Donors: Dr. Larry and Renee Allen

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Larry and Renee Allen are proud to support the inaugural DOM Scholar award in the Division of Cardiology. Larry grew up in Morrison and Renee spent her childhood visiting Colorado from St. Louis. After meeting in the Peace Corps and completing their medical training on the East Coast, they returned to Denver in 2008. Larry has since become the Division Head of Cardiology and sees the DOM Scholars Program as a meaningful way to give back and invest in the next generation of cardiovascular researchers.

Scholar: Caitlin Bell, MD

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Caitlin Bell, MD is a cardiologist and physician-scientist specializing in cardio-oncology. A Denver native and Boettcher Scholar, she completed medical school at Vanderbilt and postdoctoral training at Stanford, where she investigated the biological overlap between cancer and cardiovascular disease. Now at the University of Colorado, she leads a basic and translational research program focused on improving outcomes for cancer patients and survivors through novel insights into cardio-immunology.

Scholar: Ronald Vagnozzi, PhD

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Ronald J. Vagnozzi, PhD is an Assistant Professor in Cardiology and an expert in cardiac macrophage biology. Originally from Philadelphia, he completed his Ph.D. studying cardiac stem cells and inflammation, revealing that immune responses, especially macrophages, are key to cardiac repair. His lab investigates how specific macrophage populations regulate heart healing and fibrosis, aiming to develop immune-based therapies for heart disease. His research has received prestigious awards including the Melvin L. Marcus Early Career Investigator Award.

How the funds are being used:

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Dr. Bell and Dr. Vagnozzi’s DOM Scholars project supports collaborative work using the MarketScan insurance claims database to identify novel immune pathways in cardiovascular disease. With these shared funds, they will partner with ACCORDS for statistical analysis and conduct in vitro experiments testing a curated set of anti-inflammatory compounds, advancing potential drug repurposing and therapeutic development in cardio-immunology.

Year 1 Update: Dr. Bell and Dr. Vagnozzi have nearly completed their MarketScan database analysis in collaboration with ACCORDS, identifying differences in cardiac risk among certain anti-inflammatory agents compared with anti-TNFα inhibitors. The team is preparing these findings for manuscript submission and completing final sensitivity analyses.

The team has also screened the top 20 compounds identified through their RNA database analysis for cellular toxicity and has begun testing promising compounds to confirm their predicted effects. Approximately 10 compounds have been tested to date, with screening expected to be completed within the next three months. The results will help prioritize compounds for future in vivo studies and provide preliminary data for grant submissions. This work has also supported research training for a graduate student and summer undergraduate research scholar.

Donors: Drs. Whitney and David Goldner

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Drs. Whitney and David Goldner established the Goldner Family DOM Scholar in Endocrinology in recognition of their family’s longstanding commitment to medicine, scientific discovery, and patient care. Both faculty members in the CU Anschutz Department of Medicine, they were inspired by the example set by their fathers — an oral surgeon and a neurologist whose guidance, mentorship, and dedication to medicine shaped their careers and values.

Their support of the DOM Scholarship fund reflects a desire to “pay it forward” by investing in the next generation of physicians, scientists, and innovators advancing the future of medicine.

Scholar: Rebecca Schweppe, PhD

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Dr. Rebecca Schweppe, Professor in the CU Anschutz Division of Endocrinology, is a nationally recognized researcher focused on understanding the molecular mechanisms that drive thyroid cancer growth and progression. Her work explores innovative approaches to better understand cancer biology and identify potential therapeutic targets for patients with thyroid cancer.

How funds are being used:

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Funds from the Goldner Scholarship will support research investigating how Focal Adhesion Kinase (FAK) regulates nucleolar functions in thyroid cancer cells, including ribosome biogenesis and translational reprogramming. This work aims to better understand how these cellular processes contribute to thyroid cancer growth and survival and could help identify new strategies for targeted cancer therapies.

