KARAT Members

Mohammad Al-bataineh, DVM, MS, PhD
Division/Institute: Renal-Electrolyte
Mentor: Tom Kleyman, MD
Career Development Award: NIDDK K01
Research
Dr. Al-bataineh is a DVM-PhD scientist, who studies epithelial transport physiology and kidney pathophysiology. His research studies the mechanism of metabolic regulation of cellular, organ and body homeostasis through cell surface expression of epithelial membrane transporters. Presently, Dr. Al-bataineh is interested in understanding the acute and chronic effects of the cell surface sensor Mucin 1 (MUC1) during metabolic stress conditions, such as ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) and acid-base disorders. In his training and research projects, Dr. Al-bataineh has employed both animal and cell culture model systems and developed expertise in renal physiology, and kidney histology, microscopy, and pathophysiology. He has spearheaded several significant research projects resulting in publications in high-impact journals such as Nature Chemical Biology, Journal of Proteome Research, and American Journal of Physiology. Dr. Al-bataineh has been PI on two NIH grants (NRSA, and K01), and one pharmaceutical fellowship award (SANOFI). He has received several awards from national societies, including the Epithelial Transport Group of the American Physiological Society (APS), and the Steve Hebert Award Session of the Experimental Biology (EB). Beyond his research success, Dr. Al-bataineh has been fortunate to obtain a wide-range of teaching experiences. He has had the opportunity to teach a variety of courses (with Labs) including Human Physiology, Animal Physiology, and Pharmacology. Moreover, he has supervised a post-doctoral scholar in addition to many students and research Lab technicians. Dr. Al-bataineh also serves as a reviewer in different Journals and currently he serves in the editorial board of the Frontiers Journal in Renal and Epithelial Physiology.

William Bain, MD
Division/Institute: Pulmonary, Allergy and CCM
Mentor: Janet Lee, MD / Jessica Bon Field, MD, MS
Career Development Award: VA Mentored Research Scientist Development Award
Research
Dr. Bain’s research goal is to improve understanding of how the lung interacts with and employs cellular and humoral elements of innate immunity to combat pathogens and manage injury. He is currently focused upon two research questions. First, how do platelets and platelet factors attenuate lung injury during pathogen-mediated lung injury with particular attention to the role of platelet released factors in providing protection to alveolar epithelium? Second, what are mechanisms by which alternative complement pathway function supports host defense and patient survival during critical illness with acute respiratory failure?

Ian Barbash, MD, MS
Division/Institute: Pulmonary, Allergy and CCM
Mentor: Jeremy Kahn, MD, MS
Career Development Award: AHRQ K08
Research
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.

Mehret Birru-Talabi, MD, PhD
Division/Institute: Rheumatology
Mentor: Sonya Borrero, MD, MS
Career Development Award: NIAMS K23
Research
Mehret Birru Talabi, MD PhD is a physician investigator in rheumatology and clinical immunology. She is a graduate of Kenyon College, and received her MD, PhD in Epidemiology, and internal medicine and rheumatology subspecialty training at the University of Pittsburgh and at UPMC. Her research focuses on the intersection of rheumatology and women’s health, with a specific interest in enhancing reproductive outcomes among people with rheumatic diseases. She is an Assistant Dean and Co-Director of the Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) in the School of Medicine and is the associate program director of the UPMC rheumatology fellowship.

Corry D. Bondi, PhD, MS
Division/Institute: Renal-Electrolyte
Mentors: Roderick Tan, MD, PhD / Neil Hukriede, PhD
Career Development Award: NIDDK K01
Research

