Tuesday, May 2, 2023

Announcements

Frontiers in Environmental Science and Health (FrESH) Training Program
Application deadline: Friday, May 5
This innovative advanced program will train and mentor promising graduates, medical students, postdoctoral fellows, and junior faculty from predominantly underrepresented communities in sophisticated technologies in Environmental Health Science Research.

Summer training opportunities for biomedical faculty researchers
Registration is now open for 29 hands-on summer boot camps designed for health and research professionals from any organization and all career stages! Learn immediate takeaway skills directly from the experts over on to four days this summer. Training formats are either in-person in New York City, live stream, virtual over Zoom, or a hybrid mixture.

Early Career Reviewer (ECR) Program
The program aims to help early career scientists become more competitive as grant applicants through first-hand experience with peer review and to enrich and diversify CSR’s pool of trained reviewers.

Upcoming Events

9^th Health Services Research Day
Wednesday, May 3 | 8 a.m.–3 p.m. | Emory School of Medicine Building
Join this symposium and networking opportunity where researchers across Georgia will learn about ongoing quality, effectiveness, and value-based research activities.

Beginning with the end in mind: How superb planning and good data collection hygiene will set you up for research success
Monday, May 8 | noon–1 p.m. | Zoom | Register
Features a successful partnership between a PI and epidemiologist as well as useful information from a REDCap expert and a Research Informationist to help set you up for success in your clinical and outcomes research projects.

Blue Sky Group: Exercise as Medicine
Tuesday, May 9 | 1–2:30 p.m. | Zoom | Register
Join researchers and clinicians from across the Georgia CTSA via Zoom on May 9 from 1:00–2:30 PM for a session on Exercise as Medicine. The discussion will be opened by Dr. Joe Nocera, a leading researcher in this field. Blue Sky Groups provide a unique opportunity for attendees to drive the agenda and catalyze future collaborations and research opportunities.

DOM Health Equity Day
Tuesday, May 16 | 9 a.m.–2 p.m. | Register
This half-day conference aims to raise awareness and encourage action around the systemic health disparities that exist across racial, ethnic, cultural, and social groups while also recognizing interventions and research centered on health equity and historically underrepresented groups in medicine. Learn more.

2023 Atlanta VA Research Day
Thursday, May 18 | 8 a.m.–3 p.m. | SOM James B. Williams Medical Education Building
The 2023 Atlanta VA Research Day will celebrate discoveries and emerging medical innovations in veterans' care, recognize VA researchers' accomplishments, and provide learning and networking opportunities for attendees.

Do you have an upcoming event or educational opportunity?

Highlighted Resource

Funding & Award Opportunities

A searchable External Funding Opportunities Database has been compiled from FOAs in this weekly newsletter, including archived COVID FOAs.
Emory credentials are required to view.

Rheumatology Research Foundation: Fellowship Training Award for Workforce Expansion
Deadline: Thursday, June 1
The purpose of this program is to support the salary of any fellow in an ACGME-accredited rheumatology fellowship training program.

Notice of Special Interest (NOSI): Addressing the Etiology of Health Disparities and Health Advantages Among Immigrant Populations
Opens: Monday, June 5; Expires: June 6, 2026
The purpose of this NOSI is to support innovative research to understand factors uniquely associated with the immigration experience that contribute to health disparities or health advantages among U.S. immigrant populations. 

Notice of Special Interest (NOSI): Research Project Grants in Valvular Heart Disease (CAROL Act)
Opens: Monday, June 5; Expires: May 8, 2026
The purpose of this NOSI is to seek R01 applications that propose research in valvular heart disease.

Implementing Comprehensive HIV services in Syringe Service Program (SSP) Settings (R34 - Clinical Trial Required)
Deadlines: 30 days prior (LOI); Friday, August 11 (Full application)
The purpose of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is to support pilot development and testing of pilot intervention models to demonstrate how syringe service programs (SSPs) can support the expanded implementation of evidence-based HIV services. 

Avenir Award Program for Research on Substance Use Disorders and HIV (DP2 Clinical Trial Optional)
Deadlines: 30 days prior (LOI); Tuesday, August 15 (Full application)
The purpose of this FOA is to support a broad spectrum of approaches spanning both basic and clinical research that have the potential to benefit substance-using populations with or at risk for HIV. 

NIDA Avant-Garde Program for HIV and Substance Use Disorder Research (DP1 Clinical Trial Optional)
Deadlines: 30 days prior (LOI); Tuesday, August 15, 2023; 2024; 2025 (Full application)
The purpose of this FOA is to support exceptionally creative scientists who propose high-impact studies that open new areas of HIV research in the context of substance use and Substance Use Disorders (SUD) and/or lead to new avenues for the prevention and treatment of HIV in people with SUD.

