the specialized cells that make up the heart muscle. The quantity of these cardiomyocytes is an important factor in the heart’s health and its capacity meet cardiovascular demand. Cardiomyocytes die due to aging, hypertension, and ischemic heart disease, and this reduction in cardiomyocytes can weaken the heart and lead to heart failure. Meanwhile, in the healthy immature heart there occurs a similar episode of cardiomyocyte loss that is regarded as a normal developmental process. However, for babies at a higher risk for developing cardiovascular disease later in life, like those born preterm, preservation of these lost perinatal cardiomyocytes may offer cardiovascular protection in adulthood.  Dr. Jonker sought to develop strategies to preserve cardiomyocytes in at-risk infants through gaining an understanding of the connections between fetal cardiomyocyte metabolism, metabolic stress, and cell death. This was achieved through the use of cytometry, enzyme assays, western blots, and metabolic measurements of fetal sheep cardiomyocytes. Preliminary data from this study were used for an R01 grant to NIH. EXITO Scholar Hanna Osman presented data from the project at the EXITO Summer Immersion Symposium Presentation. Additionally, a proposal to the American Heart Association using pilot project data is being considered for submission in winter 2018.  

Ericka Kimball

Project title: Exploring the Transition to Fatherhood: Men Exposed to Domestic Violence in Childhood

Dr. Kimball’s project aimed to develop a better understanding of the way exposure to domestic violence in childhood influences parenting among first-time fathers and sought to identify the unique parenting needs of these men. Prior research has shown that men who were exposed to domestic violence as children are at an increased risk of perpetrating violence to their partners and children, although only a small percentage of these men actually go on to do so (Roberts, Gilman, Fitzmaurice, Decker, & Koenen, 2010). Utilizing a guided theory approach, Dr. Kimball conducted interviews with a stratified sample of men involved with the child welfare system and those involved with community-based organizations, with special attention to household income, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, and education. Data from these interviews were assessed for themes and patterns to elucidate how exposure to domestic violence in childhood influences parenting amongst first-time fathers. The results of the study will be used to inform the development of intervention and prevention programs to meet the parenting needs of this unique population.

EXITO Scholars Chelsea Carter and Logan Schwartz worked with Dr. Kimball on this project. The Scholars were engaged in all data collection and data analysis and worked on manuscript development and submission through the next academic year. Chelsea and Logan both presented on posters at the American Men’s Studies Association 25^th Annual Interdisciplinary Conference in Ann Arbor, MI, and at Life Path’s ReslinenceCon 3^rd Annual Conference located in Nashville, TN.

Marilyn Mackiewicz

Project title: Surface Modification of Gold Nanorods as Enhanced Contrast Agents for in vivo Optical Coherence

Age-related Macular Degeneration leads to visual impairment or blindness and affects approximately 10 million patients in the US. While there is currently no cure for Age-related Macular Degeneration, cell transplantation has shown potential in primates and non-humans. However, a barrier to introducing this technology to humans is the absence of a method for evaluating cell-based therapies longitudinally in vivo. The creation of a technology that would allow researchers to visually track transplanted cells’ survival and migration in vivo would allow researchers to gain a better understanding of the consequences of transplanting cells in host retinal tissue and would inform therapeutic strategies. Dr. Mackiewicz’s project aimed to address this need through seeking to develop a technology to image transplanted cells though use of high-resolution optical coherence tomography and gold nanorods as contrast and cell-labeling agents. This approach was supported by preliminary results prior to the start of the pilot project. In order to increase this technology’s efficacy, Dr. Mackiewicz aimed to optimize the optical and electronic properties of gold nanorods to provide for greater contrast, and to elucidate the optimal conditions for the use of this technology. The development of this technology will allow researchers to visualize whether transplanted cells are moving to their target locations, and will support efforts to develop a cure for Age-related Macular Degeneration. Results from the pilot project were used to support an application for funding to NSF. EXITO scholar Eleanor Adams supported other ongoing research projects in the Mackiewicz lab. 

