Dr Martina Anto-Ocrah is an Assistant Professor of Medicine & Epidemiology whose research centers on pregnancy, sexual & reproductive health epidemiology in United States (US) and global populations. As a reproductive epidemiologist, Dr Anto-Ocrah’s US-based work explores the impact of traumatic brain injuries on women’s reproductive wellbeing (pregnancy, sexuality, menstruation, socio-cultural norms, etc); while her global health work is focused on obstetric emergencies and The Three Delays (hyperlink to this article https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31931748/).Though a quantitative methodologist, Dr. Anto-Ocrah has a deep appreciation for mixed methods research and often involves qualitative research methodologies and machine learning approaches in her work.

Dr. Barbash is a health services researcher focused on the intersection of health policy and critical care delivery and outcomes; in this work he uses large datasets derived from administrative claims and electronic health records. His K08, funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, examines the effect of Medicare’s SEP-1 sepsis bundle reporting policy on sepsis treatment and outcomes. He is also involved in clinical administrative and quality improvement activities in the UPMC Health System, which both inform and are informed by his health services research.

Hailey W. Bulls, PhD, joined the Section of Palliative Care & Medical Ethics as Assistant Professor in 2019. She completed her PhD in Medical/Clinical Psychology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, with a pre-doctoral internship at the James A. Haley VA and an R25-funded postdoctoral fellowship in Behavioral Oncology at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, FL. Broadly, Dr. Bulls’ current research focuses on 1) mitigating the impact of opioid stigma on cancer patients with pain; 2) early identification cancer patients at risk for pain and neuropathy; and 3) novel behavioral interventions to better manage pain. She was recently selected for the Clinical and Translational Science Scholars Program (KL2) in support of this research. Dr. Bulls also evaluates experimental models of pain sensitivity and modulation using actigraphy and quantitative sensory testing. In the clinic, Dr. Bulls specializes in cognitive-behavioral interventions for acute and chronic pain. Dr. Bulls is an active #AcademicTwitter user: follow her at @hwbulls. Outside of the office, she enjoys exploring her new city, traveling, kickboxing, eating soup dumplings, solving crossword puzzles, and cheering on the Florida Gators.

My research focuses on understanding and targeting the cancer supporting stromal tissues which are critical to the survival, growth and spread of ovarian cancer. Specifically, my lab studies a critical non-malignant component of the ovarian cancer microenvironment, the carcinoma-associated mesenchymal stem cell (CA-MSC). CA-MSCs are stromal progenitor cells which significantly increase cancer growth, enrich the cancer stem cell pool and increase chemotherapy resistance.
My lab studies how CA-MSCs are formed and develop tumor supporting properties. My lab also focuses on identifying important tumor cell:CA-MSC interactions which mediate CA-MSC’s pro-tumorigenic functions and have potential for translation into new therapeutic targets. Additionally, we study how CA-MSCs impact the development of ovarian cancer metastasis and the metastatic microenvironment.
The ultimate goal of my research is to translate novel laboratory findings into powerful therapeutic approaches for the prevention and treatment of ovarian cancer.

My research aims to better understand the physiological and pathophysiological roles of the smallest molecules found in biology: nitric oxide (NO), hydrogen sulfide (H2S/HS-), and carbon monoxide (CO). Commonly known as toxic by-products from anthropogenic sources, these molecules (often referred to as “gasotransmitters” or “diatomic bioregulators”) are also produced via endogenous metabolic processes in living systems throughout all kingdoms of life. In humans, these molecules are involved in signaling cascades that regulate vascular tone, inflammation, circadian rhythm, sensory perception, and cell proliferation, among many others. As the scope of these critical signaling molecules continues to grow, new tools are needed to assess their spatiotemporal dynamics in living systems. My work couples techniques in protein engineering and biochemistry with cellular and preclinical animal models to 1) develop new treatment strategies for toxic exposure to these diatomic molecules, and 2) design and implement molecular visualization tools that can be used to understand how these molecules function as bioregulatory signals. Specifically, this project focuses on engineering a selective, high-affinity CO sensor protein from bacteria into a CO-scavenging therapeutic to treat acute CO poisoning. Using the same protein scaffold, I also seek to develop a genetically encoded fluorescent reporter that can be used to track endogenous CO signaling dynamics in cells and living organisms.

Dr. Evankovich studies the molecular biology of lung injury. His laboratory is interested in the intersection of three molecular systems in the innate immune system, and how they influence inflammation and cell death pathways in the lung. The molecular systems are Damage Associated Molecular Patterns (DAMPs), DAMP Receptors, and the Ubiquitin/Proteasome System (UPS).