Donor: Dr. Jennifer Christie and family

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Dr. Jennifer Christie, Division Director for Gastroenterology and Hepatology, and her husband, Anthony Gee, established their support for the DOM Scholar program out of a shared commitment to investing in people, advancing careers, and supporting the future of academic medicine. Throughout their successful careers, they have balanced professional achievement with raising their three children — Kai, Khari, and Caron — in true partnership.

Their gift reflects a belief in empowering physicians, researchers, entrepreneurs, and emerging leaders to pursue innovative ideas, meaningful mentorship, and impactful discoveries. They are confident that Dr. Benjamin Click will use this support to advance research and improve clinical outcomes for patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

Scholar: Benjamin Click, MD

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Dr. Benjamin Click is an Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. He earned his medical degree from the University of Virginia, completed internal medicine and gastroenterology training at UPMC in Pittsburgh, and previously served as a Staff Gastroenterologist at the Cleveland Clinic. His clinical practice focuses on inflammatory bowel diseases, and his research explores large-scale data analysis, predictive modeling, and value-based healthcare in IBD.

Learn more about Dr. Click here

How the funds are being used:

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The funds will support preoperative imaging data collection and the use of advanced statistical methods and imaging analytics in a large, multi-center operative Crohn’s disease database.

Year 1 Update: Dr. Click and his team have finalized the data collection variables and analysis plan and updated their REDCap project accordingly. All five participating sites have completed updated patient cohort searches, and data collection is ongoing.

The team is also finalizing an agreement with Cleveland Clinic to support analytics using the scholarship funds. They remain on pace to have data ready for analysis and abstract submission to DDW.

Donors: Dr. Sean Colgan and family

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Dr. Sean Colgan and his family have dedicated over 35 years to basic science and education. Inspired by a deep belief in giving back, the Colgan Family Scholar Award reflects their commitment to supporting early-career researchers who will advance knowledge and help others in need.

Scholar: Alfredo Ornelas Sanchez, PhD

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Dr. Alfredo Ornelas-Sanchez was born in Mexico to a family of college professors, sparking his passion for academia early in life. He studied organic chemistry at the University of Texas at El Paso, where he developed expertise in interdisciplinary research ranging from biomaterials to antifungal compounds. For his postdoctoral training, he joined Dr. Colgan’s lab at the University of Colorado, shifting his focus toward mucosal biology. Now an Assistant Professor, Dr. Ornelas-Sanchez develops novel compounds for targeted protein degradation to treat mucosal inflammation, with funding from the NIH and Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation.

How funds are being used:

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Dr. Ornelas-Sanchez will use the DOM Scholar award to establish a state-of-the-art organic chemistry laboratory within the Department of Medicine. This lab will combine chemistry and biology research “in-house” to accelerate biomedical projects addressing inflammatory bowel disease and mucosal inflammation therapies.

Year 1 Update: Since receiving the Colgan Family Scholarship in summer 2025, Dr. Ornelas-Sanchez and his team have continued advancing research in targeted protein degradation and metabolite mimicry. This work has resulted in a manuscript in PNAS, two conference abstracts, and a research presentation at the Crohn’s and Colitis Congress. He is also preparing an invited review for Gut Microbes.

The scholarship has supported specialized equipment for chemical synthesis and partially funded the salary of a research assistant. Dr. Ornelas-Sanchez also secured an NIH K01 career development award and was recently selected as a Scholar in the Translational Research Scholars Program.

Donors: Jay and Sandra Mesinger

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Jay and Sandra Mesinger established their support of the DOM Scholars Program out of a shared commitment to service, giving, and improving the lives of others. Inspired by Dr. Edmundowicz’s dedication to patient care and advancing treatment for complex gastrointestinal diseases, their gift reflects a desire to give back and support the future of medicine through mentorship, innovation, and discovery.