Roberto Orellana

Project title: Engaging High Risk Migratory Homeless Youth in HIV and Drug Prevention Services

Youth experiencing homelessness are a diverse population of adolescents and young adults at risk of experiencing negative health outcomes, including drug dependence, drug overdose, infectious diseases such as HIV and tuberculosis, and victimization. Migratory homeless youth, also known as "travelers," may be at especially high risk for these negative health outcomes. Travelers are more likely than non-traveling homeless youth to engage in higher-risk sexual and substance abuse behaviors that result in negative health outcomes. However, the traumatic life experiences faced by this population makes them less likely to engage in conventional health and social service programming. Dr. Orellana’s study sought to investigate the specific service needs of travelers, as well as determining which factors need to be considered in constructing effective interventions for this unique group of young people. The pilot project aimed to set the stage for a series of HIV and drug use intervention studies designed to reduce risk behaviors and engage this specific population in health and social services in the region. EXITO scholars Linsdey Romo and Victoria Cali de Leon contributed to interview transcription and data analysis for the EXITO pilot study. Dr. Orellana is also a part of an EXITO-funded Research Learning Community, where EXITO scholars Joseph Ramirez and Abram Zamora have been involved in the implementation the Portland-based arm of the National HIV Behavioral Surveillance study which is closely related to the pilot project. Their activities include data collection through qualitative and survey interviewing, data analysis, and surveillance data dissemination.

Dora Raymaker

Project title: Narratives of Autism and Skilled Employment

There is a large and growing population of individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder who are of employable age, yet a disproportionate number are unemployed or under-employed. The disparity is particularly apparent in individuals who have the skills and training for employment in professional settings. However, little is known about what facilitates skilled employment from a holistic, systems-based perspective. The goal of Dr. Raymaker’s research was to use a community based participatory research approach to conduct a qualitative study of autistic employees retained in, or seeking, skilled positions understand their experiences and ideas for change. This exploratory data will then help inform future intervention research.

EXITO scholar Mirah Scharer became familiar with data management and qualitative methods, learned how to html code, learned how to communicate scientific information to a wide range of community and academic audiences, and learned about research ethics and confidentiality. Mirah also concluded a narrative analysis on a set of qualitative interviews related to healthcare and worked on a manuscript from that analysis. She presented on the results of this pilot at INSAR, the premiere international autism conference.

Dr. Raymaker will use pilot project data--along with data from a currently-funded NIMH R21--to support an application for an NIH K0.

AWARD RECIPIENTS- ROUND 2

Anupriya Agarwal

Project title: Functional screening of inflammatory signals that create a supportive microenvironment in leukemia

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is one of the deadliest hematopoietic malignancies. The 5-year overall survival rate for patients has stagnated for the past 30 years at 25%, underscoring an urgent medical need for new and improved therapies. Genetic heterogeneity and secondary events leading to relapse complicate treatment with any one single agent in AML Despite the well-known critical roles that microenvironmental cytokines and cellular factors play in normal hematopoiesis, identification and targeting of the key functional elements of the AML microenvironment has been largely unexplored. In this proposal we are testing the hypothesis is that pro-inflammatory cytokines provide a growth advantage to leukemic cells by influencing the functions of T lymphocytes and by reprogramming stromal cells in the microenvironment. BUILD EXITO Alum Mona M. Hosseini is now a graduate student at OHSU. Mona had the opportunity to train summer interns and other research assistants in the lab, has published a first-author paper (Hosseini, M 2018, Leukemia) and has done multiple presentations, abstracts and oral. EXITO Alum Ruthey Viver has presented at internal retreats.

Jason L. Burkhead

Project title:  Understanding the role of zinc in Wilson Disease

Wilson Disease is a rare inherited disorder that results in severe pathologic copper accumulation in the body and impacts an estimated 1:30,000 people. The disease is caused by mutations in the ATP7B copper transporter that leads to pathologic and ultimately lethal copper accumulation in tissues, particularly in the liver and brain. Though the genetic cause of Wilson Disease is known, the underlying mechanisms by which copper overload causes disease is still poorly defined. Copper accumulation is expected to induce oxidative damage to cellular structures; though this mechanism appears to be more apparent later in disease progression, while the early and copper-specific molecular effects of copper accumulation remain elusive. Therapies for Wilson Disease include consumption of a low-copper diet, treatment with de-coppering drugs, and zinc supplementation. Zinc supplementation is thought to limit copper absorption by a competition and buffering effect in the intestinal cells, whereby copper is eliminated through the natural turnover of the intestinal lining. Dr. Burkhead's lab is investigating how copper accumulation in a Wilson Disease mouse model impacts essential zinc systems including zinc-dependent cell machinery and how clinical therapies impact zinc-dependent systems. The results of their work have the potential to inform and improve treatment of Wilson Disease. EXITO Scholar, Hamide Tifeki, is testing the hypothesis that zinc supplementation in the Atp7b-/- mouse mitigates copper-induced changes in zinc handling gene expression.