Dr. Evankovich’s prior work has identified how several novel DAMP/DAMP receptor pairs are processed for disposal in the UPS, and how this process can be manipulated to change subsequent cellular responses. For damaging responses, increasing targeted DAMP receptor disposal through the UPS could lessen organ damage; likewise, for protective DAMP/DAMP receptor pairs, reducing disposal in the UPS could be therapeutic to reduce injury.

Teaming with the Small Molecule Therapeutics Center, Dr. Evankovich’s future work aims to discover novel small molecules to disrupt these pathways and test in preclinical models of lung injury. He is also an Associate Member of the Aging Institute, where he focuses on the contribution of aging to innate immune responses in the lung.

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) accounts for roughly half the cases of heart failure in the United States. HFpEF is a complex syndrome that presents with diastolic dysfunction, and is associated with comorbidities like obesity, hypertension, diabetes and metabolic syndrome. The underlying pathophysiology of HFpEF is not well understood. A key clinical finding in HFpEF is extensive cardiac remodeling and is associated with the systemic inflammation and metabolic syndrome, commonly observed in HFpEF patients. I am interested in the inflammatory signaling pathways that mediate cardiac remodeling, particularly through macrophages and complement signaling mechanisms. My work focuses on understanding the cross-talk between inflammatory signals and cardiac fibroblasts that lead to cardiac remodeling using a systems approach with combination of in vivo and in vitro models.

Obesity is a significant factor in the development of various pathologies, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. Recent research has demonstrated the crucial role of calcium ion (Ca2+) signals in lipid metabolism and transcriptional reprogramming of cells to support proliferation and development. Orai proteins, specifically Orai1-3, are highly selective channels for Ca2+ and serve as universally present and evolutionarily conserved pathways for regulated Ca2+ influx into all cells. They play a pivotal role in numerous cellular and physiological functions, including the process of lipolysis, proliferation, and development. The primary focus of my work involved investigating the role of Ca2+ entry through Orai channels in various aspects, including metabolism, neuronal development, neuronal activation, and its impact on the regulation of thermogenesis and obesity.

Her VA HSR&D-funded Career Development Award will use quantitative and qualitative research methods to examine how links between women Veterans’ prepregnancy health risks (e.g., chronic conditions) and healthcare experiences, social characteristics (e.g., race/ethnicity, rurality), and maternal outcomes can inform interventions to improve women Veterans’ healthcare. She is also interested in leveraging system-level strategies, including pharmacist provision of hormonal contraception and 12-month contraceptive dispensing, to improve contraceptive access for Veterans. Outside of work, she enjoys travelling, reading, and cheering for all her hometown DC sports teams! Follow her on Twitter @MsContraception.

Our laboratory studies electrolyte balance in the body, including sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, and acid/base. We are exploring the influence of these electrolytes on body fluid, blood pressure, bone health and immune function.

My research focuses on the role of aging and aging-related conditions in hereditary bleeding disorders, specifically von Willebrand disease and hemophilia. My K23 award explores the effect of aging on von Willebrand factor levels and bleeding phenotype in von Willebrand disease.

Dr. Suber is a physician-scientist in pulmonary and critical care medicine at the University of Pittsburgh. After graduating from the combined MD/PhD program at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, she completed residency training in internal medicine at Johns Hopkins Hospital. She moved to the University of Pittsburgh to complete fellowship training in pulmonary and critical care medicine and was appointed as Assistant Professor in the Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine in 2019. During her postdoctoral training, she studied proteasomal regulation of lung epithelial injury and repair. Currently, her research program focuses on 1) understanding metabolic regulation of pulmonary host defense mechanisms in models of bacterial pneumonia; 2) identifying metabolomic signatures in acute lung injury to elucidate pathogenic mechanisms in critically ill patients; and 3) understanding how oxidized phospholipids mediate epithelial injury during vaping-induced lung injury. She is supported by the Clinical and Translational Science Scholars Program (KL2) and also funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Dr. Tan studies core principles of cell biology in aging, with particular interest in basic molecular mechanisms underlying cellular homeostasis and stress response. Organelle stress and damages are common risk factors in aging and diseases. A major goal of our lab is elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying the sensing, repairing, and clearance of damaged organelles in mammalian cells. We search for essential, unifying principles behind complex stress responses through unbiased approaches, and dissect underlying mechanisms with multidisciplinary methods including molecular biology, biochemistry, cell biology, and genetics. Current research topics include lysosomal quality control in aging and neurodegeneration, inter-organelle communications in cell homeostasis, and lysosomal stress in innate immunity and age-related inflammation. For more information: jaytanlab.org

My main research interests are to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying the development, disease, and senescence of heart cells, and to develop potential therapeutic strategies to rectify pathogenesis and aging in the heart. We utilize human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSCs) platform and cutting-edge molecular, cellular, and physiological technologies to study the biology of heart cells in health and diseases, and to discover novel drugs and approaches for translational applications.