Recipients of Funding

Recipients, 2008-2009 Pilot Fund Awards ($75,000 for One Year)

Alejandro Aballay, PhD, Assistant Professor, Molecular Genetics & Microbiology, for his proposal: "Intelligent command of defenses: neural regulation of innate immunity"

Jen-Tsan Ashley Chi, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor, Molecular Genetics & Microbiology, for his proposal: "microRNA cross-species trans-splicing as a novel mechanism for malaria resistance in sickle cell disease"

Geoffrey Pitt, MD, PhD, Associate Professor, Dept. Medicine, Division of Cardiology and Institute for Genome Sciences and Policy, for his proposal: "Defining Unexpected Roles for Voltage-gated Ca2+ Channels in Development and Birth Defects"

Raphael Valdivia, PhD, Assistant Professor, Molecular Genetics & Microbiology, for his proposal: "Mutational Analysis of Genetically Intractable Organisms"

Xiao-Fan Wang, PhD, Professor, Pharmacology & Cancer Biology, for his proposal: "Identification and functional characterization of microRNAs and their target genes involved in the promotion of hepatocellular carcinoma metastasis"

Recipients, 2008-2009 Continuation of Research Study for Medical Students

Christine Kinnier, for her project "Role of Pattern Recognition Receptors in Lymphocytic Bronchiolitis," in conjunction with Scott Palmer, Dept. of Medicine, Division of Pulmonology.

Adolph Flowers, for his project "The importance of the STIM1-Desmin interaction in SOC function and its relation to hypertensive disease," in conjunction with Paul Rosenberg, Dept. of Medicine, Division of Cardiology.

Other Funding Commitments of Dr. Dzau and the Science Council

2009:  $15,000 to Chris Kontos, Director of the Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP, MD-PhD Program), to support the first off-site retreat for the MSTP expected to occur July 2010.