2019 Research Symposium Awards & Highlights

Dee Ford, M.D., MSCR 
Professor, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, Allergy, & Sleep Medicine

Devin Blankinship, M.D.
PGY3 Resident

Recognizes faculty member(s) with
CY18 high impact original science publications.

Louis Luttrell, M.D., Ph.D.
Professor and Endowed Chair, James A. Keating for Diabetes
Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases
“Manifold roles of β-arrestins in GPCR signaling elucidated with siRNA and CRISPR/Cas9”
Publication: Science Signaling (September 2018)

John Wrangle, M.D.
Assistant Professor, Division of Hematology/Oncology
“ALT-803, an IL-15 superagonist, in combination with nivolumab in patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer: a non-randomised, open-label, phase 1b trial”
Publication: The Lancet Oncology (May 2018)

Recognizes the Top 10 faculty members in the Department of Medicine with the most Original Science Publications in past calendar year (CY18).

The MilliPub Club honors and recognizes current faculty who have published one or more individual papers throughout their careers that have each garnered more than 1000 citations. Such a paper is commonly considered a “citation classic” and represents high impact scholarship.

Scott Curry, MD
Assistant Professor, Division of Infectious Diseases
Category: Junior Faculty
Mentor: Cassandra Salgado, M.D., MS
Title: "Natural history of Clostridioides difficile colonization among a cohort of hospital inpatients at a tertiary academic medical center"

Roula Sasso, M.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow, Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Category: Postdoctoral Fellow
Mentor: Don C. Rockey, M.D.
Title: "Anticoagulation therapy in patients with liver cirrhosis is associated with an increased risk of variceal hemorrhage"

Ashish Solanki, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow, Division of Nephrology
Category: Postdoctoral Fellow
Mentor: Deepak Nihalani, Ph.D.
Title: "Novel mutations in Kirrel1, a slit diaphragm component cause steroid resistant Nephrotic syndrome"

Nina Thomas, M.D.
Fellow, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, Allergy & Sleep Medicine
Category: Resident/Fellow
Mentors: Nichole Tanner, M.D., & Gerard Silvestri, M.D.
Title: "Effect of cigarette type on lung cancer incidence and mortality in the National Lung Screening Trial"

Jiaqian Xu
4th Year Medical Student
Category: Medical Student
Mentors: Marc Heincelman, M.D., & Don C. Rockey, M.D.
Title: "Identification of Inter-Hospital Transfer Patients at Risk for In-hospital Mortality on Internal Medicine Services"

Harsha Karanchi, M.D.
Title: Maternal Plasma AGEs and Preeclampsia in Women with Type 1 Diabetes
Mentor: Timothy J. Lyons, M.D.
1st Place Winner, Junior Faculty Category

Melissa Cunningham, M.D.
Title: Toll-like receptor 7/8 agonism accelerates disease and causes a fatal myeloproliferative disorder in lupus mice
Mentor: Gary Gilkeson, M.D.
2nd Place Winner, Junior Faculty Category

Ahmed Khalifa, Ph.D.
Title: Value of Liver Biopsy in Evaluating Abnormal Liver Function Tests
Mentor: Don C. Rockey, M.D.
1st Place Winner, Postdoctoral Fellow Category

Kamala Sundararaj, Ph.D.
Title: Neu1 mediates cytokine release by mesangial cells through TLR4-MAPK pathway
Mentor: Tamara Nowling, Ph.D.
2nd Place Winner, Postdoctoral Fellow Category

Ahmadreza Karimianpour, D.O.
Title: Left Bundle Branch Block after Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement Negatively Impacts Biventricular Remodeling and Function
Mentor: Michael R. Gold, M.D., Ph.D., & Daniel H. Steinberg, M.D.
1st Place Winner, Resident/Fellow Category

Devin Blankinship, M.D.
Title: Statin Prescribing Behavior and Built-in Risk Calculators for Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Risk: a Quality Improvement Project Focused on Primary Prevention at an Academic Medical Center
Mentor: Elisha Brownfield, M.D. & William P. Moran, M.D., MS
2nd Place Winner, Resident/Fellow Category

Ben Long, M.D.
Title: Revisiting Primary Care: A Quality Improvement Study
Mentor: Samuel Schumann III, M.D.
3rd Place Winner, Resident/Fellow Category

Myroslawa Happe
Title: Heterogeneity of IgM Memory B Cells and Their Role in Pneumococcal Vaccination in Aging HIV-positive Individuals
Mentor: Julie Westerink, M.D.

Nathan Sairam
Title: The Prevalence of Hepatic Sarcoidosis in a Sarcoidosis Clinic
Mentor: Don C. Rockey, M.D.
1st Place Winner, Medical Student Category

Mark Cromer
Title: Depression, Substance Abuse, Domestic Violence, and Health Related Social Needs in a Free Clinic Setting: The Value of a Universal Screening Tool
Mentor: Amanda Davis, M.D., & Nathan Bradford, M.D.
2nd Place Winner, Medical Student Category

Patricia Jokl
Title: Headache characteristics among patients with epilepsy and the association with temporal encephaloceles
Mentor: Zeke Campbell, M.D.
3rd Place Winner, Medical Student Category