MEMORANDUM

TO:        College of Medicine Faculty

FROM:   Teresa M. Reyes, PhD

                Senior Associate Dean of Basic and Translational Research

                Brett M. Kissela, MD, MS

                Senior Associate Dean for Clinical Research

DATE:   July 29, 2025

RE:      Gallery of Awardees

The CoM Office of Research understands the challenges of successfully competing for funding to support faculty research programs. We publicize those faculty who have been awarded external grants of $100,000/yr. or more in direct costs in a Gallery of Awardees. The Gallery is displayed in the CARE/Crawley Atrium and electronic posters will be posted on CoM digital signage.

Please note that it may take 2-3 months before the Gallery of Awardees recognizes new awards due to the processing of data.

Researchers currently featured are:

Konstantinos Drosatos, MSc, PhD, Professor

Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neurobiology

Award: National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute R01

Project Title: Role of GLUT1 in Diabetic Cardiomyopathy

Project Period: 5/1/2025-2/28/2029

Summary: Diabetes will affect 10% of the global population by 2040. Heart failure is one of the major complications of diabetes that increase death rate. Researchers discovered that a protein which transfers blood sugar in the heart is critical for heart failure and will now study how this occurs, and how to block it for improving heart function and survival.

Amy T. Makley, MD, Associate Professor

Department of Surgery

Award: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Award 

Project Title: Optimization of Beta-lactam Dosing in Critically Ill Patients with Suspected or Documented Antimicrobial Resistant Gram-Negative Infections with Cystatin C (OPTIMIZE-GNI) 

Project Period: 4/15/2023-11/30/2026

Summary: The overall intent of this study is to compare the abilities of CysC and CysC-based eGFR equations to characterize the PK profiles of meropenem and cefepime relative to SCR, SCREs, and iohexol in critically ill patients with suspected or documented AMR Gram-negative infections.

Fabiano G. Nery, MD, PhD, Associate Professor 

Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience

Award: National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health R01

Project Title: Prefrontal Glutamatergic Modulation by N-Acetyl-Cysteine and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression in Youth at High Risk for Bipolar Disorder 

Project Period: 4/17/2025-3/31/2030

Summary: The results of this study are anticipated to provide novel evidence that NAC and MBCT have antidepressant effects that are additive or potentially synergistic, neurophysiology substrates underlying treatment response, and will explore the potential role of oxidative stress and inflammation in treatment response. Together, such results would provide a strong empirical foundation in support of future trials to further evaluate these interventions as early treatment alternatives for this high-risk population.

Katherine Rose Sabourin, PhD, Assistant Professor

Department of Environmental and Public Health Sciences

Award: National Cancer Institute Award

Project Title: Effects of the Oral Environment on KSHV Shedding in Ugandan Adults Living with HIV 

Project Period: 2/1/2025-1/31/2030

Summary: Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS) is caused by KSHV, a virus shed in the saliva and common in sub-Saharan Africa, especially among people living with HIV. This large longitudinal study aims to assess the effects of oral health, the oral environment, and the oral microbiome on KSHV reactivation and shedding in rural Kenyan adults living with HIV before KS development. 

Simin Zhang, MD, Assistant Professor

Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Immunology

Award: American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology

2025 Faculty Development Award 

Project Title: Effect of Complement Proteins on Mast Cells and Fibroblasts in Eosinophilic Esophagitis

Project Period: 7/1/2025-6/30/202

Summary: The overall goal of this research is to identify the mechanisms of esophageal mast cell and complement activation and its contribution to fibrosis. The research objective is to test the central hypothesis is that eosinophilic esophagitis pathogenesis is mediated by the interplay of activated mast cells and fibroblasts via C3a and KITLG.