Matthew G. Drake

Project title:  Effects of airway inflammation on transient receptor potential vanilloid type-1 receptor (TRPV1) expression on airway nerves

Airway nerves play a key role in airway diseases such as asthma. Nerves control bronchoconstriction (narrowing of the airways) and trigger cough. In asthma, these responses are exaggerated, which contributes to worse asthma-related symptoms and reduced quality of life for patients. Eosinophils are an inflammatory cell common in the airways of many asthmatics. Previously, Dr. Drake's lab found eosinophils cluster along nerves and increase nerve length and branching in patients with severe asthma. These neuro-immune interactions are also associated with changes in neuronal receptors, such as TRPV1. Understanding how eosinophils mediate these changes is a central focus of Dr. Drake’s research, with the ultimate goal to discover new treatment options for patients with severe asthma.

In Dr. Drake’s lab, EXITO Scholar Karol Wai explored these interactions using advanced 3-dimensional confocal imaging techniques to quantify airway sensory nerves (branch points and length), protein expression, and eosinophilic inflammation in bronchial biopsies from patients with and without asthma. Karol successfully presented her work at OHSU Research Week, at the EXITO Scholars year end forum, and contributed key insights towards data that is in the process of publication. She was also awarded a McNair Scholarship, in part due to her outstanding productivity during her time with EXITO.

Andrea Goforth

Project title:   Development and biological assessment of densely loaded porous silicon contrast agents for x-ray computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging

High-resolution molecular imaging has the potential to help usher in an age of personalized medicine. The major challenge that remains in the field of molecular imaging is the marrying of low detection limits with high spatial resolution. This low detection limit demand is achieved by positron emission tomography (PET), which has poor spatial resolution. By contrast, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has excellent spatial resolution, but high detection limits. By development of suitable paramagnetic contrast agents to overcome the detection limit demand, molecular imaging by MRI would become possible. Dr. Goforth's study proposes that encapsulation of a chemical shift transfer agent in a porous silicon nanoparticle (PSi NP) host to generate a chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) imaging agent that will meet both the detection limit and spatial resolution demands of molecular imaging. A positive impact of accomplishing the study aims is expected to be development of a CEST contrast agent with the requisite sensitivity and biological clearance properties to enable clinical molecular MR imaging, with associated positive impacts on human health.

Dena Hassouneh

Project title:   The effect of family violence on caregiving at end-of-life.

In the last year of life, 57% of Medicare beneficiaries depend on their daughters’ unpaid care labor (UCL). End-of-life (EOL) UCL can cause significant physical and psychological harm to providers, especially women with histories of childhood maltreatment. Using feminist poststructuralist narrative methodology, we performed and analyzed dialogic interviews with 21 women who provided end-of-life (EOL) UCL to parents who maltreated them in childhood, and 15 healthcare professionals who serve EOL UCL providers. We found that EOL UCL represents a re-traumatization for many women, resulting in avoidable injury, illness, and complicated grief, and increasing vulnerability to future victimization. During EOL UCL, participants were subjected to isolation, domination, deprivation, betrayal, and identity assault mirroring their childhood traumas. In childhood and in EOL UCL, structures of power perpetuated patriarchal norms of family and femininity, constraining participants’ capacities for self-expression, self-esteem, and self-direction. Our analysis also uncovered factors which predicted or protected against gendered re-traumatization. The findings of this study will be presented at the Gerontological Society of America 2020 Conference, several other abstracts have been submitted, and three manuscripts being prepared. The knowledge gained will inform new policies and practices to create equity in care for persons with life-limiting illnesses and their families.

Gita Mehrotra

Project title:  Exploring the experiences of students of color in field education: Building and sustaining a more diverse social work labor force

Expanding high-quality, culturally-competent behavioral health care research and services are critical components of efforts to reduce health disparities facing racial/ethnic minority communities (Cohen, Gabriel, & Terrell, 2002; NIGMS, 2011). The national projection that people of color will become the majority population in the US in the coming decades affirms the need for culturally-relevant mental health services (Cohen, Gabriel, & Terrell, 2002). Given that social workers constitute one of the largest groups of behavioral healthcare providers, it is essential to prepare social work students to provide effective services that are compatible with the needs, beliefs, and practices of diverse communities. Dr. Mehotra's project aims to better understand the experiences and needs of social work students of color in field education, a central component of professional training. Study findings will inform efforts to strengthen successful outcomes for students of color in social work field education in order to build and sustain a more diverse, culturally-competent pool of behavioral health care providers prepared to meet the needs of racial/ethnic minority communities.  

