Grant Program: Postdoctoral Grant

Latine/Hispanic people with Parkinson’s disease (PwP) face faster disease progression, less access to clinical care and fewer opportunities to participate in community-based exercise programs, despite strong evidence that physical active improves symptoms and quality of life. This project will use focus groups and interviews with Latine/Hispanic PwP, their care partners, community partners and clinical partners across the U.S. to identify barriers and facilitators to adopting and sustaining physical activity programs. Guided by the PRISM framework, findings will generate critical insights into institutional, cultural and individual needs that shape program access and success.

In Wisconsin, nearly 30 percent of those giving birth have obesity, which increases the risk of adverse outcomes for both parent and child. There is an urgent need for evidence on safe, effective weight loss recommendations before pregnancy to help reduce the intergenerational risk of diabetes and improve maternal-child health outcomes. This project compared four preconception weight loss strategies using mouse models. Both dietary change and bariatric surgery were sufficient for inducing weight loss and improving body composition before pregnancy, but breeding difficulties and loss of pups hindered the ability to assess how the different weight loss methods affect milk fat production and offspring pancreatic health. The project has been proven viable and is well-positioned for further work.

Aging brains follow different paths, with some individuals maintaining cognitive health while others progress to Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and related dementias. This project combined advanced diffusion-weighted MRI with fluid biomarkers to examine how living in disadvantaged neighborhoods relates to microstructural brain changes across the AD continuum. Findings show lower neurite density in people from highly disadvantaged neighborhoods, particularly in regions of the brain vulnerable to AD. The study also found high biomarkers of axonal degeneration and glial activation in those who resided in the most disadvantaged neighborhoods in the first 18 years of life. This project helped elucidate the significance of residing in a socioeconomically-disadvantaged neighborhood throughout the lifetime as a modifiable risk factor for AD development.

Obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2D) are major public health challenges, with impaired branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) metabolism playing a key role. Restricting dietary BCAAs or using the FDA-approved drug 4-PBA improves body composition, glucose control and lifespan in animal models. Exercise is also critical for weigh loss and maintaining muscle mass, but its interaction with BCAA-targeted interventions is unknown. This project will test whether dietary BCAA restriction, 4-PBA, and exercise—alone or in combination—reverse obesity and improve metabolic health in mice. Using genetic knockout models, it will also determine whether these benefits depend on the mitochondrial BCAA carrier Slc25a44. Findings will provide insights into diet- and drug-based strategies that can be paired with exercise to combat obesity and T2D. By focusing on accessible interventions, the study has the potential to promote health equity in communities disproportionately affected by metabolic disease.

Heart failure after myocardial infarction (MI) remains a leading cause of death because scar tissue formation prevents the heart from restoring lost function. Early evidence suggests that cardiac progenitor cells (CCPs) may be safer, more versatile and better suited for cardiac repair than current treatments. The postdoctoral researcher, Dr. Vladislav Leonov, trained in cardiac slice models and dual optical mapping of voltage and calcium signals to study how CCPs integrate electrically and functionally within heart tissue. Mastering these advanced techniques allows for a greater understanding of cardiac regeneration and the development of safe, more effect therapies for patients with heart failure.

Recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP) is a lifelong disease caused by low-risk HPV types 6 and 11 that produces fast-growing lesions on the vocal folds, leading to hoarseness, repeated surgeries, scarring and significant community and quality-of-life challenges. There is no cure. This project uses a novel immunocompetent mouse model to investigate how vocal fold injury enables papillomavirus to evade immune defenses, establish chronic infection and drive disease recurrence. This study will define the threshold of viral load and injury needed for disease, test whether injury promotes recurrence and explore how injury disrupts epithelial and immune balance. Findings will advance understanding of how RRP develops and persists, informing future strategies for prevention and treatment.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) affects over 110,000 older adults in Wisconsin and remains without a cure. Emerging evidence suggests the gut microbiome may play a role in AD pathology, but how these changes unfold over time is not well understood. This project analyzed longitudinal fecal samples and fluid biomarkers from participants in the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer’s Prevention and the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center. Results showed an increase in potentially pathogenic taxa alongside a decrease in beneficial microbes in amyloid-positive individuals compared to amyloid-negative individuals. This work contributes to understanding early biological processes that may influence later disease risk and has the potential to inform future prevention and intervention strategies.

Patellar tendon injuries are common and can lead to lasting mobility issues. Exercise is the best treatment, but current methods often misjudge actual tendon load, limiting recovery. This project uses new UW—Madison – Shear Wave Tensiometry (SWT) to directly measure tendon load and quantitative ultrasound (qUS) to assess tendon health. It will test how neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) enhances tendon loading and explore links between tendon structure and function. The findings will guide more precise rehabilitation strategies, improving healing and long-term outcomes for people with tendon injuries.

Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death in the U.S., in part because the adult heart cannot regenerate after myocardial infarction (MI). This project explores how inhibiting succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) in myofibroblasts can reduce fibrosis and promote heart repair. Preliminary studies show SDH inhibition reprograms fibroblast metabolism, limits scar formation and boosts cardiomyocyte regeneration. By uncovering the mechanisms behind this process, the study aims to pave the way for new regenerative therapies to improve outcomes after heart attack.

Primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) affects three million Americans and increases risks of fractures, kidney stones and cardiovascular disease. Surgery is the only cure, yet fewer than 10 percent of patients receive it. In Wisconsin, patients in highly disadvantaged neighborhoods are treated at half the rate of others. The project team interviewed patients to understand barriers to diagnosis and treatment. Based on their findings, they developed educational tools for both patients and providers to improve referrals and access to surgery. Through improving surgical referrals, these interventions have the potential to directly improve patient outcomes.