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Congratulations to:
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Lucy Marcil, MD, MPH & Amanda Tarullo, PhD
Evaluation of the Impact of Free Tax Preparation Integrated into the Pediatric Clinic on Maternal Mental Health and Maternal-child Healthcare Utilization
This pilot study will assess baseline rates of tax filing and free tax preparation utilization, free tax preparation referral update and acceptability, and feasibility of using validated survey tools to track financial wellness and mental health in a pediatric clinic population.
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Joanne Murabito, MD & Kathryn Lunetta, PhD
Longitudinal Change in Immune Cell Phenotypes in a Community-based Sample
The pilot funding will allow us to conduct immune cell profiling at a second time point in a sample of Framingham Heart Study participants to examine age-related change over time in circulating immune cell proportions. Our future plans are to extend this work to the larger Framingham sample to investigate the association of immune cell phenotypes to disease risk in the general population.
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Darae Ko, MD, MSc & Hugo Aparicio, MD, MPH
BUMC Ischemic Stroke Subtypes and Cryptogenic Stroke Outcomes
The goal of our pilot study is to develop the BMC stroke database as a novel, robust and reliable resource for the investigation of cryptogenic stroke in a safety net setting. In a multidisciplinary collaboration between neurology and cardiology, we propose to rigorously classify IS subtypes in the BMC stroke database, examine rate of AF-related diagnostics utilization in cryptogenic stroke, and determine incidence of newly diagnosed AF after cryptogenic stroke.
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Ann McKee, MD & Ian Mahar, PhD
Etiological Examination of Depressive Symptoms and Treatment Response in Alzheimer's Disease and Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy
In the proposed study I will examine pathological changes across widespread brain regions in AD and CTE to determine potential underlying factors of depression and to guide future therapeutic targets.
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Anurag Singh, PhD
Targeting KRAS-dependent Tranoscriptional Networks in Triple Negative Breast Cancer
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive disease with very limited treatment options. Our research project will focus on the tumor-promoting functions of RAS and AKT proteins in TNBC to identify RAS-regulated genes that can serve as candidate therapeutic targets for TNBC treatment.
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Nyia Noel, MD, MPH
Same Day Discharge Intervention after Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery
We are focusing much of our prescreening efforts on ensuring our patients will have adequate social support to recover in their homes. Additionally, we will be utilizing innovative multimedia and multi-modal educational techniques, including pictures, explanations by the surgeon and nursing staff, and written instructions to assist in preparing our patients for the surgery. By tackling these steps, we believe we will not only better equip our patients with the knowledge they need to care for themselves at home, but improve patient satisfaction by limiting hospital stay.
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Manish Bais, PhD; Minh Tam Truong, MD & Aaron Colby, PhD
Radiosensitization for Oral Cancer Therapy
We hypothesize that LSD1 epigenetically promotes Radiation Therapy (RT)-induced DNA damage response, and attenuation of LSD1 epigenetically attenuates DNA damage signaling. The study will establish if GSK-LSD1 can be applied in radiation therapy protocols instead of traditional radiosensitizers such as cisplatin or paclitaxel which are associated with significant known toxicities and test the synergy between an LSD1 inhibitor along with RT for future translational studies.
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Maureen Dubreuil, MD, MSc
Incidence and Predictive Factors for Joint Replacement Surgery in Spondyloarthritis
This study will look at the rates of hip and knee replacement surgeries among people who have ankylosing spondylitis, a form of arthritis causing inflammation in the spine. By examining the surgery rates over time and their relation to medication history, we hope to understand if newer therapies for ankylosing spondylitis help to control arthritis at sites outside of the spine.
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Assen Marintchev, PhD
Targeting the Integrated Stress Response for Treating Alzheimer's Disease
The goal of this pilot project is to search for small molecule inhibitors of the Integrated Stress Response (ISR), in collaboration with the groups of Sandor Vajda and John Porco at the BU Charles River Campus. Apoptosis due to dysregulated ISR is a causative factor in the pathology of a number of neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's disease, and drugs that suppress ISR are promising candidates for treatment of these diseases.