Steve Reichow

Project title:  Enhancing the aquaporin-0/Calmodulin membrane protein complex for high-resolution structure determination by single particle CryoEM

The aquaporins are a class of membrane channel proteins that form direct pathways for water permeation across the cell membrane that must be carefully regulated for homeostasis. The mis-regulation of water channel activity is associated with a range of pathophysiological conditions, including kidney disease, cataracts, brain oedema, diabetes and cancer. Dr. Reichow's research group is using methods in high-resolution single particle cryo-microscopy (CryoEM) to understand the detailed mechanisms of how water channel regulation in the eye lens is controlled by the calcium-signaling protein calmodulin, and how mis-regulation of this system manifests in formation of lens opacities, known as cataracts (the leading cause of blindness in the world).

Kimberly Dolan (EXITO Scholar, PSU Undergrad), continued research in the Reichow Lab (on a separate project), and her contribution has resulted in a co-first author publication that has just been accepted by Nature Communications. Kimberly graduated from PSU in 2019 and is now in a graduate research program at UC Berkeley. Jonathan Flores (EXITO Mentor, OHSU Graduate Student), continued to work with Kimberly Dolan on his thesis research project. He is the lead author on the same paper that was recently accepted (referenced below). Jonathan received an NIH Ruth L. Kirschstein Fellowship in 2019 and plans to complete his Ph.D. in 2021.

Flores JA†, Haddad BG†, Dolan KA†, Myers JB, Yoshioka CC, Copperman J, Zuckerman DM, Reichow SL*, Connexin-46/50 in a dynamic lipid environment resolved by CryoEM at 1.9Å. Nature Communication. 2020 (accepted).
† - equal contribution
* - corresponding author

Olyssa Starry

Project title:  Evaluating the potential of ecoroofs as therapeutic landscapes

Hospitals are increasingly adopting therapeutic landscapes such as healing gardens, horticultural therapy gardens, and memory gardens. We identified over sixty hospitals nation-wide that have ecoroofs, or rooftop gardens. In order to explore the current and potential uses of these facilities, Dr. Starry and Co-PI Tina Burdsall led a team of undergraduate researchers that included EXITO alumni Arjun Viray and scholar MacKenzie Gray as well as PSU Honors students Rosemary Wood and Timothy Oxendahl in a mixed-methods research effort. Our study encompassed phone interviews of hospital ecoroof managers as well as analysis of national hospital databases. We also conducted behavioral observations on an ecoroof at OHSU. At this same location, in collaboration with colleagues at OHSU, we collected salivary cortisol samples from patients, staff, and caregivers who were waiting on the ecoroof or, as a control, indoors. We did not observe significant effects of time spent on hospital ecoroofs on stress as indicated by salivary cortisol. These findings may be explained by hospital visitor experience; behavioral observations demonstrated a wide array of different uses of the ecoroof space such as cell phone use and passing by. We identified two factors that significantly predict whether a hospital has an ecoroof: the number of Medicaid patients; and hospital type (non-profit, government, and privately owned). Qualitative analysis indicated that internal champions as well as external service providers can also increase the likelihood of hospital ecoroof installation. These findings have been presented at meetings of the Ecological Society of America as well as at a Green Roofs for Healthy Cities conference, and we have a manuscript in preparation.

Jonathan Stecyk

Project title:  How the heart of the red-eared slider turtle can continue to beat in the absence of oxygen

Project summary coming soon!

