Past Intramural Awardees
The Saban Research Institute Intramural Awards
Each year The Saban Research Institute (TSRI) provides financial support for an important intramural funding program aimed at developing the next generation of leaders in pediatric research. These funds support enhanced opportunities for educational development and research training, and are awarded following a highly competitive application and selection process. For more information about current intramural opportunities, click here. Past recipients of each award are presented below.
COVID-19 Directed Research
PI: Michael Neely, MD
Department/Division: Pediatrics/Infectious Diseases
Co-I: Stan Louie, PharmD, USC School of Pharmacy
Other Collaborating Institutes: University of Pennsylvania, UC San Diego, UCLA, Children’s Hospital Colorado, University of Chicago, Children’s Mercy Kansas City, Rush Children’s Hospital, Universidade Feevale, Boston Children’s Hospital, Midwestern University, Loma Linda University, Valley Children’s Place, Phenix Children’s Hospital
Proposal Title: Hydroxychloroquine pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics in patients with COVID-19
Abstract: Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) has shown efficacy as a repurposed drug to treat COVID-19 disease. There are no pediatric pharmacokinetic (PK) data published for the drug. This new, multicenter study (CHLA coordinating) will obtain blood samples from inpatients of any age who are being treated with HCQ for clinical management of COVID-19 with dosing per local practice. Samples will be assayed for plasma and leukocyte intracellular HCQ, as well as for biomarkers of lung injury. Data will be incorporated into models to predict appropriate pediatric dosing for HCQ.
PI: Wei Shi, PhD
Department/Division: Surgery
Proposal Title: Novel SPD-sACE2 and/or SPD-S1 fusion proteins in neutralizing SARS-CoV-2 infectivity
Abstract: COVID-19 is caused by SARS-CoV-2 viral infection to respiratory system, and interaction between SARS-CoV-2 spike protein (S1 subunit) and its receptor angiotensin converting enzyme 2 on lung epithelial cells play a key role in virus entry and lifecycle. Surfactant protein-D in lung mucus and surfactant promotes local immunity. We hypothesize that exogenous expression of novel SPD-S1 and/or SPD-secretory-ACE2 proteins will stay on top of lung epithelia and block SARS-CoV-2 -lung epithelial interaction, resulting in prevention and mitigation of COVID-19. We will generate SPD-S1 and SPD-sACE2 expression vectors, and determine whether their expression inhibits SARS-CoV-2 infection in cultured respiratory epithelial cells.
PI: Xiaowu Gai, PhD
Department/Division: Pathology
Co-Is: Jaclyn A. Biegel, PhD; Timothy J. Triche, MD, PhD; Jeffrey Bender, MD
Proposal Title: Interplay of Virus-Host Genetic Factors in COVID-19
Abstract: There were individuals tested positive repeatedly for SARS-CoV-2 by RT-PCR despite full recovery. These findings raise possibilities of a) fragmented RNA detection instead of active infection; b) novel SARS-CoV-2 viral strains that led to persistent infections; and c) unique genetic variants in ACE2, TMPRSS2 and other host genes that predispose these patients for higher risks of getting infected or immune deficiencies. This proposed study will explore these possibilities via viral whole-genome sequencing, host whole exome sequencing, RNA-Seq, T cell immunophenotyping and serological studies to decipher the interplay of virus-host genetic and immune factors in prolonging SARS-CoV-2 infections.
