Highlighted Grant Recipients and Recognitions

Cultivating new and existing sources of funding allow Georgetown University Medical Center researchers to continue to push the boundaries of science to improve human health and serve society.

Recent Grant Recipients

2024

Department of Energy, “Exploring T Cell Functional Dynamics Following Low-Dose Radiation Exposure: Insights Into Metabolic and Other Regulatory Alterations Using a Multi-omics Systems Biology Approach”: Al Fornace (DE-SC0025474)

National Cancer Institute, “Training Grant in Tumor Biology”: Chunling Yi (T32CA009686)

National Institute on Aging, “A Multidisciplinary Study of Alzheimer’s Disease Risk Factors in Blacks/African Americans Living with HIV”: Xiong Jiang (R56AG089864)

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, “Role of proBNDF and p75NTR in HIV-mediated Axonal/Dendritic Degeneration”: Italo Mocchetti (R01NS079172)

National Institute on Aging, “Sex-dependent Aging Mechanisms of Retina and Visual Cortex” Nady Golestaneh (R21AG086982)

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, “Time-Dependent Changes in Chloride Homeostasis are a Mechanism of Plasticity Critical for Learning”: Joyce Woo (F99NS139517)

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, “Dysregulated AB in HAND: The Role of GP120 Induced Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress”: Christy Agbey (F31NS136032)

Department of Defense, “Optimizing Anti-PD1-Based Therapy in Metastatic RCC”: Michael Atkins (HT94252410967)

National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, “A Novel Murine Model of 2-Hydroxyglutaric Aciduria”: Maria Avantaggiati (R03TR004871)

National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, “A Low Cost Approach for Imaging Calcium Signals From a Large Population of Neurons”: Jian-Young Wu (R03EB036182)

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, “Predoctoral Training in Integrative Neuroscience”: Ludise Malkova and Ashley VanMeter (T32NS041231)

National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, “Investigating Functional Changes to the Visual Word Form System in Post-Stroke Alexia”: Sara Dyslin (F31DC022513)

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, “The Proinflammatory Functions of Granzymes and Their Impact on Endothelial Inflammation/Injury”: Marta Catalfamo (R21AI186960)

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, “Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 Controls Trans-Synaptic Homeostatic Plasticity in Drosophila”: Yimei Cai (F31NS139658)

National Institute of Mental Health, “Functional Mapping of Chd1-dependent Signaling Network in Synaptic Homeostasis”: Tingting Wang (R01MH134978)

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, “Developing Woodchucks Susceptible to Hepatitis B Virus Infection by Modifying the Virus or Host”: Stephan Menne (RO1AI183788)

National Cancer Institute, “3D Bioengineered Microfluidic Platform for Research on Ewing Sarcoma Bone Metastasis”: Joanna Kitlinska (1R21CA294025)

National Cancer Institute, “Promoting Activated Natural Killer (NK) Cell Accumulation in Pancreatic Cancer”: Alexander Lekan (F30CA294875)

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, “To Support Developing Clear Findings and Recommendations for Building Trusted Relationships With Faith Leaders to Advance Global Public Health Priorities”: Oliver Johnson

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, “Targeted Cortical Circuit Manipulation in Parkinson’s Disease”: Hong-Yuan Chu (R21NS135545)

National Cancer Institute, “Molecular Mechanism of INAFM2 in Metastasis”: Anna Molotkova (F30CA287917)

Department of Defense, “Targeting Ovarian Stromal Cell Senescence to Mitigate IR-Induced Transgenerational Gastrointestinal Cancer Risk”: Shubhankar Suman (HT9425-24-1-0450)

Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, “Understanding Novel mRNA Splicing in Ewing Sarcoma”: Jeffrey Toretsky

2024 Hyundai Scholar Young Investigator, “Mechanism of EWS:FLI1 Mediated Cellular Transformation”: Aykut Üren

National Institute on Aging, “Pipeline in Aging Research Career Training”: Jan Blancato (R25AG086122)

National Cancer Institute, “Identification of BAIAP2 and CDC42 as Potential Therapeutic Targets in SHH Medulloblastoma”: Luz Clarita Ruiz (F31CA291046)