Martin Swobodzinski

Project title:  Effects of Virtual Companion Animals on Human Emotional Health

Dr. Swobodzinski's study was designed to examine whether experiences of companion animals provided by a virtual reality (VR) device induce greater positive psychological and physiological responses of individuals compared to less immersive technology and content. To that account, the study assessed emotional responses and sensations of "being there" of 285 individuals who were exposed to depictions of pet dogs via three different modalities (i.e., 360-degree video in VR, 360-degree video on a computer monitor, and images in a photo book) with or without additional sensory stimuli (i.e., sound and touch). Findings from the study inform future applications of VR devices in recreational and therapeutic settings that are geared towards improving quality of life and emotional health. A sizable number of undergraduate research assistants from PSU and Clark College, including EXITO Scholars and alumni, were contributing to Dr. Swobodzinski's study: Ridge Bynum, Xaaran Dolence, Jeanette Doorenbos, Nick Glover, Erin Grieschen, James Knight, Anastasiya Kozlovska, Alyssa Libak, Mary Macpherson, Hasan Mahmood, Rebecca Mudannayke, Cindy Nguyen, Vy-An Nguyen, Michael Nunnerley, Lacy Oviatt, Kira Rhodenhamel, Pista Szabo, and Amy Young. Drs. Swobodzinski and Mankowski (PSU), as well as Dr. Maruyama (Clark College), offered data collection training to the research assistants from both campuses joining together in a large and welcoming group environment that offered instruction, opportunities to ask questions and develop knowledge and skills in conducting research (e.g., research integrity oversight requirements; administration of experimental protocols; best practices for data collection; ethical conduction of research; data management skills). Select research assistants were also instructed on the use of participant scheduling software and were leading the recruitment, scheduling, and chaperoning of participants through the experimental data collection protocol.

AWARD RECIPIENTS- ROUND 3

Deanna Britton

Project title:  Utility of airflow measures in predicting risk for aspiration in neurologic populations

The upper airway serves multi-functional purposes, including breathing, swallowing, and cough. Breathing-swallowing coordination (BSC) and the ability to cough are essential lung defenses. Impairment in the ability to swallow (dysphagia) is associated with increased medical costs and death. Dr. Britton's study examines the utility of cough-related and breathing-swallowing coordination (BSC) airflow measures in discriminating aspiration risk in individuals with and without bulbar and/or respiratory impairments due to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Preliminary evidence suggests that specific airflow measures of cough and BSC may detect risk for aspiration (entry of material into the airway during swallowing). However, the underlying nature of associations between these airflow measures and aspiration remains unknown. The information generated by this study will aid the development of cost-efficient methods for dysphagia assessment.

Christina Sun

Project title:  Exploring the role of virtual social support in health outcomes of HIV-infected men

HIV remains a serious problem in the United States, particularly for men who have sex with men (MSM). Studies show substantial benefit to reduce excess morbidity and mortality for people living with HIV (PLWH) who adhere to antiretroviral therapy (ART); however, it is estimated that only 19-25% of PLWH do so. Advancing targeted and innovative ART adherence interventions for HIV-positive MSM remains a high priority. Technology-based ART adherence intervention represents a novel approach to optimize ART adherence. However, a common problem with reporting on the effects of technology-delivered ART interventions is that most fail to “unpack” the intervention to gain a greater understanding of what factors were primarily responsible for behavior change. Dr. Sun will join an NIH R01-funded study team and focus her research training activities on unpacking the virtual social support component in a technology-delivered intervention through quantitative and qualitative methods. Dr. Sun's study is being conducted in concert with the parent study (NIH/NIDA R01DA039950; PI: Horvath) and will contribute to the scholarship in HIV treatment and prevention to reduce suffering from HIV that affect millions in the US and globally.

Anne Thompson

Project title:  The resilience of microorganisms to fluctuations in energy sources

Microbial communities have a powerful influence on human health and disease. In biological systems, microorganisms are subject to dynamic shifts in resource availability, such as energy and nutrients, however, the mechanisms that govern microbial responses to such perturbations and the consequences to the biological system are not well understood. Dr. Thompson's project will examine the mechanisms that support resilience to perturbations in energy availability in a model cyanobacterium. We hypothesize that even closely related genotypes will vary in their resilience to perturbation and that single cells are tightly coordinated in their response to perturbation. Understanding the principles behind microbial resilience to perturbation will have profound implications towards improving our ability to predict and engineer microbial communities towards better human and ecosystem health.

AWARD RECIPIENTS - ROUND 4

Antonia Alvarez

Project Title: Ang pagtanom ug binhi (the planting of seed): Exploring the health implications of food sovereignty movements in the Philippines
 

This project, “Ang pagtanom ug binhi” seeks to explore health implications of food sovereignty movements in the Philippines using an innovative approach to culturally-grounded health storytelling. Through focus groups and interviews with cultural practitioners and community stakeholders involved in food sovereignty movements, this project will document the approaches to food sovereignty movements in the Philippines, the connections to health that participants perceive, and the potential strategies for sustainable implementation of on-going work. This project will result in recommendations for sustainable, culture-driven practices within food sovereignty movements that support health and well-being.