PI: Todd Chang, MD
Department/Division: Pediatrics/Emergency Medicine
Co-Is: Alyssa J Rake, MD; Elizabeth Alex Bragg, MD; Jennifer M Lau, MD; L. Caulette Young, RN BSN; Margaux Chan, RN, MSN
Proposal Title: A Randomized-Controlled Simulation-based Pilot Trial of Patient Barrier Devices on Resuscitation Quality for patients under investigation for COVID-19
Abstract: This is a new randomized-controlled simulation-based descriptive study on the effect of patient barrier devices (e.g. plastic boxes) on resuscitation quality. Patient barrier devices trap CoVID-19 aerosolization and protect healthcare workers (HCWs) but their bulkiness may affect team performance. We aim to measure HCW team performance and degree of contamination in simulated arrest scenarios. Study activities occur in Inpatient rooms with simulated manikins and reusable personal protective equipment. The manikin collects CPR and intubation data, and 360 video with UV lighting can detect aerosolized fluorescent dye that simulates viral contamination. Pilot data will inform a multi-center trial grant proposal.
PI and Co-PI: 1Linda J. Szymanski, DO and 2Julie Huss-Bawab, MD
Department/Division: 1Pathology/Clinical Pathology; 2Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner
Co-I: 1Maurice O’Gorman, PhD; 2Ruby Javed, PhD; 1Alexander R. Judkins, MD; 2Jonathan Lucas, MD; 2Christopher Rogers, MD
Proposal Title: Epidemiological Study of SARS-CoV IgG Antibody In Postmortem Blood Collected at the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner
Abstract: Analysis of SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies from blood collected at the time of post-mortem examination can offer insight into timing and extent of COVID-19 in Los Angeles County. We propose an epidemiological study of all blood samples collected in deaths beginning in November 2019 until May 2020 from the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner (LA-MEO) to identify earliest potential presence of disease, as well as to establish an estimate of extent of infection by month. This study will assess extent of infection in Los Angeles County and will highlight the value of postmortem examinations in pandemic illness.
PI: Jennifer Dien Bard, PhD
Department/Division: Pathology
Proposal Title: Genomic Epidemiology Study of COVID-19 in Los Angeles
Abstract: Analysis of SARS-CoV-2 genomic sequences from Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic can offer insight into epidemic origin, worldwide distribution and relatedness of infections. We propose a genomic epidemiology study of an initial 100 specimens obtained from inpatients, outpatients, families and staff tested positive for COVID-19 in Los Angeles using viral whole-genome sequencing (WGS) and bioinformatics tools developed in the Center for Personalized Medicine (CPM) at Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles (CHLA). This proposed study will assess the frequency of infection in LA County and enable identification of the origin of infection, which is critical for containment of the current pandemic.
Pre-Doctoral Award
The Pre-Doctoral Award provides funding for up to two years for stipend support and health fees of a USC graduate student research assistant working at TSRI under the mentorship of a CHLA-based faculty member.
2024
Shawn Barman
Strategic Plan Theme Affiliations: Best Starts to Life, Personalized Prevention and Care, Pediatric Disease Models and Mechanisms, From Discovery to Pediatric Innovation
Mentor: Babak Moghimi
Project: Tuning Gated CAR-T cells for Pediatric AML
Laura Korobkova
