Q1 grants and awards exceed $23 million

Published on Monday, December 18, 2023

By: Andrea Wright Dilworth, awdilworth@umc.edu

Researchers at the University of Mississippi Medical Center garnered 51 new, continuing, transferred and revised grants and awards for fiscal year 2024 from July through September 2023, totaling $23,284,796.  

The following faculty and staff received the largest competitive funding awards during the quarter.  

Dr. April Carson, director of the Jackson Heart Study, received from the National Institutes of Health a $5.6 million award for the project, “Jackson Heart Study Coordinating Center Task Area D-Core” and $3.4 million for “Jackson Heart Study Field Center Task Area D-Core.” 

Dr. Saurabh Chandra, chief telehealth officer, received a $5.47 million award from the Mississippi Department of Education for the project, “ESSER Telehealth Services in Schools Grant.” 

Dr. Jennifer Reneker, assistant dean of population health, received from the NIH a $1.9 million award for the project, “Jackson Heart Study Training and Education Center Task Area B – Biomedical Training.” 

Dr. Ralph Didlake, director of the Center for Bioethics and Medical Humanities, received from the National Archives and Records Administration a $1.09 million award for the project, “Mississippi Medical History Online: The UMMC Digital Collections Initiative.”  

Dr. Abigail Gamble, associate professor of preventive medicine, received from the Department of Health and Human Services a $1 million award for the project, “Mississippi Diabetes Project: Advancing Health Equity in Diabetes Care and Prevention.” 

Dr. Michael Garrett, professor of pharmacology and chair of cell and molecular biology, received from the Robert M. Hearin Foundation $763,500 for the project, “Project Baby Magnolia.” 

Dr. Alan Mouton, assistant professor of physiology and biophysics, received from the NIH a $609,793 award for the project, “Anti-Inflammatory Roles and Macrophage Metabolism of Lactate and Ketones during Myocardial Infarction.” He also received a $77,000 award for the project, “Role of Macrophage Metabolism in Cardiac Remodeling during Metabolic Syndrome.”   

Dr. Courtney Walker, assistant professor of psychiatry, received from the University of Mississippi and the Robert M. Hearin Foundation a $481,319 award for the project, “Hearin SOE Early Child ASD Evaluation Clinic.” 

Dr. Mauda Monger, assistant professor of population health science, received from the Mississippi State Department of Health and DHHS a $450,463 award for the project, “MSDH Medical Monitoring Project (MMP).” She also received $100,165 from My Brother’s Keeper and DHHS for the project “Capacity Building Assistance for High Impact HIV Prevention.” 

Dr. Mark Livingston, professor of advanced general dentistry, received from the Health Resources and Services Administration a $450,000 award for the project, “Postdoctoral Training in General Dentistry.” 

Dr. Mary Marquart, professor of cell and molecular biology, received from the NIH a $426,250 award for the project, “Mechanisms Underlying Adhesion and Colonization in Pneumococcal Keratitis.” 

Dr. Alicia Rose, associate professor of advanced general dentistry, received from HRSA a $264,182 award for the project, “Community-Based Dental Partnership.” 

Dr. Roberto Santos, professor of pediatrics, received from HRSA a $205,313 award for the project, “Ryan White Title IV Women, Infants, Children, Youth and Affected Family Members AIDS Healthcare” and $26,550 for an industry-sponsored research agreement. 

Dr. Michael Marlin, assistant professor of emergency medicine, received from MSDH and DHHS a $200,000 award for the project, “Mississippi Regional Poison Control Center.” 

Dr. Ji Li, professor of physiology and biophysics, received from Virginia Commonwealth University and NIH a $179,828 award for the project, “Metformin Therapy for Ischemic Insult and Reperfusion Injury in Aging.” He also received a $14,996 award from Augusta University Research Institute and NIH for the project, “Novel Role of Bscl2 in Cardiac Substrate Metabolism and Function.”  

Dr. Pierre de Delva, director of thoracic oncology and program director of thoracic surgery residency, received from MSDH and DHHS an $80,462 award for the project, “Comprehensive Tobacco Treatment Program.” 

Dr. Noha Elsayed, assistant professor of pharmacology and toxicology, received from the American Heart Association a $77,000 award for the project, “Consequences of Maternal Hyperandrogenemia With/Without Obesity on Adult Male and Female Offspring.” 

Dr. Celso Gomez-Sanchez, professor of pharmacology and toxicology, received from G.V. Sonny Montgomery Veteran Affairs Medical Center a $61,532 award for the project, “IPA Agreement – Terriona Cowan.”