1st Quarter Grants and Awards top $31 million

Published on Friday, October 29, 2021

By: Karen Bascom

The University of Mississippi Medical Center garnered 102 new, continuing, transferred and revised grants and awards from July through September 2021, totaling $31,009,775. The following personnel received the largest new and competitive renewal awards during the quarter. Dollar values shown represent the first year of funding or the anticipated total funding for a multi-year award.

Dr. Joey Granger, dean of the School of Graduate Studies in the Health Sciences, received a five-year, $20 million competitive renewal from the National Institutes of Health for the “Mississippi Center for Clinical and Translational Research.”

Dr. Bradley Walters, assistant professor of neurobiology and anatomical sciences, received a five-year, $3.2 million grant from the NIH for the project, “The role of Pou4f3 in age-related vestibular dysfunction.”

Dr. Kevin Freeman, associate professor of psychiatry and human behavior, received a five-year, $2.2 million competitive renewal from the NIH for the project, “Deterrents for prescription opioid abuse.”

Dr. Yann Gibert, associate professor of cell and molecular biology, received a five-year, $1.8 million grant from the NIH for the project, “Mechanisms responsible for tooth morphogenesis in vertebrates.”

Dr. Kendall McKenzie, chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine, received $750,000 from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation for the “STORK program.”

Dr. Shou-Ching Tang, professor of medicine, received $740,350 for an industry-sponsored research agreement.

Dr. Ben Brock, associate professor of medicine, received $495,700 and $106,607 for two industry-sponsored research agreements.

Dr. Vikas Majithia, professor of medicine, received $455,800 for an industry-sponsored research agreement.

Dr. Dustin Sarver, associate professor of psychiatry and human behavior, received $455,586 from the Health Resources and Services Administration for the project, “MAGNOLIA: Expanding child and family integrated behavioral healthcare in Mississippi.”

Dr. Clark Henegan, associate professor medicine, received $450,000 from the NIH and Oregon Health and Science University for the “SWOG network group operations center of National Clinical Trials Network.”

Dr. Ashley Robinson, professor of microbiology and immunology, received a two-year, $426,250 grant from the NIH for the project, “Modeling the emergence of MRSA strains.”

Dr. Eric Vallender, associate professor of psychiatry and human behavior, received a two-year, $426,250 from the NIH for the project, “Host genetic variation affecting the microbiome.”

Dr. Jian-Xiong Chen, professor of pharmacology and toxicology, received $387,500 from the NIH for the project, “Endothelial PHD2 in hypertensive vascular remodeling.”

Dodie McElmurray, CEO of UMMC Grenada and Holmes County, received $297,174 from the Health Resources and Services Administration for the “UMMC Vaccine Confidence Project.”

Dr. Craig Long, associate professor of medicine, received $250,749 for an industry-sponsored research agreement.

Dr. Nicholas McAfee, assistant professor of psychiatry and human behavior, received $240,107 from the Department of Education and the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning for the project, “Tele-mental health needs assessment for Mississippi public university schools.”

Dr. Thomas Mosley, director of The MIND Center, received $107,415 from the NIH and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center for the project, “Prognostic implications of home-based blood pressure monitoring in older adults” and $53,394 from the NIH and Johns Hopkins University for the project, “Clinical relevance of glucose patterns in older adults.”

Dr. Yin-Yuan Mo, professor of pharmacology and toxicology, received $155,000 from the Department of Defense for the project, “Role of the IncRNA-encoded peptides involved in kidney cancer.”

Dr. Sarah Glover, professor of medicine, received $77,500 for an industry-sponsored research agreement and $69,487 from the NIH and Yale University for the project, “Repurposing pharmacological agents for inherited mast cell disorders of the gut.”

Dr. Mario Sims, chief science officer for the Jackson Heart Study, received $126,461 from the NIH and Drexel University for the project, “Cardiometabolic risk development and management in changing neighborhoods: The Jackson Heart Study.”

Dr. Mary Marquart, professor of microbiology and immunology, received $93,438 from the NIH for the project, “An innovative device to rapidly dissolve microbial keratitis.”

Dr. Frank Spradley, assistant professor of surgery, received $88,180 for an industry-sponsored research agreement.

Dr. Richard Summers, associate vice chancellor for research, received $87,000 from the Robert Hearin Foundation for the project, “Mayo COVID-19 biobank at UMMC.”

Dr. Alan Mouton, instructor in physiology and biophysics, received $77,000 from the AHA for the project, Role of macrophage metabolism in cardiac remodeling during metabolic syndrome.”

Dr. Carter Milner, associate professor of medicine, received $67,000 for an industry-sponsored research agreement.

Dr. Ana Omoto, postdoctoral fellow in physiology and biophysics, received $66,926 from the American Heart Association for the project, “Cardiac protection by CNS leptin administration after ischemia/reperfusion.”

Dr. Vishnu Garla, associate professor of medicine, received $51,404 for an industry-sponsored research agreement.

Dr. Caroline Compretta, assistant professor of preventive medicine, received $50,000 from the NIH and the University of Mississippi for the project, “Student-centered outcomes research experience.”