Miami Heart Research Institute, “Restoration of Heart Function by Targeting Remodeling Pathways in the Ischemic and Stressed Heart”: Nanette Bishopric

National Cancer Institute, “Molecular Mechanism of INAFM2 in Metastasis”: Anna Molotkova (1F30CA287917)

National Institute of Neurologic Disorders and Stroke, “Regulation and Functions of CREB in Anticipatory Synapses of Hippocampal Neurons”: Daniel Pak (R21NS136976)

Gilead, “National Capital Region Coalition to Enhance Clinical Trial Access Equity”: Chiranjeev Dash

National Cancer Institute, “Novel functions of ESRRB in Glioblastoma”: Rebecca Riggins (R01CA279195)

Department of Defense, “Targeting Cellular Senescence to Prevent Post-Traumatic Epilepsy”: Patrick Forcelli (HT9425-24-1-0139)

Prevention of Blindness Society, “Investigating the Sex-Dependent Mechanisms of Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Lipid Metabolism in Age-related Macular Degeneration”: Nady Golestaneh

American Cancer Society, “Diversity in Cancer Research Training”: Rebecca Riggins

American Cancer Society, “Institutional Research Grant”: Rebecca Riggins

National Head Start Association, “Mental Health Support Services Certification created for Head Start staff”: Neal Horen

DC Center for AIDS Research, “Optimizing lung cancer control strategies for people with HIV”: Randi Williams

NIHCM Foundation, “Pharmanipulation: Battling Industry Information With Independent Evidence”: Adriane Fugh-Berman

2023

NASA, “Senescent Cell Targeting to Alleviate Space Radiation-Induced Neuroinflammation”: Shubhankar Suman (80NSSC24K0287)

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, “Exploring Hepatitis B Virus PreCore Gene Functions in Woodchucks”: Stephan Menne (R21AI175472-01A1)

Alex’s Lemonade Stand, “Drug Resistance Mechanisms in Rhabdomyosarcoma”: Jeffrey Toretsky

ALS Association, “Improving Palliative Care Teamwork in ALS: IMPACT-ALS”: Michelle Milic

Hyundai Hope on Wheels, “In Support of Pediatric Cancer Research”: Jeff Toretsky

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, “Rac1 Inhibition for the Treatment of Medulloblastoma”: Nagi Ayad (R21NS135506)

U.S. Department of Education, “Graduate Education of Related Service Providers at Georgetown University in Early Intervention: A Washington Area Consortium”: Toby Long (H325R230053)

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Sustaining Capacity of Local Organizations to Reach and End HlV/AlDS Pandemic (SCORE)”: Deus Bazira (NU2GGH002503)

E.L. Weigand Foundation, “General Skills Suite and Advanced Critical Skills Suite Upgrades”: Roberta Waite

National Cancer Institute, “Longitudinal Assessment of Benefits and Harms of Cannabis use Among Community-Based Cancer Patients During Initial Cancer Treatment” Arnold Potosky (U01CA286821)

Laura and John Arnold Foundation, “What Needs to Change at the FDA”: Adriane Fugh-Berman

National Cancer Institute, “p27pTpT Drives Cancer-Promoting Inflammation and Shapes the Tumor Microenvironment (TME) Toward a More Tumor-Permissive State In Vivo”: SeyedehFatemeh Razavipour (F99CA284295)

National Cancer Institute, “Social Determinants of Health as Transducers of Cellular Aging: A New Multi-level Paradigm to Reduce Survivorship Disparities at the Intersection of Cancer and Aging”: Jeanne Mandelblatt (R35CA283926)

National Institute of General Medical Sciences, “Regulatory Mechanisms Linking Spatial Gene Control and Genome Organization”: Sreejith Nair (R35GM150636)

Children’s Cancer Foundation, “In Vivo Validation of Thymosin Beta 4 to Enhance Treatment of Medulloblastoma”: Christopher Albanese

Children’s Cancer Foundation, “Synthetic Lethal Approaches to Treatment of AYA FA Gene Mutant Head and Neck Cancer”: Gary Kupfer

Children’s Cancer Foundation, “Pax3-Foxol Molecular Mechanisms”: Aykut Uren

National Institutes of Health, “GUMC Zebrafish Shared Resource Aquatic Habitat Modernization Project”: Eric Glasgow (R24OD035428)