Strategic Plan Theme Affiliations: Best Starts to Life, Personalized Prevention and Care, Pediatric Disease Models and Mechanisms, From Discovery to Pediatric Innovation
Mentor: Brian Dias
Project: Determining the influence of zona incerta function on depression-like behavior following early life stress in mice
Ki Jun Lee
Strategic Plan Theme Affiliations: Best Starts to Life, Personalized Prevention and Care, Pediatric Disease Models and Mechanisms, From Discovery to Pediatric Innovation
Mentor: Yong-Mi Kim
Project: Understanding the Role of Osteopontin in the Efficacy of Anti-CD19 Car T-Cells
Victoria Wang
Strategic Plan Theme Affiliation: Pediatric Disease Models and Mechanisms
Mentor: Senta Georgia
Project: Investigating the role of NEUROG3 in Notch signaling repression during pancreatic endocrinogenesis
2023
Andrew Kampfschulte
Strategic Plan Theme Affiliation: Personalized Prevention and Care
Mentor: Jonathan Tan
Project: Understanding the Role of Environment in Pediatric Health: Integrating Spatiotemporal Models into Clinical Care Multiple
Samantha Hurwitz
Strategic Plan Theme Affiliation: Best Starts to Life, Personalized Prevention and Care, Pediatric Disease Models and Mechanisms, From Discovery to Pediatric Innovation
Mentor: Yong-mi Kim
Project: The Role of TBL1 in B-ALL
2022
Rosanna Calderon
Strategic Plan Theme Affiliation: Pediatric disease models & mechanisms
Mentor: Aaron Nagiel
Project: Investigating the role of non-canonical Wnt signaling in rod and rod bipolar cell synaptogenesis
Heather Ogana
Strategic Plan Theme Affiliation: Pediatric disease models & mechanisms
Mentor: Yong-mi Kim
Project: The role of integrin beta-1 in pediatric AML
William Taylor
Strategic Plan Theme Affiliation: Best starts to life, Personalized prevention & care, Pediatric disease models & mechanisms, From discovery to pediatric innovation
Mentor: Brian Dias
Project: Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of Zona Incerta-mediated Cognition, Arousal, and Mood
2021
Jinlun Bai
Strategic Plan Theme Affiliation: Pediatric disease models & mechanisms
Mentor: David Cobrinik
Project: Characterization and Suppression of the Retinoblastoma Indolence-Malignancy Transition
Ramin Ali Marandi Ghoddousi
Strategic Plan Theme Affiliation: Pediatric disease models & mechanisms
Mentor: Pat Levitt
Project: Mechanisms of Vagal Motor Neuron Development
Adam Marentes
Strategic Plan Theme Affiliation: Pediatric disease models & mechanisms
Mentor: James Amatruda
Project: The Role of Mitochondrial DNA Variants in Ewing Sarcoma Pathogenesis
2020
Chau Vu
Strategic Plan Theme Affiliation: From Discovery to Pediatric Care Innovation
Mentor: John Wood, MD, PhD
Project: Validation of Deoxygenation-based Dynamic Susceptibility Contrast (dDSC) MRI
Jessica Bernard
Strategic Plan Theme Affiliation: Pediatric Disease Models and Mechanisms
Mentor: Mark Frey, PhD
Project: The Interaction of NRG4 with Sonic Hedgehog During Intestinal Epithelial Barrier Recovery
Kelby Knox
Strategic Plan Theme Affiliation: From Discovery to Pediatric Care Innovation
Mentor: Robinder Khemani, MD
Project: Breath-by-Breath Variability and Extubation Readiness in Children
2019
Xidi Feng
Mentor: Ellen Lien, PhD
Title: Molecular Mechanism of Cardiac Lymphatic Vessel Formation In Zebrafish Heart Regeneration
2018
Edie Bucar
Program Affiliation: Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine
Mentor: Mark Frey, PhD
Project Title: Function of Adhesion G-Protein Coupled Receptor L2 in Colonic Epithelial Homeostasis and Disease
Sijia Wang
Program Affiliation: Cancer
Mentor: David Cobrinik, MD, PhD
Project Title: Structure-Function Analysis of Retinoblastoma Tumor Suppressor Protein in Human Cone Precursors
