Previous Pilot Funding Awardees
2020-2021 Pilot Grant Awardees
Liyen Loh, PhD
Immunology and Microbiology
Role of innate mucosal-associated invariant T cells (MAIT) in a new spontaneous mouse model of colitis
Jennifer Honda, PhD
Immunology & Genomics Medicine
Impact of gastric fluid acidity on nontuberculous mycobacteria and infection of airway immune cells
Tuoqi Wu, PhD
Immunology and Microbiology
The Effect of Aging on the Antiviral Immune Response in the Liver during Viral Hepatitis
Kasey Couts, PhD
Medical Oncology
Investigating the role of the gut and tumor microbiomes in anorectal mucosal melanomas
2019-2020 Pilot Grant Awardees
Cara Mack, MD
Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition
The crosstalk of activated neutrophils and stellate cells in biliary atresia
Joseph Onyiah, PhD
Gastroenterology and Hepatology
Exposition of Homeostatic Mucosal Signaling Orchestrated by Heme Oxygenase-1 Induction
Preston Neff, PhD
Allergy and Clinical Immunology
Identifying Inflammatory Peptidogylcans Associated with HIV Infections
Michael Verneris, MD
Pediatric Hematology and Oncology
Bone marrow transplant for the treatment of murine models of Crohn's disease: investigating efficacy and effects on tissue-resident cells
Keith Neeves, PhD
Bioengineering and Pediatrics
Magnetically powered microbots for delivery of anti-inflammatory agents to inflammatory bowel syndrome cells
2018-2019 Pilot Grant Awardees
Anesthesiology
The role of Muc5ac in the injured intestine
Matt Burchill, PhD
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Immunoglobulin expression by liver lymphatic endothelial cells: red herring or functional regulator?
Joaquin Espinosa, PhD
Pharmacology
Role of Interferon Hyperactivity in the Etiology of Celiac Disease in Down Syndrome
Natalie Serkova, MSc, PhD
Radiology
Non-Invasive Imaging of GI Inflammation and Cancer
2017-2018 Pilot Grant Awardees
Pediatric Gastroenterology
Is There a Specific Microglial Cell Counterpart in the Enteric Nervous System?
Melanie Cree Green, MD, PhD
Pediatric Endocrinology
Do alterations in testorone concentrations mediate improvements in insulin sensitivity and hepatic health via microbiota taxa abundance changes?
Katharina Hopp, PhD
Renal Diseases and Hypertension
Investigating the role of complement in Polcystic Liver Disease
Martin McCarter, MD
Surgical Oncology
Determining the role of mucosal-associated invariant T cells in gut microbiome-dependant clinical responses to anti-PD1 therapy in melanoma patients.
Minghua Tang, PhD
Pediatric Nutrition
Elucidating the role of iron on the gut microbiome in relation to mucosal immunity
2016-2017 Pilot Grant Awardees
Ed de Zoeten, MD, PhDPediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
Addressing the Immune Functions of Heart Shock Factor (HSF1)
Peter Dempsey, PhD
Pediatric Development Biology
Effect of intestinal inflammation on Paneth cell function and reversion
Kristine Erlandson, MS, MS
Infections Diseases
The Impact of HIV and Inflammation on the Gut Microbiome and Older Adults
Blair Fennimore, MD
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Delineating the importance of intestinal neutrophils in shaping inflammatory crosstalk between the liver and intestine
Dan Kao, MD, PhD
Gastroenterology and Hepatology
The role of luminal adenosine in the homeostatis of the intestinal microbiota
Eric Pietras, PhD
Hematology
Control of blood system function via gut-hematopoietic stem cell signaling axis
Shika Sundararm, MD, MSCI
Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
Chronic intermittent hypoxia and exosomes in pediatric non-alcoholicy fatty liver disease
Clyde Wright, MD
Pediatric Neonatology
Role of hepatic IκBβ-mediated sustained NFκB activation in neonatal lung injury and abnormal development