Dr. Steven Edmundowicz, Professor of Medicine in the CU Anschutz Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, has dedicated his career to advancing patient care, innovation, research, and mentorship in gastroenterology. Over nearly four decades in academic medicine, he has trained countless residents, fellows, and junior faculty, many of whom now hold leadership roles across the field.

Scholar: Mohammad Bilal, MD, FACP, FACG, FASG

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Dr. Mohammad Bilal, Director of Endoscopy at CU Anschutz, is dedicated to advancing innovative, minimally invasive approaches for the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases. His work focuses on improving endoscopic techniques that preserve organs while enhancing outcomes and quality of life for patients with gastrointestinal neoplasia.

How funds are being used:

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Funds from this scholarship will help support research personnel assisting with studies focused on minimally invasive organ-preserving endoscopic resection techniques. The award will also support trainees involved in the research through scholarly and presentation opportunities. Ultimately, the project aims to establish a multicenter registry led by the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus to evaluate, refine, and improve endoscopic treatment approaches for patients with gastrointestinal neoplasia.

Donors: Drs. Cari Levy and Hillary Lum

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Dr. Cari Levy is Division Head of Geriatrics and a national leader in health services research to improve long-term care models and palliative care delivery to frail older adults. Dr. Hillary Lum is Associate Division Head of Geriatrics and a respected mentor in health services research. Together, Dr. Levy and Dr. Lum are highly invested in growing and supporting interdisciplinary health services researchers who can lead important research that improves the lives and well-being of older adults and those involved in supporting them.

Scholar: Kathryn Nearing, PhD

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Dr. Kathryn Nearing is an Associate Professor in Geriatric Medicine at CU Anschutz. She leads a National Institute on Aging-funded program to increase older adult participation in clinical trials by training Older Adult Research Specialists and hosting Research Roadshows across Colorado. Dr. Nearing also supports health equity initiatives and serves in key roles at the Rocky Mountain VA center focused on aging research and education.

Learn more about Dr. Nearing here

How funds are being used:

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Dr. Nearing will use the DOM Scholar award to cover tuition for the two-year Clinical Faculty Scholars Program. Her goal is to obtain extramural funding to expand the Older Adult Research Specialist training program nationally, enhancing inclusion and engagement of older adults in research.

Donors: Drs. Marisha Burden and Marc Voelkel

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Drs. Marisha Burden and Marc Voelkel proudly support the Division of Hospital Medicine through the Burden-Voelkel Family DOM Scholar Award. Both trained at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and share a commitment to advancing clinical care through research, especially in the historically underfunded field of hospital medicine. Their gift empowers physician-investigators like Dr. Singh to lead impactful research that elevates the division’s national leadership.

Scholar: Sarguni Singh, MD

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Dr. Sarguni Singh is an Associate Professor in Hospital Medicine at CU School of Medicine. Her research focuses on improving palliative care outcomes for older adults with serious illness and functional decline in acute and post-acute care. She has received funding from national organizations including the NIH and served as a Health and Aging Policy Fellow with the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance.

Learn more about Dr. Singh here

How the funds are being used:

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Dr. Singh’s project, “Post-Acute Care Outcomes and Immunotherapy Receipt of Older Adults with Advanced Cancer,” uses linked datasets to study clinical outcomes of hospitalized cancer patients discharged to skilled nursing facilities. The study will evaluate future immunotherapy receipt, healthcare utilization, hospice use, and pre-hospitalization risk factors, as well as the impact of payer type on outcomes.

Year 1 Update: Dr. Singh’s research has resulted in a completed SEER-Medicare analysis examining outcomes among older adults with advanced cancer following hospital discharge to skilled nursing facilities. The study found that patients discharged to skilled nursing facilities were substantially less likely to receive subsequent immunotherapy, experienced worse survival, and had high rates of health care utilization. Among patients who received immunotherapy after discharge, days spent at home were substantially greater without lower hospice use, highlighting opportunities to improve post-acute cancer care and support goal-concordant treatment decisions.