2017
Hung-Chi Lu
TSRI Program: Developmental Neuroscience
Mentor: Di Tian
Project Title: To Characterize the Synaptic Abnormalities in Mouse Models Associated with Human Chr16p11.2 Microdeletion
2016
Mohit Dave
TSRI Program: Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine
Mentor: Rusty Lansford
Project Title: Investigating how primordial germ cells develop and move in living amniote embryos
2015
Ryan Kast
TSRI Program: Developmental Neuroscience
Mentor: Pat Levitt, PhD
Project Title: Developmental Emergence of Diversity and Vulnerability in Neocortical Layer 6 Neurons”
Mariam Murtadha
TSRI Program: Cancer
Mentor: Muller Fabbri, MD, PhD
Project Title: Exosomic MicroRNAs Secreted by Tumor Associated Macrophages (TAMs) Modulate Neuroblastoma (NBL) Resistance to 13-cis-Retinoic Acid (13-cis-RA)
2014
Céleste Stephany
TSRI Program: Developmental Neuroscience
Mentor: Aaron McGee, PhD
Project: "Programming of Neural Circuits for Metabolic Disease: Nogo Receptor in Developmental Visual Plasticity
2013
Anna Kamitakahara
TSRI Program: Developmental Neuroscience
Mentor: Richard Simerly, PhD
Project: "Programming of Neural Circuits for Metabolic Disease: Role of BDNF and Nutrition"
2012
Xia Sheng
TSRI Program: Cancer, Diabetes and Obesity
Mentor: Steven Mittelman, MD, PhD
Project: "Investigating How Adipocytes Impair Daunorubicin Cytotoxicity in ALL"
Ying Huang
TSRI Program: Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine
Mentor: Ching-Ling (Ellen) Lien, PhD
Project: "Roles of IGF in Zebrafish Heart Regeneration"
Post-Doctoral Research Career Development Fellowship (RCDF)
The Research Career Development Fellowship (RCDF) provides funding for up to two years of salary and benefits support of an individual at the MD, PhD, or MD/PhD or equivalent level working at TSRI under the mentorship of a CHLA-based mentor. The intent of the award is that the work funded will lead to future applications.
2024
Sarah Bennison
Strategic Plan Theme Affiliation: Best Starts to Life
Mentor: Pat Levitt
Project: Adaptation of Developing Vagal Circuits to Early Life Stress
Mustafa Ghazi
Strategic Plan Theme Affiliation: Best Starts to Life
Mentor: Beth Smith
Project: Determining Wearable Accelerometer Thresholds for Quantifying Physical Activity Intensity in Infants
Meng-Hua Lee
Strategic Plan Theme Affiliation: Pediatric Disease Models and Mechanisms
Mentor: Shahab Asgharzadeh
Project: Significance of cancer-associated fibroblasts and tumor-associated macrophages in modulating adrenergic to mesenchymal state switch in neuroblastoma
Jonatan Ottino Gonzalez
Strategic Plan Theme Affiliation: Best Starts to Life
Mentor: Michael Goran
Project: Early determinants on neurodevelopment
2023
Kevin Louault
Strategic Plan Theme Affiliation: Pediatric Disease Models and Mechanisms
Mentor: Yves DeClerck
Project: Dissecting the contribution of cancer-associated fibroblasts in neuroblastoma progression and therapeutic resistance
Mona Wu
Strategic Plan Theme Affiliation: Best Starts to Life, Personalized Prevention and Care, Pediatric Disease Models and Mechanisms, From Discovery to Pediatric Innovation
Mentor: James Amatruda
Project: Cell and zebrafish models of DICER1 related tumor predisposition
Meryl Vedrenne-Cloquet
Strategic Plan Theme Affiliation: Pediatric Disease Models and Mechanisms
Mentor: Robinder Khemani
Project: Identification of novel respiratory subphenotypes using airway occlusion maneuvers to better characterize patient-ventilator asynchrony in ventilated children
2022
Johanna Ascher Bartlett
Strategic Plan Theme Affiliation: Pediatric disease models and mechanisms
