Center for Clinical and Translational Science Announces Pilot Funding Recipients

The University of Kentucky Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS) Pilot Funding Program announces recipients of its most recent round of pilot funding in the Collaborative Category. The mission of the Pilot Funding Program is to offer opportunities and resources necessary to support innovative intervention and early stage and collaborative research approaches in clinical and translational studies, and to promote the development of new methodologies and tools relevant to the health challenges and disparities faced by the citizens of Kentucky, Appalachia, and other rural populations. Since its inception in 2007, the CCTS Pilot Funding Program has provided 45 grants totaling $1.6 million. Eleven projects supported by CCTS pilot grants have subsequently earned further funding from the National Institutes of Health, bringing an additional $6.9 million of research funding to UK. The CCTS Pilot Funding Program, which is a non-disease specific program, is itself supported by a Clinical and Translational Science Award from the National Institutes of Health. CCTS-Markey Cancer Center Collaborative Award (18 Letters of Intent submitted; 7 applicants invited to submit full applications) Principle Investigator: Ren Xu, PhD College: Pharmacy Department/Division: Pharmacology Title: Identify RORα as a druggable EMT suppressor Principle Investigator: Thomas Dziubla, PhD College: Engineering Department/Division: Chemicals and Materials Engineering Title: Pulmonary Targeting of Poly(curcumin PBAE) nanoparticles for the Prevention of Radiation Induced Pulmonary Fibrosis CCTS-Barnstable Brown Diabetes and Obesity Research Center (17 Letters of Intent submitted; 7 applicants invited to submit full applications) Principle Investigator: Gregory Graf, PhD College: Pharmacy Department/Division: Pharmaceutical Sciences Title: Ezetimibe & Urso combination therapy in the treatment of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease Principle Investigator: Changcheng Zhou, PhD College: Medicine Department/Division: Graduate Center for Nutritional Sciences Title: IKKbeta links vascular inflammation to obesity and insulin resistance CCTS-Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center (9 Letters of Intent submitted; 6 applicants invited to submit full applications) Principle Investigator: Lumy Sawaki, PhD College: Medicine Department/Division: Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Title: Effects of transvertebral direct current stimulation in humans Principle Investigator: Edward Hall, PhD College: Medicine Department/Division: SCoBIRC Title: Oxidative Damage and Calcium-Activated Proteolytic Biomarkers after Tramatic Brain Injury and Effects of Acute Cyclosporine UK CCTS-University of Cincinnati CCTS (8 Letters of Intent submitted; 4 applicants invited to submit full applications) Principle Investigator: Sidney Whiteheart, PhD (UK) College: Medicine Department/Division: Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry Principle Investigator: Alexandra Filipovich, MD (UC) College: Medicine Department/Division: Pediatrics Title: Analysis of Platelet Function in Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis CCTS-University of West Virginia (7 Letters of Intent submitted; 3 applicants invited to submit full applications) Principle Investigator: Scott Roth, MD (UK) College: Medicine Department/Division: Surgery Principle Investigator: Bryan Richmond, MD (UC) College: Medicine Department/Division: Surgery Title: Randomized Controlled Trial of Nonoperative Treatment Versus Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy for Gall bladder Dyskinesia CCTS-Marshall University (9 Letters of Intent submitted; 3 applicants invited to submit full applications) Principle Investigator: Maria Serrat, PhD College: Medicine Department/Division: Anatomy and Pathology Title: Temperature enhanced bone elongation in growth plates CCTS Drug Discovery and Development (21 Letters of Intent submitted; 6 applicants invited to submit full applications) Principle Investigator: Vivek Ragnekar, PhD College: Medicine Department/Division: Radiation Medicine Title: Development of Vimentin Inhibitors for Secretion of Par-4 and Suppression of Tumor Metastasis Principle Investigator: Dave Feola, PhD College: Pharmacy Department/Division: Pharmacy Practice & Science Title: Novel immune-modulatory macrolides — discovery and function CCTS Community Engagement (7 Letters of Intent submitted; 7 applicants invited to submit full applications) Principle Investigator: Christina Studts, PhD College: Medicine Department/Division: Behavioral Science Title: Preventing Conduct Disorder: Valuing Parent & Provider Perspectives in Appalachia MEDIA CONTACT: Mallory Powell, mallory.powell@uky.edu