Research Holdings Increase, Researchers Honored

The College of Medicine celebrated its research successes and congratulated key contributors during its annual Research Recognition Awards Program Thursday, Nov. 21, in the CARE/Crawley Atrium and Kaplan Reception Area.

The college increased its grant holdings to $103.8 million in FY2019, Melanie Cushion, PhD, senior associate dean for research, announced at the beginning of the event. The total is up from $99.6 million in FY2018 and $98.4 million in FY2017.

Cushion said the number of new grants awarded in FY2019 also was up significantly from last year, rising to 233 from 160. The percentage of applications funded also increased to 34% in FY2019 from 23% the previous year. That percentage far exceeds the average National Institutes of Health success rate of 20%, she said.

Clinical trial revenue also increased in FY2019, totaling $14.5 million, up from $12.1 million in FY2018, said Brett Kissela, MD, senior associate dean for clinical research.

Faculty who were recognized for their research excellence and contributions were:

• Trisha Wise-Draper, MD, PhD, associate professor, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, received the Clinical Trialist of the Year Award, honoring the investigator with the greatest revenue from industry-funded clinical trials during the year.
• Brandon Foreman, MD, associate professor, Department of Neurology and Rehabilitation Medicine, and Jiajie Diao, PhD, assistant professor, Department of Cancer Biology, received the Research Rising Star Award, recognizing investigators who demonstrate outstanding research accomplishments during their early career.
• Tonya LaSorella-Dorst, RN, senior research professional, Department of Surgery, Division of Transplantation, received the Clinical Research Professional Award and
• Elizabeth Serafin, principal research assistant, Department of Anesthesiology, received the Laboratory Research Professional Award. The awards honor staff who serve the college’s research mission in a way that vastly transforms productivity and drives the research enterprise.
• Timothy Pritts, MD, PhD, professor, Department of Surgery, received the Research Service Award, which recognizes faculty who have committed their time and expertise to improving the quality and rigor of research at the College of Medicine and who have demonstrated exceptional service to the college.
• The Collaborative for Research on Acute Neurological Injuries (CRANI) received the Team Science Award. CRANI members include Foreman, Jed Hartings, PhD, professor, Department of Neurosurgery, and Laura Ngwenya, MD, PhD, assistant professor, Department of Neurosurgery. The Team Science Award recognizes College of Medicine faculty members who have successfully created a multidisciplinary research team that significantly contributes to the mission of the college.

Jennifer Forrester, MD, associate professor in the Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, also presented the following awards from the college’s Women in Medicine and Science (WIMS) group, for which she serves as president:

• Sarah Pickle, MD, associate professor, Department of Family and Community Medicine, Outstanding Leadership Award, recognizing a WIMS member for their outstanding contributions and dedication to the advancement of the WIMS mission and enhancing the work environment for women within the college.
• Heather Christensen, PhD, associate professor, Department of Medical Education, and Sarah Ronan-Bentle, MD, associate professor, Department of Emergency Medicine, Outstanding Mentorship Award, recognizing WIMS members who have served as outstanding formal or informal mentors for faculty, trainees and students at the College of Medicine and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.
• Alison Weiss, PhD, professor, Department of Molecular Genetics, Biochemistry and Microbiology, Distinguished Contributions Award, which recognizes a WIMS member who has made substantial contributions to advancing the mission of WIMS through implementing initiatives that develop opportunities for career advancement and networking and enhances the climate of the College of Medicine.
• Abbigail Tissot, PhD, assistant dean, Office of Admission and Recruitment Programs, Grace LeMasters, PhD, Professor Emerita “Lift While You Climb” Mentorship Award, which recognizes a person at the College of Medicine or Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center who has mentored two or more women in medicine or science.
• Aaron Marshall, PhD, associate professor, Department of Medical Education, Champion Award, which recognizes a WIMS ally who has made significant contributions to the advancement, retention and recognition of women in the College of Medicine, including Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.

Faculty also were recognized with pins designating the amount of research awards they brought in during FY2019. All have been included in the college’s Gallery of Awardees throughout the year.