Mentor: Juliet Emamaullee
Project: Predictive Biomarkers of Acute Liver Failure in Children
Tahereh Mokhtari
Strategic Plan Theme Affiliation: Best starts to life
Mentor: Michael Goran
Project: Longitudinal evaluation of infant gut microbiome colonization pattern; effects of early changes in infant's diet
Evangelia-Regkina Symeonidou
Strategic Plan Theme Affiliation: Best starts to life
Mentor: Beth Smith
Project: Cortical Involvement in Infant Postural Control Development
2021
Samy Jambon
Strategic Plan Theme Affiliation: From discovery to pediatric innovation
Mentor: Babak Moghimi
Project: Targeting the neuroblastoma tumor microenvironment using B7H3 CAR-T cells
Sahana Nagabhushan Kalburgi
Strategic Plan Theme Affiliation: From discovery to pediatric innovation
Mentor: Pat Levitt
Project: Characterization of brain network dynamics using multi-modal approaches in infant siblings of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders
Eric Nickels
Strategic Plan Theme Affiliation: Pediatric disease models and mechanisms
Mentor: Joseph Wiemels
Project: Evaluating genetic and epigenetic variation at birth in discordant monozygotic twin pairs as risk markers for pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia
Elena Vasileva
Strategic Plan Theme Affiliation: Pediatric disease models and mechanisms
Mentor: James Amatruda
Project: Targeting the proteoglycan-mediated signaling in Ewing Sarcoma
Benjamin Yoon
Strategic Plan Theme Affiliation: From discovery to pediatric innovation
Mentor: Robinder Khemani
Project: Patient Ventilator Asynchrony in Pediatric Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome
2020
Jasmine Plows, PhD
Strategic Plan Theme Affiliation: Best Starts to Life
Mentor: Michael Goran, PhD
Project: The Sweet PEA Study: Sweeteners in Pregnancy, Effects on Adiposity
Manal Tabbaa, PhD
Strategic Plan Theme Affiliation: Pediatric Disease Models and Mechanisms
Mentor: Pat Levitt, PhD
Project: Influence of Strain Genetic Diversity on Maternal Care, Sociability, and the Embryonic Transcriptome in a Mouse Model of Chd8 Haploinsufficiency
Stephanie King, PhD
Strategic Plan Theme Affiliation: Pediatric Disease Models and Mechanisms
Mentor: Mark Frey, PhD
Project: ErbB Receptor and Wnt Signaling Crosstalk in Intestinal Stem Cells
2019
Parisa Afshari, PhD
Mentor: Pat Levitt, PhD
Project: The Molecular Heterogeneity and Stress Adaptive Plasticity of Vagal Motor Neurons Innervating the Gastrointestinal Tract
Camille Nicolas Frank, PhD
Mentor: Laura Perin, PhD
Project: Study of Podocyte Cell Cycle in Glomerular Diseases
Zohreh Sharif Khodaei, PhD
Mentor: Brent Polk, MD
Project: The Role of TNFR2in Colonic Epithelial Stem Cell Dynamics and Mucosal Healing in Injury
2018
Katherine Slemmons, PhD
Program Affiliation: Cancer and Blood Diseases
Mentor: Lee Helman, MD
Project Title: Targeting a YES-YAP Signaling Axis in Childhood Rhabdomyosarcoma
Michael Schumacher, PhD
Program Affiliation: Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine
Mentor: Mark Frey, PhD
Project Title: The Role of Sprouty2 in Intestinal Homeostasis and Inflammation
Ying Huang, PhD
Program Affiliation: Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine
Mentor: Brent Polk, MD
Project Title: The Cellular Function of TNFR1 in Epithelium During Colitis Progression and Injury Regeneration in Mice
2017
Yeha Kim
TSRI Program: Cancer and Blood Diseases; Developmental Neuroscience
Mentor: David Cobrinik
Project Title: Role of SYK Dependent Proliferation Related Signaling in Human Retinal Cone Cell Development
Anup Pathania
TSRI Program: Cancer and Blood Diseases