Cary Boyd-Shiwarski, MD, PhD
Division/Institute: Renal-Electrolyte
Mentors: Arohan Subramanya, MD / Tom Kleyman, MD
Career Development Award: NIDDK K08
Research
As a physician-scientist, Dr. Boyd-Shiwarski’s research focuses on the role of dietary potassium in hypertension and chronic kidney disease. Deficiencies in dietary potassium are known to increase blood pressure and increase the progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Unfortunately, there are large gaps in scientific knowledge regarding how and why potassium deficiency leads to hypertension and CKD. This project focuses on the effect of potassium depletion at the molecular level, studying potassium sensing and handling by the kidney. Her laboratory has identified a complex of WNK (with-no-lysine) kinases that form signaling microdomains in the kidney during potassium depletion and refers to these complexes as “WNK bodies”. In recent years, there has been a growing appreciation that the cytosol can demix into distinct microdomains, to concentrate and control biological processes. Thus, the WNK bodies appear to represent a new type of “biomolecular condensate” that concentrates WNK-dependent signaling processes in the kidney in response to potassium depletion. The formation of the WNK body microdomain is dependent upon the expression of kidney-specific WNK1 (KS-WNK1). By studying mice that are unable to form WNK body complexes (KS-WNK1-/- mice), she is beginning to understand the role of WNK bodies during potassium disequilibrium.

Hailey Bulls, PhD
Division/Institute: General Internal Medicine
Mentors: Yael Schenker, MD, MAS / Jessica Merlin, MD, PhD, MBA
Career Development Award: Pitt CTSI KL2; NCI K08
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.

Lan Coffman, MD, PhD
Mentor: Ronald J. Buckanovich, MD, PhD
Career Development Award: NCI K08
Research
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.

Malamo Countouris, MD, MS
Division/Institute: Cardiology
Mentors: Flordeliza Villanueva, MD (primary); Janet Catov, PhD; Adam Straub, PhD
Career Development Award: AHA CDA
Research

Matthew Culyba, MD, PhD
Division/Institute: Infectious Diseases
Mentor: Neil Clancy, MD
Career Development Award: NIAID K08
Research

Marianela G. Dalghi, PhD
Division/Institute: Renal-Electrolyte
Mentor: Gerard Apodaca, PhD
Career Development Award: Pittsburgh Center for Kidney Research P30
Research
Sensing and adapting to changes in the physical environment is vital for the integrity and function of cells, tissues and organs. My research focuses on understanding how the urinary bladder, and in particular the urothelium, senses the degree of tension in the bladder wall and communicates the filling state to underlying tissues and nerves. Despite the importance of proper mechanosensation for normal bladder function, there is little understanding of the urothelial mechanosensor(s) that initiate the mechanotransduction pathway(s). At the moment, I am exploring the role of mechanosensitive PIEZO and TMEM63 ion channels as bona fide urothelial mechanosensors, for which I use a wide range of techniques including conditional knockout mice. These allow us to assess the role of these channels at the cellular, tissue and organ levels as well as the impact on the voluntary voiding behavior of the animals.

Yvonne Eisele, PhD
Division/Institute: Cardiology/Aging Institute
Mentor: external
Career Development Award: NIA K99/R00
Research
Dr. Eisele’s research focuses on age-related protein misfolding disorders like Alzheimer’s disease and transthyretin-related amyloidoses. In these diseases, the misfolding of specific proteins on one hand leads to the loss of the normal function of these proteins, but on the other hands also to aberrant interactions of the misfolded proteins with normal cellular function, which ultimately leads to the degeneration of affected tissue. Therefore, Dr. Eisele investigates what factors favor protein misfolding, how exactly the misfolding occurs and what cytotoxic consequences arise from it. A particular focus is on so-called oligomers, i.e. smaller protein aggregates that are presumably particularly cytotoxic when formed. Ongoing projects focus on cardiac transthyretin-related amyloidosis, transthyretin-related cerebral amyloid angiopathy and delineating cytotoxic consequences of Abeta oligomers in the context of Alzheimer’s disease.

John Evankovich III, MD
Division/Institute: Pulmonary, Allergy and CCM
Mentor: Bill Chen, PhD
Career Development Award: NHLBI K08
Research
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.

Ning Feng, MD, PhD
Division/Institute: Cardiology/Vascular Medicine Institute
Mentors: Iain Scott, PhD / Toren Finkel, MD, PhD
Career Development Award: NHLBI K08

Marc Gauthier, MD
Division/Institute: Pulmonary, Allergy and CCM
Mentors: Anuradha Ray, PhD / Sally Wenzel, MD
Career Development Award: Parker B. Francis Foundation

Ghady Haidar, MD
Division/Institute: Infectious Diseases
Mentors: Neil Clancy, MD / Alison Morris, MD, MS
Career Development Award: NIAID K23
Research
My research interest lies in infectious complications among immunocompromised hosts, primarily organ transplant recipients and patients with hematological malignancies. My K23 award focuses on the changes in the gut microbiome among lung or liver transplant recipients as they develop colonization or infection with multidrug-resistant organisms. My hope is to use this knowledge to conduct clinical trials of novel therapies such as fecal microbiota transplant or bacteriophages to treat drug-resistant organisms in these patients. I also have an interest in COVID-19 in this patient population, particularly oncology patients who are at risk for protracted SARS-CoV-2 replication and intra-host viral evolution.