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, “Dynamics of HDV RNA Synthesis”: John Casey (R21AI175717)

Health Resources and Services Administration, “Nurse Faculty Loan Program”: Ella Heitzler (E0128791)

National Cancer Institute, “Targeting RAGE in Tumor and TME to Oppose Inflammation and Drug Resistance in Obesity Associated ER+ Breast Cancer”: Barry Hudson (R01CA276587)

Parkinson’s Foundation, “Evaluating Pedunculopontine Connections with the Basal Ganglia in a Mouse Model of PD Cholinopathy”: Rebekah Evans

Astra Zeneca, “Elucidating the Role of Matriptase in Regulation of TROP2 Biology in Normal and Cancer Cells”: Chen-Yong Lin

Metavivor, “Application of a Novel Ruthenium-Based Anticancer Therapy in ER+ Metastatic Breast Cancer”: Ayesha Shajahan-Haq

Health Resources and Services Administration, “Nurse Anesthetist Traineeships”: Carrie Bowman Dalley (A2233096)

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, “National Center of Excellence for Infant and Childhood Mental Health Consultation”: Neal Horan (H79SM082070)

Brain Research Foundation, “In Vivo and Ex Vivo Dissection of Midbrain Neuron Activity During Exercise”: Rebekah Evans

National Institute of Mental Health, “The Neural Mechanisms Underlying Categorical Decision-Making”: Noah Steinberg and Max Riesenhuber (F30MH134507)

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, “Basal Ganglia – Brainstem Networks in the Control of Seizures”: Patrick Forcelli (R01NS097762)

Conquer Cancer, “A Phase II Study of MGC018 in Patients with Relapsed and Refractory Extensive-Stage Small-Cell Lung Cancer (ES-SCLC)”: Jacob Zaemes

National Institute on Aging “Characterizing Entorhinal Cortex Circuit Dysfunction in an APOE Mouse Model of Chemotherapy-Induced Cognitive Impairment”: Nancy Luo (F30AG092448)

National Cancer Institute, “The FYI on MRI: A Multilevel Decision Support Intervention for Screening Breast MRI”: Claire Conley (K08CA270402)

National Institute of Mental Health, “Characterizing the functional heterogeneity of the mouse paralaminar nucleus”: David Saxon (1F30MH133305-01)

U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity, “Genomics and Biophysical Strategies to Overcome Cisplatin Resistance in Ovarian Cancer”: Sreejith Nair (HT94252310265)

The New York Academy of Medicine David E. Rogers Fellowship, “The Two Faces of Estrogen: Estrone vs. Estradiol as They Relate to Obesity, Inflammation, and Breast and Endometrial Cancer Risk”: Maiko Sho

National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, “Brain Networks for Reading in Stroke Alexia and Typical Aging”: Peter Turkeltaub and Rhonda Friedman (R01DC02044)

National Cancer Institute, “Providing Tobacco Treatment to Patients Undergoing Lung Cancer Screening at MedStar Health: A Randomized Trial”: Kathryn Taylor (R01CA274716)

National Eye Institute, “Variability of Brain Reorganization in Blindness”: Ella Striem-Amit (R01EY034515)

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, “Dissecting Functional Subgroups and Closed-Loop Circuits Between the Pedunculopontine Nucleus and the Basal Ganglia”: Michel Fallah (F30NS132399)

National Cancer Institute, “Thyroid Cancer Research”: Alaina L Carr (K99CA277588)

Applied Sport Psychology, “PAIRADIME Project”: Keri Kirk

National Cancer Institute, “The CCK-B receptor signaling pathway as a driver of pancreatic cellular plasticity and Carcinogenesis”: Jill Smith

National Cancer Institute, “The Role of Histidine Phosphorylation in the DNA Alkylation Damage Response”: Huadong Pei

Zero to Three, “Early Childhood Health Promotion System for High Need Program”: Neal Horen

NASA, “Alterations in Energy Metabolism Pathways in Skeletal Muscle in Relation to Microgravity Analog and Space Radiation”: Evagelia Laiakis

Target ALS, “Modernization of Neuropathology”: Brent Harris

Page updated 11/5/24