Ending the HIV Epidemic: Focus on Justice Populations with SUD (R61/R33 Clinical Trial Required
Deadlines: Friday, July 14 (LOI); Wednesday, August 16 (Full application)
The purpose of this FOA is to develop innovative strategies to promote improvements in HIV prevention and treatment services for individuals involved in the criminal legal system with substance use disorder (SUD).

Congratulatory Corner

Giorgio Roccaro (Digestive Diseases) received funding from University of Michigan/Genentech, Inc. for a project entitled, “Noninvasive assessment of esophageal varices in patients with unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma – Genentech.”

Have you or a colleague recently received an award or grant funding?

Recent Notable Publications

Anandi Sheth (Infectious Diseases)
Schnittman SR, Jung W, Fitch KV, Zanni MV, McCallum S, Lee JS, et al. Effect of host factors and COVID-19 infection on the humoral immune repertoire in treated HIV. JCI Insight. 2023 Mar 8;8(5):e166848. Read more.

Tracey Henry, Danielle Jones, and Stacie Schmidt (General Internal Medicine)
Chen A, Ayub MH, Mishuris RG, Rodriguez JA, Gwynn K, Lo MC, et al. Telehealth policy, practice, and education: A position statement of the Society of General Internal Medicine. J Gen Intern Med. 2023 Apr 24:1–8. Read more.

Alex Page, Michelle Davis, and Sarah Satola (Infectious Diseases)
Batugal T, Pendyala G, Tomasovic L, Varner C, Caplin JD, Page AM, et al. Engineering active lysostaphin variants that incorporate noncanonical amino acids and characterizing the effects of site-specific PEGylation. Biotechnol Bioeng. 2023 Feb 22. Read more.

Sara Turbow (General Internal Medicine) and J Sonya Haw (Endocrinology)
Chehal PK, Uppal TS, Turbow S, Fernandes G, Haw JS, Shah MK, et al. Continuity of medication use by US adults with diabetes, 2005-2019. JAMA Netw Open. 2023 Jan 3;6(1):e2253562. Read more.

Have you or a colleague recently published an article? 

Spotlighted Researcher

Fauzia Rashid
Clinical Research Coordinator III – Cardiology

What is your professional background?
I obtained my PhD in Molecular Biology through a collaborative program between the University of Massachusetts and the University of Punjab, Pakistan, and worked at various institutions including the CDC. I began my research career at Emory in 2012 as a Lead Project Coordinator for Urban Health Initiative’s Dental Diversion Program and helped in the planning, development, and implementation of the project to better serve the underserved population in metro Atlanta. I earned my MPH from RSPH in 2013 and worked on a thesis project on melanin exposure in the U.S. population, under the mentorship of Dr. Dana Barr. I joined Dr. Puja Mehta’s research team in Cardiology in 2016 with a special focus on women’s heart disease, coronary microvascular dysfunction, cardiac biomarkers, and the role of mental stress in heart disease. I am currently a Senior Clinical Research Coordinator, and I oversee the day-to-day operations of our research program, including participant recruitment, coordinating and conducting study visits, aiding in grant submissions, data management, internal accounting, and oversight of research interns.  

Which division do you work in? Who is your mentor?
I work in the Cardiology Division at Emory School of Medicine as a lead Clinical Research Coordinator under the mentorship of Dr. Puja K. Mehta. I am inspired by the mentors and the work that we do at the Women’s Heart Center and the Emory Clinical Cardiovascular Research Institute.

Briefly describe your research. Why is it important?
I am involved in multiple research studies focused on angina, coronary vascular dysfunction, and adverse outcomes, as well as cardiovascular prevention. Many patients with chest pain who are suspected of having myocardial ischemia and undergo coronary angiography are found to have no obstructive coronary artery disease and are often dismissed without a cardiac diagnosis or therapy. A large proportion of these patients, who are more likely to be women, have coronary vascular dysfunction and are at increased risk for future adverse cardiac events, including myocardial infarction and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. These patients are impacted by their recurrent symptoms and have lower quality of life. Research studies to better understand the mechanisms contributing to abnormal vascular reactivity and high microvascular resistance are needed to better treat this clinical problem.

What do you like most about Emory?
I like the diverse community here and the many opportunities to collaborate at various departments/schools. I also like the great mix of traditional and modern architecture at the Emory campus. 

What is your favorite movie or TV show?
I enjoy adventurous movies and political talk shows.

What do you like to do in your spare time?
I love to travel around the world and spend time with my family.

What is a fun fact about you?
I like to catch up with old friends and make new friends!

RAS News