This work has been presented at the University of Colorado Palliative Care Research Day, and an abstract has been submitted to the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine Annual Assembly. A manuscript is currently in preparation. Findings are also informing future NIH grant applications focused on improving care transitions and palliative care delivery for older adults with advanced cancer following hospitalization.

Donors: Drs. Vineet Chopra and Palak Choksi

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Drs. Vineet Chopra and Palak Choksi are proud faculty leaders in the Department of Medicine, grateful for their CU community and inspired by the “promise of tomorrow.” Their gift supports exceptional junior faculty, helping them reach their full potential and advance academic medicine.

Scholar: Elizabeth Boggs, MD

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Dr. Elizabeth Boggs is an Internal Medicine–Pediatrics hospitalist and health services researcher at CU Anschutz. Her work examines how insurance-related policies affect healthcare access and outcomes for both parents and children, recognizing their health as deeply interconnected. She focuses on generating rigorous, policy-relevant evidence to guide family-centered health policies.

Learn more about Dr. Boggs here

How funds are being used:

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Dr. Boggs’ project, “Continuous Medicaid Eligibility and Postpartum Hospitalization: A Natural Experiment with Implications for Maternal Health Policy and Hospital Medicine,” will use Colorado All Payer Claims Data to assess how continuous postpartum Medicaid eligibility impacts acute care utilization in the year after delivery. Her goal is to ensure these findings inform policymakers and stakeholders to advance family health.

Year 1 Update: Dr. Boggs has successfully acquired and merged linked maternal and infant claims from the 2023 Colorado All-Payer Claims Database, completing the 2016–2023 analytic dataset with an over 80% match rate. She has completed descriptive statistics and primary analysis for all outcomes and is finalizing secondary analysis, with manuscript preparation underway.

The project has also generated interest from the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF), which is working with Dr. Boggs to better understand the impact of continuous postpartum Medicaid eligibility on maternal and infant health. Dr. Boggs is also building on this work through additional grant proposals focused on postpartum Medicaid extensions and maternal mental health outcomes.

Next steps include completing the remaining analysis, preparing and submitting an abstract to Health Services Research Day, submitting the first manuscript to Health Affairs, and meeting with HCPF to review the finalized findings.

Donor: Dr. David Cohn

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Dr. David Cohn devoted more than four decades to Denver Health and the University of Colorado School of Medicine, where he built a distinguished career in infectious diseases, public health, research, and education. His work included co-founding the ID/AIDS Clinic during the early years of the AIDS epidemic in Colorado, serving in leadership roles in public health, and contributing to global tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS initiatives through the World Health Organization and teaching programs across sub-Saharan Africa.

Throughout his career, Dr. Cohn credits collaboration, mentorship, and the support of talented colleagues as central to his accomplishments. His commitment to teaching, creating opportunities for others, and helping individuals reach their full potential inspired his support of the Scholars Program. For Dr. Cohn, investing in the next generation of physicians, researchers, and leaders is a meaningful way to continue giving back.

Scholar: Kellie L. Hawkins, MD, MPH

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Dr. Kellie Hawkins is committed to advancing equitable HIV care and improving outcomes for patients facing significant barriers to treatment adherence. Her work focuses on developing patient-centered approaches that improve access to care and support long-term health outcomes for people living with HIV.

How the funds are being used:

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Funds from this award will support a qualitative assessment of the components of low-barrier care that are most important to both patients and providers. The project will examine barriers, facilitators, and preferences related to long-acting antiretroviral therapy delivery for people with HIV who face adherence challenges and barriers to care. Findings from this work will help inform the development of an implementation plan for a combined low-barrier and long-acting antiretroviral therapy intervention aimed at improving care delivery and patient outcomes.

Donor: Dr. Michelle Barron

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Dr. Michelle Barron, Professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, is a strong advocate for advancing science, education, and the future of academic medicine. Throughout her career, she has benefited from the generosity and support of mentors and donors who helped create opportunities for her education and research endeavors.