Mentor: Anat Erdreich-Epstein
Project Title: Role of GRK2 in Sonic Hedgehog (SHH) Subgroup Medulloblastoma (MB)
Soheila Shirinbak
TSRI Program: Cancer and Blood Diseases
Mentor: Shahab Asgharzadeh
Project Title: Role of Neutrophils in Biology and Immunotherapy-Resistant Neuroblastomas
2016
Sargis Sedrakyan
TSRI Program: Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine
Mentor: Laura Perin
Project Title: Extracellular Vesicles Regulate VEGF Homeostasis and Improve The Glomerular Endothelial Structure and Function in Kidney Disease
Soyoung Park
TSRI Program: Developmental Neuroscience
Mentor: Sebastien Bouret
Project Title: Maternal obesity programs hypothalamic ER stress: long-term effects on metabolic regulation
Marta Kubala
TSRI Program: Cancer and Blood Disease
Mentor: Yves De Clerck
Project Title: Dissecting a novel pro-tumorigenic role of plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1) in the polarization of tumor associated macrophages (TAM)
Anna Kamitakahara
TSRI Program: Institute for the Developing Mind
Mentor: Pat Levitt
Project Title: Developing Neural Connections to the Gut: Impact of the MET Receptor Tyrosine Kinase
2015
Jessica Biddinger
TSRI Program: Developmental Neuroscience
Mentor: Richard Simerly, PhD
Project Title: Leptin and Development of GLP-1 Neural Circuits Controlling Ingestive Behavior
Lucia Borriello
TSRI Program: Cancer
Mentor: Yves DeClerck, MD
Project Title: Investigating the Molecular Mechanisms of Mesenchymal Stromal Cells – Mediated Drug Resistance in Neuroblastoma
Donglai Qi, PhD
TSRI Program: Cancer, Developmental Neuroscience
Mentor: David Cobrinik, MD, PhD
Project Title: MDM2-Mediated P53-Independent Regulation of MYCN Oncoprotein
Stephanie Shishido
TSRI Program: Cancer
Mentor: Yong-Mi Kim, MD, PhD
Project Title: Understanding Cell Adhesion-Mediated Drug Resistance of ALL Cells
2014
Michael Harrison
TSRI Program: Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine
Mentor: Ching-Ling (Ellen) Lien, PhD
Project Title: "Characterization of Revascularization During Zebrafish Heart Regeneration"
Click here to learn about Dr. Harrison's latest research.
Sophie Croizier
TSRI Program: Developmental Neuroscience
Mentor: Sebastien G. Bouret, PhD
Project Title: "Role of MicroRNA-103/107 in Pro-Opiomelanocortin Neuron Development"
2013
Amanda Elson
TSRI Program: Developmental Neuroscience
Mentor: Richard Simerly, PhD
Project Title: "Leptin Programs the Development of PVH Preautonomic Projections"
Unice Soh
TSRI Program: Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine
Mentor: Brent Polk, MD
Project Title: "Cytokine Regulation of Epithelial Stem Cells for Mucosal Homeostasis and Injury Repair"
2012
Berengere Coupe
TSRI Program: Developmental Neuroscience
Mentor: Sebastien Bouret, PhD
Project: "Leptin Regulation of Autophagy- Role on Hypothalamic Development and Metabolic Regulation"
Jieun Kim
TSRI Program: Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine
Mentor: Ching-Ling (Ellen) Lien, PhD
Project: "Functions of PDGF Signaling in Zebrafish Heart Regeneration"
Research Career Development Award (RCDA)
The Research Career Development Award (RCDA) is considered as seed funding to help investigators generate preliminary data that can be used to support extramural research grant applications. This award is aimed at supporting a junior faculty member (MD, PhD, MD/PhD) for a research project that has a primary focus on laboratory research (dry or wet laboratory) or clinical (patient related) research. The RCDA provides $60,000/year for up to two years to support the research of junior faculty members at CHLA.