Gold pin recipients (new awards totaling more than $2 million):

• Temugin Berta, PhD, Department of Anesthesiology
• Joseph Broderick, MD, Department of Neurology and Rehabilitation Medicine
• James Driscoll, MD, PhD, Department of Surgery
• David Hui, PhD, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
• Chia-Ying Lin, PhD, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery
• Andrew Norman, PhD, Department of Pharmacology and Systems Physiology
• Susan Pinney, PhD, Department of Environmental Health
• Patrick Tso, PhD, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
• Achala Vagal, MD, Department of Radiology
• Susan Waltz, PhD, Department of Cancer Biology
• Theresa Winhusen, PhD, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience
• Ying Xia, PhD, Department of Environmental Health

Silver pin recipients (new awards totaling between $500,000 and $2 million):

• Mark Baccei, PhD, Department of Anesthesiology
• Jason Blackard, PhD, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases
• Michael Borchers, PhD, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine
• Melanie Cushion, PhD, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases
• Jiajie Diao, PhD, Department of Cancer Biology
• Guochang Fan, PhD, Department of Pharmacology and Systems Physiology
• Carl Fichtenbaum, MD, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases
• Michael Goodman, MD, Department of Surgery
• Jun-Lin Guan, PhD, Department of Cancer Biology
• Christy Holland, PhD, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Health and Disease
• Christian Hong, PhD, Department of Pharmacology and Systems Physiology
• Jay Johannigman, MD, Department of Surgery
• Pamposh Kaul, MD, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases
• Pooja Khatri, MD, Department of Neurology and Rehabilitation Medicine
• Gurjit Khurana Hershey, MD, PhD, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Immunology, Allergy and Rheumatology
• Evangelia Kranias, PhD, Department of Pharmacology and Systems Physiology
• Scott Langevin, PhD, Department of Environmental Health
• Agnes Luo, PhD, Department of Molecular Genetics, Biochemistry and Microbiology
• Amy Makley, MD, Department of Surgery
• Mario Medvedovic, PhD, Department of Environmental Health
• Erik Nelson, MD, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience
• Laura Ngwenya, MD, PhD, Department of Neurosurgery
• Vanessa Nomellini, MD, Department of Surgery
• Susan Pinney, PhD, Department of Environmental Health
• Timothy Pritts, MD, PhD, Department of Surgery
• Jeffrey Schlaudecker, MD, Department of Family and Community Medicine
• Wenhai Shao, PhD, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Immunology, Allergy and Rheumatology
• Vinita Takiar, MD, PhD, Department of Radiation Oncology
• Thomas Thompson, PhD, Department of Molecular Genetics, Biochemistry and Microbiology
• Chenran Wang, MD, PhD, Department of Cancer Biology
• Yi-Gang Wang, MD, PhD, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
• Alison Weiss, PhD, Department of Molecular Genetics, Biochemistry and Microbiology

Bronze pin recipients (new awards totaling between $100,000 and $500,000):

• Hassane Amlal, PhD, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Nephrology and Hypertension
• George Babcock, PhD, Department of Surgery
• Jonathan Bernstein, MD, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Immunology, Allergy and Rheumatology
• Temugin Berta, PhD, Department of Anesthesiology
• Jennifer Brown, PhD, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience
• Jose Cancelas-Perez, MD, PhD, Hoxworth Blood Center
• Robert Cohen, MD, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism
• William Davidson, PhD, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
• Deeptankar DeMazumder, MD, PhD, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Health and Disease
• Jiajie Diao, PhD, Department of Cancer Biology
• James Driscoll, MD, PhD, Department of Surgery
• Carl Fichtenbaum, MD. Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases
• Kenneth Greis, PhD, Department of Cancer Biology
• Michael Holliday, MD, Department of Family and Community Medicine
• Kristin Hudock, MD, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine
• Winston Kao, PhD, Department of Ophthalmology
• Michael Lamba, PhD, Department of Radiation Oncology
• Francis McCormack, MD, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine
• Ardythe Morrow, PhD, Department of Environmental Health
• Joseph Palascak, MD, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology
• Shailendra Patel, PhD, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism
• Khatri Pooja, MD, Department of Neurology and Rehabilitation Medicine
• Timothy Pritts, MD, PhD, Department of Surgery
• Michael Privitera, MD, Department of Neurology and Rehabilitation Medicine
• Sakthivel Sadayappan, PhD, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Health and Disease
• Renu Sah, PhD, Department of Pharmacology and Systems Physiology
• Michael Tranter, PhD, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Health and Disease
• Patrick Tso, PhD, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
• Yvonne Ulrich-Lai, PhD, Department of Pharmacology and Systems Physiology
• Achala Vagal, MD, Department of Radiology
• Eric Wohleb, PhD, Department of Pharmacology and Systems Physiology
• Aram Zabeti, MD, Department of Neurology and Rehabilitation Medicine