Her support of the DOM Scholars program reflects a desire to pay that generosity forward by investing in the next generation of physician-scientists, educators, and leaders. Through this gift, Dr. Barron hopes to help foster innovation, discovery, and meaningful career development for emerging scholars.

Scholar: Szu-Wei Huang, PhD, MSc

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Dr. Szu-Wei Huang is a researcher focused on advancing the understanding of HIV biology and viral infection mechanisms through innovative molecular virology approaches. His work combines cutting-edge laboratory techniques with collaborative, multidisciplinary research aimed at improving scientific understanding of HIV replication and pathogenesis.

How the funds are being used:

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Funds from this scholarship will support the establishment of advanced electron microscopy techniques through collaboration with university core facilities. Using a multidisciplinary approach, Dr. Huang’s research will investigate the role of HIV-1 ribonucleoprotein complexes in virions and infected cells, with the goal of better understanding how interactions between HIV-1 ribonucleoprotein complexes and the viral capsid influence infection and nuclear import of viral cores.

Donors: Drs. Michael and Mimi Glodé

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Drs. Michael and Mimi Glodé, longtime CU faculty members, dedicated their careers to academic medicine after joining the School of Medicine in 1978. Grateful for the mentoring and philanthropic support they received, they now take great pride in supporting the next generation of CU faculty scholars.

Scholar: Laura Graham, MD 

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Dr. Laura Graham is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Medical Oncology specializing in genitourinary cancers. A recipient of multiple early-career awards, including the ASCO Young Investigator Award and the Paul Calabresi Career Development Award, she leads clinical and translational research focused on novel therapeutics and biomarker development in prostate cancer. She also serves on the NCCN Testicular Cancer Guideline Panel.

Learn more about Dr. Graham here

How the funds are being used:

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Dr. Graham will collaborate with the Flaig Lab on preclinical drug development targeting therapy-resistant prostate cancer. Using cell models of both testosterone-sensitive and -resistant disease, her team will refine an in vivo model of high-dose testosterone delivery and evaluate promising drug candidates. These studies aim to inform future clinical trials and expand treatment options for patients.

Year 1 Update: Research supported by the Glodé Family Scholarship has contributed to the development of an investigator-initiated clinical trial, T-REX: Testosterone and Redirected Effector Cells, with support from Johnson & Johnson. The protocol is currently in development, with the trial anticipated to open in approximately six months.

Dr. Graham was also selected as a finalist for the Prostate Cancer Foundation Young Investigator Award, with the final decision pending, and plans to submit a Department of Defense IDEA Award application in September. In parallel, her team is developing a mouse model to better understand the immune effects of supraphysiologic testosterone therapy, with a manuscript in preparation. A separate manuscript from the transdermal testosterone clinical trial, including correlative work supported by the Glodé Family Scholarship, is also in preparation.

Donors: Dr. David and Melanie Badesch

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Dr. David and Melanie Badesch are proud to support the Pulmonary Division’s investigators through the DOM Scholars Program, a collaborative initiative with the Department of Medicine to advance impactful research. Their gift reflects a deep commitment to giving back and fostering innovation in pulmonary science.

Scholar: Yen-Rei Yu, MD, PhD

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Dr. Yu is a physician-scientist in the Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine with a Ph.D. in Immunology. Her research explores how immune and inflammatory mechanisms regulate lung homeostasis and drive disease, with a particular focus on the role of monocytes and macrophages in pulmonary vascular disease and pulmonary hypertension.

Learn more about Dr. Yu here

How funds are being used:

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The Badesch Family Scholarship will support studies examining immune responses in chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) and interstitial lung disease-associated pulmonary hypertension (ILD-PH). The goal is to identify novel immunotherapeutic targets to improve treatment for these complex conditions.