Tessa Dover

Project Title: Assessing Skin-Deep Resilience in Students Pursuing Biomedical Research Careers

The pilot study investigates the feasibility of assessing skin-deep resilience (a pattern of high achievement couple with high physical health risk) while maintaining social distance.  Risk and protective factors will be examined in high-achieving undergraduates form underrepresented backgrounds.  Whole blood will be collected by the same participants independently at their homes, and data will be combined and sussed to inform future investigations or skin-deep resilience.

Elliot Gall

Project Title: Quantifying human exposure to volatile byproducts from emergent and untested building disinfection methods

The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrates that control of pathogens indoors is needed, though many emergent approaches are untested in terms of their concomitant impact on indoor air quality due to generation of disinfection byproducts. This proposal will evaluate two emergent approaches for surface and air disinfection of pathogens, UV-C surface disinfection and bi-polar air ionization systems, for generation of ozone, particles, and volatile organic compounds that may arise from operation and harm human cardiopulmonary health.  Exposure modeling will be performed with the measured data, and enable assessment of modeled inhaled dose by occupants in schools and medical care facilities who may be at-risk for adverse cardiopulmonary outcomes.

Sunny Lin

Project Title: Evaluating the Use and Impact of Health Information Technology in Generate and Transmit Disease Reports
 

Timely and effective policy responses to public health crises, such as COVID-19, depends on efficient and effective reporting systems. Today, disease reports are primarily generated and transmitted manually through online forms, telephone, email, or fax, methods that are prone to delay and error. This project aims to gather information on what hospitals and state public health departments are able to transmit information through automated reporting and electronic health information exchange, and the association between this technology use and states’ COVID-19 policy responses.

Lakindra Mitchell Dove

Project Title: Exploring the Instructional Experiences of Students of Color and Their Transition to Remote Learning During COVID
 

This proposed project aims to better understand the experiences of college students of color during the transition from in-person classes to remote learning during the initial phases of the COVID pandemic. Study findings will increase awareness of the needs of students of color, inform guidelines for trauma-informed pedagogy, and assist with the development of curricula that is responsive to the needs of students of color.

Brook Napier

Project Title:  Defining the role of dietary saturated fatty acids in driving sepsis-associated immunoparalysis
 

Circulating saturated fatty acids (SFAs) are immunomodulatory lipids that can regulate inflammation and innate immune cell function, and fluctuate with varying consumption of SFAs within the diet. Our previous findings show a diet enriched in SFAs leads to immunoparalysis, or inability of the host to mount an inflammatory response, during sepsis. Here we will build on these findings to uncover cell-specific reprogramming by SFAs and the role of the diet-associated microbiome on sepsis-associated immunoparalysis and disease outcomes.

Miranda Mosier

Project Title: Underrepresented students and family voices: A Community Cultural Wealth Investigation
 

It is well known that underrepresented students face barriers in persistence, and may face unique challenges in biomedical and social science programs. Less is known about their strengths, which include interdependence and a valuing of familial and community needs. This project will explore how families inform and influence the educational decisions and career paths of underrepresented students through a community cultural wealth framework, providing strengths-based insights for support and intervention.

Michael Orr

Project Title: Mortality factors in the behaviour and physiology of modern spear-fishers

Modern free-divers enter the water for sport, recreation or spear-fishing. However, the dive-associated mortality accompanying spear-fishers is exceptionally high, despite established training guidelines. When spear-fishers perish, the cause of death is often shallow water syncope or extreme hypoxia. However, why spear-fishers are exceptionally prone to such high apnea-related mortalities is unclear. Our preliminary data suggest that the dive profiles of spear-fishers is unlike that of elite training athletes or recreational divers in that spear-fishers dive a significantly greater number of dives per session and spend more accumulated breath-hold time underwater during their fishing activities. We have the central hypothesis that prolonged apnea dives and increased dive numbers during fishing activities leads to a unique physiological depression in heartrate that makes spearfishing divers more susceptible to shallow water syncope or extreme hypoxia resulting in higher dive-related mortality.   It is our intention that this research may allow evidence based modification of safe diving practices for spearfishers and hopefully reduce diver mortalities.