Grant Program: Postdoctoral Grant

The project, Healthcare Experience Assessing Resilience, Toxic Stress and Prenatal Quality of Care (HEARTS-PQC), led by postdoctoral trainee Melissa Neal, PhD, MPH, seeks to better understand how to measure resilience, toxic stress and prenatal quality of care. Through clinical and community engagement, this African American/Black health initiative gathers perspectives of birthing people on what supportive, respectful and responsive prenatal care should look like, as well as the barriers and facilitators to assessing these factors in real-world settings. Kara Hoppe, DO, PhD, professor (CHS) and vice chair of clinical research in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, serves as the supervising mentor.

The project, Understanding how Aging Affects the Health of Males and Females Differently, led by postdoctoral trainee Cassandra McGill, PhD, investigates how biological sex influences aging and age-related disease risk. By examining patterns of fat distribution and metabolism across mice, monkeys and humans, the study aims to uncover why individuals experience aging differently. Understanding these biological pathways could lead to more targeted strategies to promote healthy aging and prevent chronic illness. Rozalyn Anderson, PhD, professor in the Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology, UW–Madison, serves as the supervising mentor.

The project, Regulation of Inflammatory and Wnt Signaling by LncRNA IL6-AS1, led by research associate Xin He, PhD, investigates how a little known molecule called IL6-AS1 regulates two critical cellular pathways: inflammation and tissue growth/repair. By mapping how IL6-AS1 communicates with these pathways, the study aims to clarify why some individuals are more susceptible to severe infections, autoimmune conditions or certain cancers. The project also examines naturally occurring gene variants to understand how they may alter IL6-AS1 activity and influence vulnerability to specific fungal infections. Bruce Klein, MD, professor and division chief, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Diseases, serves as the supervising mentor.

The project, Nutritional Influence on Microbiota and Immune Responses During Cryptosporidium Infections, led by research associate Bethany Korwin-Mihavics, PhD, investigates how nutrition and gut microbiota shape the body’s response to Cryptosporidium, a parasite that causes severe gastrointestinal illness. Using experimental models, the study explores how malnutrition-associated changes in the gut microbiome influence susceptibility to infection and alter immune responses. By identifying microbial communities that worsen disease and clarifying the mechanisms behind these interactions, this work aims to inform the development of future therapies for Cryptosporidium and potentially other intestinal parasites. Margaret Alexander, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, serves as the supervising mentor.

The project, Next-generation Radiotherapeutics: ¹⁶¹Tb-ART-101 Toward Curative Therapy for Advanced Prostate Cancer, led by research associate Malick Bio Idrissou, PhD, aims to develop a next-generation radiotherapeutic designed to more effectively treat advanced prostate cancer. Using Terbium-161 (¹⁶¹Tb) paired with a highly targeted agent called ART-101, the approach delivers precise radiation directly to cancer cells while sparing surrounding healthy tissue. This study will test the therapy in advanced disease models that better reflect human tumor biology and immune responses, with the goal of identifying the tumor subtypes most likely to benefit and accelerate progress toward future clinical trials. Reinier Hernandez, PhD, assistant professor, Department of Medical Physics, serves as the supervising mentor.

The project, Modeling the Diabetic Heart in Engineered Heart Tissue, led by postdoctoral fellow Angela Greenman, PhD, aims to improve understanding of how type 2 diabetes affects the heart by developing a new stem cell–based model of diabetic heart tissue. By engineering human heart tissue that reflects the biology of diabetes, this study will provide a platform to examine how the disease develops and progresses. The project also incorporates specialized training in a novel technique for assessing the relaxation phase of the heartbeat, which is a common problem for individuals with type 2 diabetes. J. Carter Ralphe, MD, professor and division chief, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Cardiology, serves as the supervising mentor.

The project, Mechanistic Dissection of Microbiome-mediated Effects of Dietary Arginine During IBD, led by research associate Chi Yan, PhD, investigates how dietary arginine influences intestinal inflammation in individuals with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Using controlled animal models and molecular profiling, this study aims to identify the microbial taxa and biological pathways that shape how this amino acid affects disease outcomes. By clarifying the microbiome-dependent mechanisms behind these varied responses, the project seeks to inform the development of personalized, nutrition-based approaches to improve IBD care. Margaret Alexander, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, serves as the supervising mentor.

The project, Improved Detection of Breast Cancer During Imaging and Surgery with a New Contrast Agent, led by research associate S. A. Amali S. Subasinghe, PhD, aims to improve the detection and surgical removal of breast cancer using a new contrast agent that becomes visible only within tumor tissue. The agent is activated by the enzyme cPLA2α, which is more active in cancer cells than in healthy cells, causing the compound to form a natural black pigment that highlights tumors. The study will test the contrast agent using optoacoustic imaging to detect tumors deep within the body and evaluate its ability to help surgeons visually identify tumor tissue during operations. Mark (Marty) Pagel, PhD, professor in the Department of Medical Physics, serves as the supervising mentor.

The project, Unraveling the Crosstalk Between Estrogen and Viral Immunoevasion in Murine Papillomavirus Infection Model, led by research associate Umar Sheikh, PhD, investigates how papillomaviruses evade the immune system and persist in the body, with a particular focus on the role of estrogen in shaping these infections. Using a laboratory model that closely mirrors human papillomavirus infection, the study aims to uncover how hormonal signals and viral strategies interact to allow long-term infection and potential progression to cancer. Paul Lambert, PhD, professor and chair of Oncology and director of the McArdle Laboratory for Cancer Research, serves as the supervising mentor.

The project, Fibroblast-mediated Extracellular Matrix Remodeling as a Driver of Radiation Resistance in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma, led by research associate Adeel Ahmed, PhD, investigates how changes in tumor tissue structure contribute to radiation resistance in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, a cancer closely linked to alcohol and tobacco use and nearly twice as common in Wisconsin as in the rest of the United States. With about half of patients showing limited response to standard radiation and chemotherapy, understanding why treatment fails is critical. This study examines how radiation alters the microstructure of tumor tissue and how these changes may enable cancer cells to survive therapy. David Beebe, PhD, professor, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UW–Madison, serves as the supervising mentor.