Dennis Hsu, MD
Mentors:
Career Development Award: Physician-Scientist Training Award (Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation)
Research

Amber Johnson, MD, MBA
Division/Institute: Cardiology
Mentor: Jared Magnani, MD, MSc
Career Development Award: NHLBI R33 (supplement)
Research

Charles Jonassaint, PhD, MHS
Division/Institute: General Internal Medicine
Mentors:
Career Development Award: NHLBI K23

Georgios Kitsios, MD, PhD
Division/Institute: Pulmonary, Allergy and CCM
Mentors: Alison Morris, MD, MS / Bryan McVerry, MD
Career Development Award: NHLBI K23
Research

Corrine Kliment, MD, PhD
Division/Institute: Pulmonary, Allergy and CCM
Mentor: Steven Shapiro, MD
Career Development Award: NHLBI K08
Research
Dr. Kliment’s laboratory is interested in identifying new molecular pathways connecting mitochondrial dysfunction with epithelial and innate immune cell function in the pathogenesis of chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD) and pulmonary fibrosis to improve therapeutic options for patients. Our lab specifically studies the role of adenine nucleotide translocase (a canonical mitochondrial ADP/ATP transporter) in the airway and alveolar epithelium of the lung in the context of cigarette smoking-related lung disease and lung fibrosis. We want to better understand how, in health and disease, ANT regulates epithelial function through mitochondrial metabolism and cellular senescence. We have also found that ANT plays a role in airway epithelial homeostasis through surface hydration and the action of tiny motile cilia in the airway. We utilize a repertoire of relevant murine models of injury, molecular genetic approaches, in vitro biochemical assays, and human bio-samples to examine mitochondrial and cell homeostasis in the lung.

Travis Lear, PhD
Mentors: Toren Finkel, MD, PhD / Stacey Rizzo, PhD / Bill Chen, PhD
Career Development Award: NIA K99
Research

Carissa Low, PhD
Mentor: John Jakcic, PhD
Career Development Award: NCI K07
Research

Jing Luo, MD, MPH
Division/Institute: General Internal Medicine
Mentor: Walid Gellad, MD, MPH
Career Development Award: Pitt KL2 / NIDDK K23
Research
Dr. Luo’s research focuses on increasing patient access to affordable prescription drugs for patients with chronic diseases, such as diabetes mellitus. His NIDDK K23 Award seeks to determine the effect of cost-related medication restrictions on medication selection and adherence for patients with type 2 diabetes, using both qualitative and quantitative research methods (e.g. Optum). It will also develop a provider-facing educational outreach intervention to help improve evidence-based use of newer glucose lowering medications. Prior to starting his K23, he was supported by Pitt’s Clinical and Translational Science Scholar (KL2) program.

Nicolas Montalbetti
Mentors: Gerard Apodaca, PhD / Marcelo Carattino, PhD
Career Development Award: Research Scholar Award / Urology Care Foundation
Research
My research focuses on how the interface between epithelium and sensory neurons regulates bladder homeostasis and activity, and how changes in the properties of these cells can result in organ malfunction. In particular, I am very interested in studying how bacterial infection of the bladder can affect urothelial homeostasis and permeability, and afferent sensory signaling. There is limited knowledge of the molecular mechanisms that drive voiding symptoms and pain in several pathologies that affect the lower urinary tract system. My overall plan is to use a combination of physiological, biochemical, pharmacological and molecular biology techniques to fill this knowledge gap.

