K-R01 Transition to Independence Program

Jason Baker, MD, MS

Primary mentor: James Neaton, PhD
Project title: The coagulopathy of HIV infection 

Melena Bellin, MD

Primary mentor: Antoinette Moran
Additional mentor: James Hodges
Project title: Assessing beta cell loss and islet engraftment after islet autotransplantation

Maneesh Bhargava, MD

Primary mentor: Christine Wendt
Additional mentor: Baolin Wu
Project title: Biomarkers to predict outcomes in acute respiratory distress syndrome

Antonella Borgatti, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVIM, Dipl. ECVIM-CA

College of Veterinary Medicine
Mentors: Bruce Walcheck, Jaime F. Modiano, Joseph S. Koopmeiners
Project title: Utilizing antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity by natural killer cells as a treatment strategy for canine B-cell malignancies

Kristina Burrack, PhD

Department of Medicine/Hennepin Healthcare
Mentors: Jeff Miller, Paul Bohjanen, Marissa Macchietto
Project title: Investigating IL-10-producing natural killer cells and their immune-modulatory functions

Jazmin Camchong, PhD

Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Mentors: Kelvin Lim, Mark Fiecas
Project title: Longitudinal trajectory of neuromodulation and cognitive training effects in alcohol use disorder

Cari Clark, ScD

Primary mentor: Mary Jo Kreitzer
Additional mentor: John Connett
Project title: Impact of yoga on violence survivor's mental and cardio metabolic health: A feasibility study of a cluster randomized trial 

Kathryn Cullen, MD

Primary mentor: Kelvin O. Lim
Additional mentor: Lynn Eberly
Project title: Intravenous ketamine in adolescent treatment-resistant depression: Efficacy and brain mechanisms

Jose Debes, MD, MS

Department of Medicine
Mentors: David Boulware, Joseph Koopmeiners
Project title: Detection of viral hepatitis-related liver cancer by immune profiling

Casey Dorr, PhD

Department of Medicine/Hennepin Healthcare
Mentors: Ajay Israni, Baolin Wu
Project title: Molecular and Cellular Analysis of Kidney Transplant Biopsies

Paul Drawz, MD

Primary mentor: Hassan Ibrahim
Additional mentor: Kyle Rudser
Project title: Treatment of masked hypertension 

Allyson Hart, MD, MS

Mentors: Ajay Israni, John Connett
Project title: Decision support needs for African American kidney transplant candidates

Sarah Hoffman, PhD, MPH, MSN, RN

School of Nursing
Mentors: Jayne Fulkerson, John Connett, Abigail Gewirtz
Project title: A family mindfulness intervention for war-affected families: Feasibility of a CBPR approach and the contextual adaptation of an evidence-based intervention addressing intergenerational trauma

Casey P. Johnson, PhD

Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences
Mentors: Cathy S. Carlson, Baolin Wu, Gregory Metzger
Project title: Advanced quantitative MRI methods for early detection and monitoring of avascular necrosis of the femoral head

Amanda Klein, MS, PhD

Department of Pharmacy Practice and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Duluth
Mentors: Donald Simone, Carolyn Fairbanks, John Connett
Project title: KATP channel prodrugs as therapeutics for chronic pain and substance abuse disorders

Theresa Laguna, MD, MSCS

Primary mentor: Christine Wendt
Additional mentor: Cavan Reilly
Project title: Biomarkers of injury and destruction in the cystic fibrosis lung 

Katie Loth, PhD, MPH

Department of Family Medicine and Community Health
Mentors: Jerica Berge, Jayne Fulkerson, James S. Hodges
Project title: Exploring the momentary mechanisms of a broad range of food-related parenting practices among racially/ethnically and socioeconomically diverse parent-child dyads.

Melanie Nicol, PharmD, PhD

Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology
Mentors: Paul R. Bohjanen, James S. Hodges
Project title: The role of inflammation in antiretroviral concentrations in genital and central nervous system compartments

Julie Ostrander, PhD

Primary mentor: Douglas Yee
Additional mentor: Chap Le
Project title: PELP1 localization as a biomarker for early mammary carcinogenesis and response to chemoprevention

Lynda Polgreen, MD, MS

Primary mentor: Chester Whitley
Additional mentor: William Thomas
Project title: Cross-sectional study of associations of osteocalcin with obesity, insulin resistance, adipokines and inflammation in the mucopolysaccharidoses 

Alexa Pragman, MD, PhD

Department of Medicine
Mentors: Chris Wendt, Cavan Reilly
Project title: Chronic respiratory symptoms and microbiota alterations following high-risk exposures

Karina Quevedo, PhD

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

Elizabeth Rogers, MD, MAS

Department of Medicine and Pediatrics
Mentors: Anne Joseph, John Connett, David Eton
Project title: Treatment burden, engagement in care, and glycemic control in low-income patients with diabetes

Zohar Sachs, MD, PhD

Mentors: David Largaespada, Karen Sachs
Project title: Immunoproteasome inhibition to target AML stem cells

Chetan Shenoy, MBBS, MS

Department of Medicine
Mentors: Russell Luepker, John Connett
Project title: Integrative phenotyping for risk stratification in cardiac sarcoidosis

Kristine Talley, PhD, RN, GNP-BC

Primary mentor: Jean F. Wyman
Additional mentor: James Neaton
Project title: Preventing toileting disability in frail older women

Deanna Teoh, MD

Mentors: Shalini Kulasingam, Rachel Isaksson Vogel
Project title: Optimizing harms and benefits of cervical cancer screening for HPV-vaccinated women: Screening test performance and acceptability of reduced screening

Ferenc Toth, DVM, PhD, DACVS

College of Veterinary Medicine
Mentors: Cathy Carlson, Aaron Rendahl, Brenda Ogle
Project title: Facilitated repair of focal cartilage defects using 3d bioprinted scaffolds seeded with human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived chondrocytes

Beshay Zordoky, MSc, PhD

Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology
Mentors: Pamala Jacobson, Alessandro Bartolomucci, Kendall Wallace, Esam El Fakahany, Haitao Chu
Project title: Hypertension exacerbates doxorubicin-induced vascular aging