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Josh Barocas, MD
A Novel Pilot Simulation Model of the Infectious and Non-infectious Complications of Injection Opioid Use
The goal of this proposal is to develop a pilot simulation model of injection opioid use that is based on injection frequency, in order to estimate the long-term impact of injection frequency on injection-related bacterial infections. These findings can help inform clinical practice and harm reduction policies.
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Ivan Luptak, MD, PhD
Improving Contractile Function in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy by Breaking Energetic Vicious Cycle with Butyrate
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a genetic disease of the sarcomere, is characterized by excessive power generation requiring massive amounts of ATP to maintain the pump function. Mitochondria initially match the increased ATP demand but eventually the heart is depleted in energy and fails. We aim to help via superior mitochondrial fuel, short chain fatty acid butyrate, to improve cardiac energetics and pump function.
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Elizabeth Patton, MD, MPhi, MSc
Patient and Provider Perspectives on Contraceptive and Preconception Services Offered in Primary Care Addiction Medicine Clinic Settings
The purpose of the study is to explore the perspectives, attitudes and experiences of both addiction medicine clinical providers and patients in office based addiction treatment (OBAT) clinics regarding contraceptive knowledge, counseling and decision making for women with substance use disorder (SUD) before and after implementation of a pilot contraceptive counseling program within OBAT clinics. This study will support the integration of full spectrum contraceptive counseling and provision into OBAT clinics, enhancing patient access to these critically important services.
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Philip Trackman, PhD
Correct a Novel Inherited Mutation in Lysyl Oxidase in iPSCs Derived from Human Subjects with Predisposition to Aortic Aneurysm, and Differentiate to Smooth Muscle-like Cells
I have been approached by a family that appears to have an inherited mutation in the lysyl oxidase gene that leads to serious vascular abnormalities. In a collaborative agreement, the family has provided the CReM with blood from which induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are being made. The CTSI funding allows us to edit the abnormal gene to normal in the iPSCs using CRISPR/Cas9 technology, and subsequently study the way in which the abnormal gene disrupts development of iPSCs into functional vascular cells.
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Laertis Oikonomou, PhD
Scalable Production of Functional Alveolar Epithelial Type 2 Cells Derived from Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
The aim of this project is to address bottlenecks in the production of alveolar epithelial type II cells (AEC2s) derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells. To this end, we propose an integrated bioprocess engineering approach that will combine scalable expansion in automated stirred vessels with concurrent development of defined AEC2-specific cell culture milieu.
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Karen Jacobson, MD, MPH
A Mixed Methods Study Comparing Longitudinal, Repeated Phosphatidylethanol (PEth) to Self-reported Alcohol Consumption to Assess Changes in Alcohol Use and Readiness for Intervention during Tuberculosis Treatment
This CTSI project aims to evaluate changes and trends in alcohol use in persons being treated for TB disease by performing a blood biomarker (phosphatidylethanol, PEth) at multiple times during treatment to compare with patient self-reports and capture trends over time. We will also perform qualitative interviews to assess participant perceptions of the relationship between alcohol and TB and their readiness for interventions to decrease use.
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Gustavo Mostoslavsky, MD, PhD; Robin Ingalls, MD
& Wendy Kouhung, MD
iPSC Trophoblasts: A Novel Model for Infections at the Maternal-fetal Interface
This project aims at developing a novel in vitro model to study placental immunology using induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSC) and their differentiated trophoblast-like progeny. The obtained cells will be characterized in terms of expression of TLRs and RLRs and eventually will serve as a platform to test their response to different placental pathogens. |
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Nawfal Istfan, MD, PhD
Dual Sugar Challenge Test for Assessment of Metabolic Overfeeding
This study will challenge the current concepts of bioenergetics based solely on dietary energy consumption; and will advance our understanding of the physiology of obesity, leading to a new screening test and more directed therapies in the future.
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