Benjamin Nacev, MD, PhD
Division/Institute: Hematology/Oncology
Mentor: Jeremy Rich, MD (previously C. David Allis)
Career Development Award: NCI K08
Research
The K08-supported research program will determine how a novel class of mutations in histones, the fundamental subunits of chromatin, promote cancer development. Histones control gene expression and differentiation, the process by which cells develop into mature, functional tissue-specific cells and which is disrupted by histone mutations. This research will lead to the development of novel cancer treatments that reverse cancer promotion by mutant histones.

Niranjana Natarajan, PhD
Division/Institute: Vascular Medicine Institute
Mentor: Partha Dutta, DVM, PhD
Career Development Award: NHLBI K99
Research
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.

Andrey Parkhitko, PhD
Division/Institute: Endocrinology/Aging Institute
Mentor: external
Career Development Award: NIA K99/R00
Research

Tirthadipa Pradhan-Sundd, PhD
Division/Institute: Hematology/Oncology
Mentors: Mark Gladwin, MD
Career Development Award: NIDDK K01
Research

Chethan Puttarajappa, MD
Division/Institute: Renal-Electrolyte
Mentors: Kenneth Smith, MD, MS / Sundaram Hariharan, MD
Career Development Award: NIDDK K08
Research
Dr. Puttarajappa’s research is focused on evaluating the role of virtual HLA crossmatch for deceased donor kidney transplantation(DDKT). Several logistical issues complicate kidney allocation and organ placement, thereby increasing ischemia times and risk of organ discards. Dr. Puttarajappa is investigating the potential benefits of omitting a cell-based (physical) HLA crossmatch and proceeding to transplant surgery with just the result of a virtual HLA crossmatch. He is using a combination of transplant registry analysis, survey methodology and decision analysis to evaluate the impact of virtual HLA crossmatch on cold ischemia time and transplant outcomes, variation in practice across US transplant centers and the risks and benefits of using a virtual crossmatch strategy over a cell-based HLA crossmatch strategy. His other research interests include application of decision and cost-effectiveness analyses to transplantation and evaluating methods to reduce detrimental impact of modifiable post-transplant events such as late-onset CMV infection and immunosuppression non-adherence.

Deirdre Quinn, PhD
Division/Institute: General Internal Medicine
Mentors: Sonya Borrero, MD, MS / Ann-Marie Rosland, MD, MS
Career Development Award: VA Mentored Research Scientist Development Award
Research
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.

Thomas Radomski, MD, MS
Division/Institute: General Internal Medicine
Mentor: Walid Gellad, MD, MPH
Career Development Award: NIA K23
Research
Dr. Radomski is an Assistant Professor of Medicine and Clinical & Translational Science within the Division of General Internal Medicine and Center for Pharmaceutical Policy & Prescribing. He is also affiliated with the Pittsburgh VA Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion as a Research Health Scientist. As a practicing general internist and health services researcher, Dr. Radomski’s research focuses on practical and scalable solutions to accurately measure and reduce the delivery of low-value care and how the receipt of care across multiple healthcare systems influences health service utilization, outcomes, and value. He is supported by a K23 Career Development Award from the National Institute on Aging and is also leading a major VA study to evaluate the use and cost of low-value health services by Veterans in VA and non-VA care settings. His research has been published in journals such as JAMA, the Annals of Internal Medicine, and the Journal of the American Geriatric Society. He also serves as the Director of Academic Programs in Clinical Research for the Institute for Clinical Research Education.

Evan Ray, MD, PhD
Division/Institute: Renal-Electrolyte
Mentor: Tom Kleyman, MD
Career Development Award: NIDDK K08

Shari Rogal, MD, MPH
Division/Institute: Gastroenterology
Mentor: Kevin Kraemer, MD, MSc
Career Development Award: NIDA K23
Research
Dr. Rogal is a gastroenterologist, transplant hepatologist, and implementation scientist. Her K23 work focuses on using Intervention Mapping to develop a patient-centered approach to pain self-management for people with cirrhosis. She also conducts national, mixed methods implementation work in the VA, developing novel methods for measuring and delivering data-driven combinations of implementation strategies to improve the quality and equity of healthcare. She serves as the co-developer and co-Director of the Pitt Dissemination and Implementation Science Collaborative (DISC), co-Director of the VA Implementation Core of the Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion and the Pitt CTSI’s IMPACT and Implementation Lab cores.

