K Accelerator Program
Former scholar Brooke Cunningham and her mentor Michele Allen
Position yourself for NIH K awards with support from this two-year career development program* for University of Minnesota early-career faculty who are underrepresented in health sciences.
* Formerly known as Pre-K Discovery Scholars Program
How we support scholars
Funding
$50,000 research funds to be expended over two years.
Mentorship
Requires a primary mentor and a career development mentor. Scholar will receive assistance in developing their mentoring team.
Training and networking
Weekly (Wednesdays, 1:15pm) K Scholar Multidisciplinary Seminars. In addition, there are monthly research support meetings and an annual retreat.
Dedicated support
Individualized educational and training plan with focused project refinement support, leading to a K-series grant submission by the end of the program.
“The support I’m receiving as a scholar has been a game-changer. Without CTSI funding, I wouldn’t be able to do this.”
— Glenn Simmons Jr., PhD, on his COVID-19 research
How we evaluate program success
Current scholars
Former scholars
Sian Durward Akhurst, BVMS, MS, PhD
Veterinary Clinical Sciences
Mentors: Chris Stauthammer, Samuel Dudley, Aaron Rendahl
Project title: Genetic mechanisms of sudden cardiac death in racehorses as a model for sudden arrhythmic death syndrome in human athletes
Selma Carlson, MD, FACC
Minneapolis VA Medical Center/Department of Medicine
Mentors: Kristine Ensrud, John Connett
Project title: Evaluation of left bundle branch area pacing as a rescue strategy for cardiac resynchronization therapy non-response in patients with heart failure: A randomized controlled pilot study
Brooke Cunningham, MD, PhD
Primary mentor: Diana Burgess
Additional mentors: Kola Okuyemi, Todd Rockwood, Richard Lee, Jim Hodges
Project title: Health Equity Climate: Survey Development
Naomi Duke, MD, MPH
Primary mentor: Michael Resnick
Additional mentor: Barbara McMorris
Project title: Identifying Mechanisms for Health Disparities: Exploring the Impact of Youth Survival Expectations on Future Health
Bernadette Gillick, PhD, MS, PT
Primary mentor: Kelvin Lim
Additional mentor: Lei Zheng
Project title: Safety of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Pediatric Hemiparesisurrent Stimulation in Pediatric Hempiaresis
David Haynes II, PhD, MS
Institute for Health Informatics
Primary Mentor: Anne Joseph
Additional Mentors: Tim Beebe, Adams Dudley, Constantin Aliferis, Sisi Ma
Project Title: Understanding Cancer Disparities at the Local Level
Guatam Jha, MBBS, MS
Primary mentor: Jeffrey Miller
Additional mentor: Bardinath Konety, Bevan Yueh, and Chap Le
Project title: Potentiation of Cetuximab by Tregs Depletion With Metronomic Cyclophosphamide in Metastatic Squamous Cell Cancers of Head and Neck
Anne Marie Leuck, MD
Primary mentor: Gary Dunny
Additional mentor: Wiehua Guan
Project title: The role of rifampin in treatment of left ventricular assist device driveline functions
Stephanie Misono, MD, MPH
Primary mentor: Patricia Frazier
Additional mentor: Dipankar Bandyopadhyay
Project title: Development of Online Intervention for Distressed Voice-Disordered Patients
Nakita Natala, MD
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Mentors: Suma Jacob, Ann Brearley
Project Title: Designing a digital developmental screening package for Autism and related neurodevelopmental disorders in Ghana
Hai Dang Nguyen, PhD
Department of Pharmacology
Mentors: David Largaespada, Lin Zhang
Project Title: Targeting R-loop regulation in myelodysplastic syndromes
Ronald Ordinola Zapata, DDS, MS, PhD
Department of Endodontics
Mentors: Alex Fok, Weihua Guan
Project title: Optimization of root canal therapy through the use of minimally invasive procedures
Radha Rajasingham, MD
Primary mentor: David Boulware
Additional mentor: John Connett and Kathy Huppler-Hullsiek
Project title: Integration of Cryptococcal Antigen Screening into routine HIV care in Uganda
Scott Reule, MD
Primary mentor: Robert Foley
Additional mentors: Areef Ishani, David Gilbertson
Project title: Outcomes and Risk Prediction After Provider Switch
Erica Schorr, PhD, BSBA, RN
Primary mentor: Ruth Lindquist
Additional mentor: David Vock
Project title: Utilizing Wearable Technology to Monitor Physical Activity and Sleep After Coronary Revascularization
Rebecca Shlafer, PhD
Primary mentor: Michael Resnick
Additional mentor: Wendy Hellerstedt
Project title: Nutritional Status and Unmet Needs among Incarcerated Women of Reproductive Age
Glenn E. Simmons Jr., PhD
Department of Medicine, UMD
Primary mentor: Peter Bitterman
Additional mentors: Ashley Petersen
Project title: Development of a novel lung cancer screening assay for high-risk patient populations
Stefani Thomas, PhD
Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology
Primary Mentor: Reuben Harris
Additional Mentors: Rachel Vogel, Weihua Guan
Project Title: Proteome-level predictors of improved response to PARP inhibitor therapy in ovarian cancer
Lucie Turcotte, MD
Primary mentor: Mike Verneris
Additional mentor: Xianghua Luo
Project title: The Role of the Immune System in Development of Cardiometabolic Syndrome Among Survivors of Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation
Michael Usher, MD, PhD
Primary mentor: Anne Joseph
Additional mentor: Weihua Guan
Project title: Health Outcomes of Inter-hospital Transfers: Improving Health Care Delivery at the Local and National Level
Byron Vaughn, MD
Primary mentor: Alexander Khoruts
Additional mentor: Kyle Rudser
Project title: A Pilot Study to Characterize Bile Acid Metabolism and Dysbiosis in Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis and Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Saydra Wilson, MD
Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Mentors: Alik Wedge, John Connett
Project title: Feasibility of Closed-loop Phase-locked TMS
Beshay Zordoky, PhD
Primary mentor: Pamala Jacobson
Additional mentor: Haitao Chu
Project title: Preclinical Model of Juvenile Doxorubicin-induced Cardiotoxicity