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Funded Projects

Modeling the Diabetic Heart in Engineered Heart Tissue

Awarded in 2025
Postdoctoral Grant
Updated Dec 3, 2025

At a Glance

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.

More Funded Projects

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Postdoctoral Grant

Next-generation Radiotherapeutics: ¹⁶¹Tb-ART-101 Toward Curative Therapy for Advanced Prostate Cancer

Awarded in 2025
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.
research icon: microscope and stethoscope
Postdoctoral Grant

Mechanistic Dissection of Microbiome-mediated Effects of Dietary Arginine During IBD

Awarded in 2025
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.