Cody Rutledge, MD, PhD
Division/Institute: Vascular Medicine Institute
Mentors: Brett Kaufman, PhD / Ola Oladipupo, MD
Career Development Award: VA CDA2
Research

Jami Saloman, PhD
Division/Institute: Gastroenterology
Mentors: Dhiraj Yadav, MD, MPH / Brian Davis,PhD
Career Development Award: NIDDK K01
Research
Dr. Saloman is a basic and translational researcher with diverse research focuses on the intersection between the peripheral nervous system and organ function, including under normal and pathological conditions such as pancreatitis, cancer, and chronic pain. Her K-related research is a two-pronged approach aimed at dissecting the underlying mechanisms contributing to the diverse pain patterns associated with chronic pancreatitis. She is utilizing patient recorded outcomes and biochemical analysis of serum in combination with her novel optogenetic animal model. The goal of these studies is to parse out signaling pathways that can be targeted for novel approaches to pain management. More information about her research can be found at salomanlab.pitt.edu.

Anita Saraf, MD, PhD
Mentors: Toren Finkel MD, PhD and Bernhard Kuhn, MD
Career Development Award: AHA / NHLBI K08
Research

Leslie Scheunemann, MD, MPH
Division/Institute: Geriatric Medicine
Mentors: Natalie Leland, PhD / Chip Reynolds, MD
Career Development Award: AHRQ K08
Research
An Assistant Professor with dual training in geriatrics and pulmonary/critical care medicine, Dr. Scheunemann has an AHRQ-funded K08 to develop and pilot test a stakeholder-driven, telehealth-delivered transitional care intervention for rural-dwelling critical illness survivors and their family caregivers. She will use implementation science methods to adapt successful interventions from other fields to the post-ICU context, focusing on transitional care, family support and training, and rehabilitation. The goal of this research is to optimize quality, affordability, and access to care for vulnerable populations of critical illness survivors.

Craig Seaman, MD, MS
Division/Institute: Hematology/Oncology
Mentor: Margaret Ragni, MD, MPH
Career Development Award: NHLBI K23
Research
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.

Faraaz Shah, MD, MPH
Division/Institute: Pulmonary, Allergy and CCM
Mentors: Christopher O’Donnell, PhD / Bryan McVerry, MD
Career Development Award: NIGMS K23
Research

Mark Snyder, MD
Division/Institute: Pulmonary, Allergy and CCM
Mentors: Fadi Lakkis, MD / John McDyer, MD
Career Development Award: NHLBI K23
Research
Recently, Dr. Snyder identified that lung donor memory T cells, the predominant cell in the adaptive immune system, survive following transplantation and persist for weeks to months in the recipient. Furthermore, this survival of donor T cells is associated with improved short-term outcomes. Additionally, they found that lung allograft-infiltrating, recipient-derived T cells which migrate to the lungs following transplantation take up residency within the lung. His lab is focusing on determining the function and specificity of these tissue-resident memory T cells and if they are contributing to chronic rejection.
In addition to lung transplantation, the Snyder lab is actively investigating the role of tissue resident memory T cells on pulmonary fibrosis and chronic airway inflammation in human lungs.

Tomeka Suber, MD
Division/Institute: Pulmonary, Allergy and CCM
Mentor: Janet Lee, MD
Career Development Award: NHLBI K08
Research
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.

Wei Sun, MD
Division/Institute: Cardiology/Vascular Medicine Institute
Mentors: Stephen Chan, MD, PhD
Career Development Award: AHA CDA; NHLBI K08
Research

Jay Tan, PhD
Division/Institute: Aging Institute
Mentors: Toren Finkel, MD, PhD; Stacey J. Sukoff Rizzo, PhD; Ana Maria Cuervo, MD, PhD
Career Development Award: NIA K01
Research
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

Holly Thomas, MD, MS
Division/Institute: General Internal Medicine
Mentors: Rebecca Thurston, PhD / Sonya Borrero, MD, MS
Career Development Award: NIA K23
Research
Dr. Thomas seeks to conduct innovative, interdisciplinary, patient-centered clinical research that will improve the health and quality of life of women as they age. In particular, she is interested in understanding the physical and psychosocial factors that contribute to sexual dysfunction in midlife and older women and using this understanding to develop behavioral treatment options for this population.

