2016 Saha Awardees Announced
The Saha Cardiovascular Research Center recently announced the winners of the 2016 Saha Awards. These annual awards are given to Medical and Nursing students as well as to a nurse educator. The awards are designed to reward creativity, dedication and knowledge in areas of cardiovascular research, disease prevention and patient education. The 2016 recipients are:
MD/PhD Student Award – Ben Fowler
Ben is a MD/PhD student whose research focus consists of studying NRTIs and their function to help block the drivers of inflammation in cardiovascular diseases. On top of that, Ben also recently completed a vascular surgery clerkship that was able to further his appreciation of cardiovascular medicine. In the future, Ben plans on being a physician-scientist and leader in academic ophthalmology and biomedical research. He plans on continuing his investigation of the potential role of NRTIs and novel derivatives in treating cardiovascular diseases as well as gaining greater insight into ocular pathophysiology. His goal is to combat cardiovascular diseases that could lead to vascular eye diseases.
Medical Student Award – Josh Kaine
Josh is currently a medical student at the University of Kentucky with a specific interest in cardiac MRI. Working alongside PSMRF mentor Moriel Vandsburger, Joshua has helped to develop methods to detect fibrotic changes in the hearts of patients with chronic kidney disease. Merging his experiences with cardiovascular medicine and interest in bedside ultrasound, Joshua plans on pursuing a career in emergency medicine with a focus in critical care and echocardiography.
Nursing Student Award – JungHee Kang
JungHee is a registered nurse with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. She is currently enrolled in the Nursing PhD/MPH program with an interest in developing nutrition and life-style interventions in patients with cardiovascular disease. Her current focus involves determining an association among individuals’ diets, systemic inflammation, and survival outcomes in patients with heart failure. In the future, JungHee plans to seek a faculty appointment in a research-intensive university where she can develop her program of research and eventually become an educator for the next generation of nurse scholars.
Paula Fritz, RN Patient Education Award – Samantha Mancuso
Samantha Mancuso is a current staff nurse at the UK Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit and part-time clinical faculty member at the UK College of Nursing. Samantha has a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing and is a Doctorate of Nursing Practice Candidate in December 2016. She is currently involved in a project that delivers self-care education to heart failure patients at UK. The goal is to minimize the amount of hospitalizations or readmissions through self-care and self-responsibility.
The 2016 Saha Awards will be presented to these deserving awardees on November 4 at the 19th Annual Gill Heart Institute Cardiovascular Research Day. To learn more about the event or to register to attend, follow the link to the Cardiovascular Research Day website. http://cvrc.med.uky.edu/cardiovascular-research-day.
