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Pilot and Feasibility Program Awardees

2024 Pilot & Feasibility Grant Awardees

Amanda Casey, Ph.D.

Amanda Casey, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor

Renewal
The Role of Fic-mediated AMPylation in Metabolic Disease

Dr. Casey will study the role of cell stress pathways in cells that regulate metabolism during the course of diet-induced obesity. She will use a novel genetically modified mouse model to investigate the role of cell stress in several key tissues regulating blood glucose levels and whole-body metabolism.

Christopher Hearon, Ph.D.

Christopher Hearon, Ph.D.

Assistant Instructor

Mechanisms for adiposity link to HFpEF in human subjects

Kelseanna Hollis-Hansen, Ph.D.

Kelseanna Hollis-Hansen, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor

Identifying strategies to curtail weight regain after GLP-1 receptor agonist treatment cessation

Hume Akahari Stroud, Ph.D.

Hume Akahari Stroud, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor

Impact of vitamin C on genome methylation in developing CNS

2023 Pilot & Feasibility Grant Awardees

Amanda Casey, Ph.D.

Amanda Casey, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor

The Role of Fic-mediated AMPylation in Metabolic Disease

Dr. Casey will study the role of cell stress pathways in cells that regulate metabolism during the course of diet-induced obesity. She will use a novel genetically modified mouse model to investigate the role of cell stress in several key tissues regulating blood glucose levels and whole-body metabolism.

Surbhi Gahlot, Ph.D.

Surbhi Gahlot, Ph.D.

Assistant Instructor

Etv5 and the Regulation of Body Weight Homeostasis

Dr. Gahlot will investigate the role of a recently identified regulator of the expression of the neuropeptide proopiomelanocortin in neurons of the hypothalamus. She will investigate the effects of deleting this gene in the context of diet-induced obesity and diabetes in a mouse model.

Suraj Patel, M.D., Ph.D.

Suraj Patel, M.D., Ph.D.

Assistant Professor

Regulation of Obesity and Metabolism by Hepatic ISGylation

Dr. Patel will follow up on his previous studies which identified a novel modification of proteins. Dr. Patel will now investigate the mechanisms and significance of this novel modification for key proteins in the liver to impact obesity and insulin resistance.

Binu Thomas, Ph.D.

Binu Thomas, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor

Tirzepatide-induced Weight Loss on Cognitive and Brain Function in Older Adults with Obesity

Dr. Thomas will use functional brain imaging techniques to assess the effects of a novel diabetes drug on brain function. These studies will be performed in subjects with obesity before and after treatment with this anti-diabetic drug and will assess cognitive function during the course of the study.