Medical research highlights, June 2025

Kelly Stauch, PhD

The UNMC College of Medicine recently received grants and awards representing more than $5.7 million in new funding. Awards included:

  • Kelly Stauch, PhD, neurological sciences, received a grant of $2 million from the U.S. Army/USAMRAA/CDMRP to study interrelationship between PINK1-PRKN pathway disruption and tauopathy in the pathophysiology of cognitive impairment in Parkinson’s disease.
  • Howard Fox, MD, PhD, neurological sciences, received a grant of $79,496 from the San Diego Biomedical Research Institute to study methamphetamine, HIV integration and latency in the brain.
  • Navya Basrur, PhD, obstetrics and gynecology, received a grant of $55,000 from the Lalor Foundation for a study elucidating the role of CREB in response to follicle stimulating hormone in granulosa cells.
  • Brad Becken, MD, pediatrics-infectious diseases, received a grant of $50,000 from NSF for “I-Corps: Translation Potential of an Automated Dynamic Antibiogram.”
  • Josue Avecillas-Chasin, MD, PhD, neurosurgery, received a grant of $50,000 from the Neurosurgery Research and Education Foundation as the SSFN Award for thalamic seizure network mapping in patients with medication-refractory epilepsy treated with responsive neurostimulation targeting the thalamus.
  • David Mercer, MD, PhD,  surgery-transplant, received a grant of $43,387 from the University of Pittsburgh for a study defining pediatric intestinal failure natural history.
  • Omar Abughanimeh, MBBS, internal medicine-oncology/hematology, received a grant of $37,454 from the Alliance Foundation Trials for a trial of neoadjuvant and adjuvant atezolizumab with or without Tiragolumab in conjunction with chemoradiotherapy for unresectable stage III NSCLC.
  • Sidharth Mahapatra, MD, PhD, pediatrics-critical care, received a grant of $5,600 from the University of Pennsylvania for the “ENdotypes in Children with Severe Acute Respiratory Distress SyNdrome: ImpAct on REsponse to Treatment (ENSNARE)” study.

Industry-sponsored grants and contracts:

The following industry-sponsored grants and contracts were received.

  • Shubham Agarwal, MBBS, internal medicine-DEM, received funding to trial evaluating long-term efficacy and safety of survodutide weekly injections in adult participants.
  • Howard Gendelman, MD, pharmacology and experimental neuroscience, received funding to investigate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics and efficacy of Lu AF28996 in patients with Parkinson’s disease.
  • Julie Vose, MD, internal medicine-oncology/hematology, received funding for a study of MB-105 in patients with CD5 positive (CD5+) relapsed / refractory T cell lymphoma (r/r TCL).
  • David Berkheim, MD, surgery-cardiothoracic surgery, received funding for a study to evaluate Cemiplimab plus chemotherapy versus Cemiplimab plus chemotherapy plus other cancer treatments for the perioperative treatment of patients with resectable non-small cell lung cancer.
  • Anupam Kotwal, MD, internal medicine-DEM, received funding for a study to assess the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of imvt-1402 as treatment for adult patients with graves’ disease.
  • Christopher D’Angelo, MD, internal medicine-oncology/hematology, received funding for a study to investigate the efficacy and safety of Sonrotoclax combined with Zanubrutinib compared with Zanubrutinib monotherapy in adult patients with previously untreated chronic lymphocytic leukemia.
  • Adam Burdoff, DO, internal medicine-cardiovascular, received funding for a trial to evaluate safety and effectiveness of mechanical circulatory support in patients with advanced heart failure.
  • Brad Brabec, MD, pediatrics-health system sciences, received funding for a study to assess the long-term safety and tolerability of Rimegepant for the acute treatment of migraine (with or without aura) in children and adolescents 6 to younger than 18 years of age.
  • Kelsey Klute, MD, internal medicine-oncology/hematology, received funding for validation of early detection biomarkers in a heritable high-risk cohort in the  PRECEDE Ancillary Study.
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