2024
Anna Cushing
Strategic Plan Theme Affiliation: Best Starts to Life, Personalized Prevention and Care, Pediatric Disease Models and Mechanisms, From Discovery to Pediatric Innovation
Mentor: Amy West
Project: Development of a Novel Prediction Model for Pediatric Mental Health Emergency Department Revisits Using Natural Language Processing
Wendy Hsiao
Strategic Plan Theme Affiliation: Personalized Prevention and Care
Mentor: David Freyer
Project: Phenotyping Acute Kidney Injury and its Impact on Cancer and Kidney Outcomes in Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
Biraj Mahato
Strategic Plan Theme Affiliation: From Discovery to Pediatric Innovation
Mentor: David Cobrinik
Project: A small molecule cocktail for vision rescue in optic nerve diseases
2023
Charlotte DiStefano [The Otis Booth Foundation Research Career Development Award]
Strategic Plan Theme Affiliation: Best Starts to Life
Mentor: Shafali Jeste
Project: Establishing behavioral and biological markers of symptom severity and clinical change in children with co-morbid autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability
Shana Adise [Erika J. Glazer Career Development Award]
Strategic Plan Theme Affiliation: Pediatric Disease Models and Mechanisms
Mentor: Elizabeth Sowell
Project: Understanding if social and environmental disparities moderate the relationship between executive function and obesity development amongst adolescents
Claire Baldauf [Erika J. Glazer Career Development Award]
Strategic Plan Theme Affiliation: Best Starts to Life, Personalized Prevention and Care, Pediatric Disease Models and Mechanisms
Mentors: Jessica Wisnowski, Vidya Rajagopalan
Project: Placental Function in Congenital Heart Disease, a Paired Functional MRI and Molecular Profile Approach
Astgik Petrosyan
Strategic Plan Theme Affiliation: Pediatric Disease Models and Mechanisms
Mentor: Laura Perin
Project: The Extracellular Matrix in the Tumor Microenvironment and Its Role on Cancer Stemness
2022
Michael Schumacher *
* [this year’s top scoring RCDA recipient, receiving The Leon and Carol Ellison Research Career Development Fellowship Award]
Strategic Plan Theme Affiliation: Pediatric disease models & mechanisms
Mentor: Mark Frey
Project: Regulatory mechanisms of deep crypt secretory cell differentiation and function in the colon
JinSeok Park
Strategic Plan Theme Affiliation: Pediatric disease models & mechanisms
Mentor: James Amatruda
Project: Flip-flopping of fusion-positive rhabdomyosarcoma conferring plasticity for metastasis
Liya Xu
Strategic Plan Theme Affiliation: Personalized prevention & care
Mentor: Jesse Berry
Project: Integrative, multi-parametric characterization of extracellular vesicles in the aqueous humor of retinoblastoma eyes
2021
Peter Chiarelli *
* [the 2021 top scoring RCDA recipient, receiving The Otis Booth Foundation Research Career Development]
Strategic Plan Theme Affiliation: Best starts to life, Personalized prevention & care, Pediatric disease models and mechanisms, From discovery to pediatric innovation
Mentor: Rex Moats
Project: Nanoparticle-Enhanced Radiation Therapy for DIPG
Melinda Chang
Strategic Plan Theme Affiliation: Best starts to life, Pediatric disease models & mechanisms
Mentor: Mark Borchert
Project: Validation of eye tracking in children with cortical/cerebral visual impairment (CVI) and correlation with neuropsychological testing
Nhu Tran
Strategic Plan Theme Affiliation: Best starts to life, Personalized prevention & care, Pediatric disease models and mechanisms, From discovery to pediatric innovation
Mentor: Bradley Peterson
Project: Longitudinal Assessment of Cerebrovascular Autoregulation and Associations to Neurodevelopmental Outcomes in Infants and Toddlers with and without Congenital Heart Disease (CHD)
2020
Aaron Nagiel, MD, PhD *
* [the 2020 top scoring RCDA recipient, receiving The Leon and Carol Ellison Research Career Development Fellowship Award]
