The Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) presented travel awards to nine junior investigators for outstanding posters and presentations at its fifth annual CTSI Poster Session and Reception.
At the September 27 event, judges evaluated nearly 50 posters, and selected winners from each CTSI career development program. Programs provide training and education to advance researchers through the career development continuum, from the undergraduate experience to an independent research career as a faculty member.
CTSI will provide as much as $13,500 total in travel expenses so awardees can present their CTSI-supported research at a national or international conference.
In addition, CTSI’s Community Health Collaborative Grants program presented a $400 dissemination award to a winning poster presented by one of their community-University grantee teams. The College of Pharmacy also furnished a travel award for Sarah Kim, a Melendy scholar who participates in CTSI’s career development programming alongside CTSI scholars.
Travel award recipients
KL2 Scholars Career Development Program
Rebecca Shlafer, PhD
Medical School
Primary mentor: Michael Resnick
Additional mentors: Julie Poehlmann, John Connett, and Grant Duwe
Project title: Incarcerated Parents in Minnesota and their Minor Children
Mark Osborn, PhD
Medical School
Primary mentor: Bruce Blazar
Additional mentors: Stephen Jameson and Weihua Guan
Project title: Next generation chimeric antigen receptor and engineered nuclease based tumor therapy
K to R01 Transition to Independence Program
Karina Quevedo, PhD
Medical School
Primary mentors: Kamil Ugurbil and Kathleen Thomas
Co-mentors: John Strupp and Susan Wei
Project title: How to Train your Brain: Neurofeedback and Changing Brain Activity in Adolescent Depression
New Investigator Pre-K Career Development Program
Beshay Zordoky, PhD
College of Pharmacy
Primary mentor: Pamala Jacobson
Additional mentor: Haitao Chu
Project title: Preclinical Model of Juvenile Doxorubicin-induced Cardiotoxicity
Translational Research Development Program (TRDP)
Nicholas Brady
Medical School
Primary mentor: Kathryn Schwertfeger
Additional mentor: Douglas Yee
Project title: JAK Inhibition Disrupts Inflammatory Homeostasis in Human Macrophages
Diego Garcia-Huidobro, MD
Medical School
Primary mentor: Michele Allen
Additional mentor: Iris Borowsky
Project title: Feasibility of a One-To-One Parenting Intervention to Prevent Substance Use in Latino Youth
Advanced Pathways to Research Program (A-PReP)
Luis “Marty” Ortega
Medical School
Mentor: Michele Allen, MD, MS
Project title: Latino Parent-Child Relationships and Substance Use
Sarah Kim (Melendy scholar)
College of Pharmacy
Mentor: Jeanine Utz, PharmD
Project title: Natural History of the Gangliosidosis Diseases
Pathways to Research Program (PReP)
Karen Herrera
Saint Catherine University, College of Liberal Arts
Mentor: Beshay Zordoky
Project title: The anti-cancer effects of resveratol in hemangiosarcoma cells
Bridget Curtin
University of Minnesota, College of Biological Sciences
Mentor: Reena Kartha
Project title: Circulating MicroRNAs as Potential Biomarkers for Epilepsy
Dissemination award recipients
Community Health Collaborative Grants program
Muna Sunni, MBBCh, Medical School and Jennifer Kyllo, MD, Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota
Project title: A Picture-Based Carbohydrate-Counting Resource for Somalis