Year 1 Update: Dr. Yu and her team have identified IL-17 signaling as a key mediator of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) through studies using human specimens and a preclinical animal model. A manuscript describing these findings is in preparation, and the research has been presented at the Grover Conference and the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions. The team is also conducting preclinical studies evaluating IL-17 as a potential therapeutic target for CTEPH.

This work has also supported new funding efforts focused on pulmonary hypertension associated with chronic lung disease, including an NIH R01 application and a Letter of Intent to the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation/Pulmonary Hypertension Association joint grant program. The team is also exploring an investigator-initiated research proposal with Merck to study sotatercept in pulmonary fibrosis and associated pulmonary hypertension.

Donors: Drs. Fernando Holguin and Shanta Zimmer

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Drs. Fernando Holguin and Shanta Zimmer are dedicated leaders at the University of Colorado, deeply committed to advancing education, research, and the success of early career faculty. This award also honors Dr. Zimmer’s late father, Dr. John L. Zimmer, a family physician and lifelong learner who loved teaching, curiosity, and the natural world.

Scholar: Eszter Vladar, PhD

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Dr. Eszter Vladar is an Associate Professor in the Departments of Medicine (Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine) and Cell and Developmental Biology at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. Trained at Stanford University, her research investigates ciliated cells of the respiratory epithelium critical for airway defense and the mechanisms of ciliated cell fate, ciliogenesis, and mucociliary dysfunction. Her work is supported by the NIH and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

Learn more about Dr. Vladar

How the funds are being used:

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Her project, Epigenetic Mechanisms of Airway Epithelial Remodeling, will use the Holguin Family Scholarship to support salaries and experiments aimed at understanding airway remodeling and improving treatment strategies for respiratory disease.

Donor: Dr. Kristi Kuhn

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Dr. Kristi Kuhn grew up on the western plains of Kansas, where the surrounding farm fields became her first “laboratory” for observation, experimentation, and discovery. She credits the support of her parents, Andy and Wanda, partner Enrique Alvarez, and children Ian and Nora for enabling her work as a physician-scientist. “I believe that investing in promising early career scientists generates an exceptional return both for medicine and our communities,” she says. “I was fortunate to receive similar support at a pivotal stage in my career, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to pay that generosity forward through this gift.”

Scholar: Ruth Napier, PhD

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Dr. Ruth Napier is an Associate Professor in the Division of Rheumatology. Her research focuses on how CD4+ T cells critical for fighting infections become dysregulated and drive autoimmune disease. Her work examines how mutations in innate antimicrobial signaling molecules, such as CARD9 and NOD2, promote sterile inflammation in conditions like ankylosing spondylitis, rheumatoid arthritis, uveitis, and Blau Syndrome.

Learn more about Dr. Napier here

How funds are being used:

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Her project, Precision Medicine & Beyond for Rheumatic Disease, will use the Kuhn Early Career Research Scholar Award to support research staff and key experimental reagents to advance NOD2 and Blau Syndrome study milestones.

Year 1 Update: Dr. Napier and her team have substantially advanced their translational research on NOD2 and IL-17 signaling in Blau syndrome and related rheumatic diseases. Their work has demonstrated that Blau-associated NOD2 mutations drive T cell hyperactivation and pathogenic Th17 responses, while IL-17-targeted therapy has produced meaningful clinical and immunologic improvements in patients. The team is also studying the CARD9 S12N variant as a potential biomarker for treatment response in axial spondyloarthritis.

This work has contributed to the establishment of the Blau Center for Precision Medicine and Translational Research, directed by Dr. Napier. The research has also supported multiple national presentations, a publication in the Journal of Immunology, and a manuscript currently under review at the Journal of Clinical Investigation. In addition, Dr. Napier has secured new funding from the Rheumatology Research Foundation and the CU Anschutz Department of Ophthalmology to advance research in Blau syndrome, uveitis, and precision medicine.