Jeremy Tilstra, MD, PhD
Division/Institute: Rheumatology
Mentor: Mark Shlomchik, MD, PhD
Career Development Award: NIAMS K08
Research

Giraldina Trevejo-Nunez, MD
Division/Institute: Infectious Diseases
Mentor: Sarah Gaffen, PhD
Career Development Award: NHLBI K01
Research
I am interested in the host-pathogen interaction during pneumonia. I use murine models of pneumonia with pathogens such as Klebsiella and Streptococcus pneumoniae. My first interest is the contribution of IL-22/IL-22R1 signaling in the lung epithelium to control infectious processes. A second interest is in the negative regulation of inflammation during pneumonia through the RNA binding protein Regnase-1. For that we are analyzing the effects of Regnase-1 deficiency in different lung populations during pneumonia.

Ravy Vajravelu, MD
Division/Institute: Gastroenterology
Mentors: Walid Gellad, MD / Rocky Schoen, MD
Career Development Award: NIDDK K08
Research
Ravy K. Vajravelu, MD MSCE, is a gastroenterologist and clinical epidemiologist in the Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition. His long-term research goal is to develop precision medicine tools that inform therapeutic decision making in gastroenterology by integrating insights from across biomedical science. He is pursuing this goal through three complementary objectives:
- To design biostatistical methods to efficiently analyze high-dimensional clinical datasets
- To build epidemiologic models of gastroenterology conditions such as colorectal cancer, Barrett’s esophagus, and gastroesophageal reflux
- To develop informatics approaches to integrate diverse biomedical data for clinical prediction.
By completing these objectives, Dr. Vajravelu and his multidisciplinary research team aim to develop algorithms to provide gastroenterology patients and providers with precision screening and therapeutics recommendations.

Eleanor Valenzi, MD
Mentors: Robert Lafyatis, MD
Career Development Award: NHLBI K08
Research

J. Deanna Wilson, MD, MPH
Mentors: Jane Liebschutz, MD, MPH / Kevin Kraemer, MD, MSc
Career Development Award: NIDA K23
Research
Dr. Wilson is a clinician investigator in general internal medicine and adolescent and young adult medicine. She is a graduate of Swarthmore College, and received her medical degree from Yale University School of Medicine. She completed residency training in internal medicine and pediatrics followed by subspecialty training in adolescent and addiction medicine at Johns Hopkins. Dr. Wilson’s research interests include reducing substance use-related health disparities and building equity, with an emphasis on innovative strategies to treat opioid use disorders in adolescent and adult populations. Her work includes integrating harm reduction into primary care settings, developing low threshold models of care to improve engagement and retention of vulnerable populations, and improving engagement and retention of adolescents and young adults in OUD treatment. She is currently co-director of the Clinical Scientist Track, and assistant director of the Internal Scholars Track of the UPMC Internal Medicine residency program.

Haodi Wu, PhD
Division/Institute: Cardiology/Vascular Medicine Institute
Mentor: external
Career Development Award: NHLBI K99/R00
Research
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.

Joo Yoon, MD
Division/Institute: Pulmonary, Allergy and CCM
Mentors: Gilles Clermont, MD, MSc / Michael Pinsky, MD
Career Development Award: NIGMS K23
Research

Manling Zhang, MD, MS
Division/Institute: Cardiology/Vascular Medicine Institute
Mentors: Iain Scott, PhD / Toren Finkel, MD, PhD
Career Development Award: NHLBI K08
Research
Dr. Zhang is currently studying the mechanism of GCN5L1, a mitochondrial acetyltransferase, in enhancing cardiac bioenergetics through retrograde activation of PGC-1α signaling in response to hemodynamic stress or exercise using cardiac specific GCN5L1 deficient mice. As a cardiologist subspecializing in advanced heart failure and transplantation, and as a basic scientist studying cardiomyocyte biology, Dr. Zhang’s long-term career goal is to become a physician scientist, focusing on reciprocal regulation of cardiac epigenetics and metabolism regulation in heart failure and exercise to discover a more effective treatment for heart failure.