Strategic Plan Theme Affiliation: Pediatric Disease Models and Mechanisms
Mentor: David Cobrinik, MD, PhD
Project: Development and Maintenance of the Photoreceptor-Bipolar Cell Synapse in Human Retinal Organoids
Miller Huang, PhD
Strategic Plan Theme Affiliation: Pediatric disease models and mechanisms
Mentor: Anat Erdreich-Epstein, MD, PhD
Project: Identification of Therapeutic Targets for High-risk SHH Medulloblastoma
Namrata Ahuja, MD
Strategic Plan Theme Affiliation: Pediatric Disease Models and Mechanisms
Mentor: John Wood, MD, PhD
Project: Risk Factors and Treatments for Viral Bronchiolitis in Infants with Congenital Heart Disease
Vidya Rajagopalan, PhD
Strategic Plan Theme Affiliation: Best Starts to Life
Mentor: Jon Detterich, MD
Project: Placental Characteristics of Fetuses with Congenital Heart Disease and its Association to Early Neurodevelopment
Saranya Veluswamy, MD
Strategic Plan Theme Affiliation: Pediatric Disease Models and Mechanisms
Mentor: Thomas Coates, MD
Project: Progressive Vasoconstriction to Thermal Stimuli as a Predictor of Nocturnal Autonomic Vasoreactivity and Vaso-occlusive Pain in Sickle Cell Disease
Sargis Sedrakyan, PhD
Strategic Plan Theme Affiliation: From Discovery to Pediatric Care Innovation
Mentor: Laura Perin, PhD
Project: Development of Safe and Clinically Applicable in vivo Tracking of Therapeutic Extracellular Vesicles for Treatment of Kidney Disease Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
2019
Diana Moke, MD
Mentor: David Freyer, DO
Project Title: Towards Reducing Late Mortality Among 5-Year Survivors of Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer
Gianluca Turcatel, PhD
Mentor: David Warburton, MD
Project Title: Optimization of the Photonfocus Hyperspectral Camera for the Detection of Pathologic Changes in the Lung Airway Epithelium
Alaina Vidmar, MD
Mentor: Michael Goran, PhD
Project Title: Time Limited Eating in Adolescents with Pre-Diabetes (Time LEAD): A Pilot Study
2018
Jessica Wisnowski, PhD
Program Affiliation: Institute for the Developing Mind
Mentor: Bradley Peterson, MD
Project Title: Lipids as Biological Markers of Brain Injury and Treatment Response in Neonates with Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy
Andrew Cheng, MD
Program Affiliation: Human Physiology and Imaging
Mentor: John Wood, MD, PhD
Project Title: Evaluation of Non-Newtonian Behavior in the Fontan Circulation Using Patient-Specific Computational Fluid Dynamic Models and 4D Flow MRI
2017
Stefano Da Sacco
TSRI Program: Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine
Mentor: Janos Peti-Peterdi
Project Title: Development and Characterization of a Glomerulus-on-a-Chip Platform for Disease Modeling and Drug Screening
Achievement supported by the award: CHLA Scientists Develop Breakthrough In Vitro Model - ResearCHLA Blog
2016
Julie Jaffray
TSRI Program: Cancer and Blood Disease
Mentor: Guy Young
Project Title: A Multi-Institutional Risk Factor Evaluation and Risk Stratification for Pediatric Hospital-Acquired Venous Thromboembolism
Christian Hochstim
TSRI Program: Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine
Mentor: David Warburton
Project Title: Tissue Engineered Trachea for Airway Reconstruction
2015
Denise Al Alam
Assistant Professor
TSRI Program: Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine (DBRM)
Mentor: David Warburton
Project Title: FGF Signaling in Human Embryonic Lung Development
Yaling Yang
Assistant Professor
TSRI Program: Community Health Outcomes and Intervention Research (CHOIR)
Mentor: Pat Levitt, PhD
Project Title: The Effect of Bullying Victimization on Cortisol Stress Reactivity and Brain Maturation
2014
Lily Chao
Assistant Professor
TSRI Program: Diabetes & Obesity
Project Title: “Nur77 Regulation of Autophagy and Mitophagy in Skeletal Muscle”
2013
Senta Georgia
Assistant Professor
TSRI Program: Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine
Mentor: David Warburton, MD
Project Title: “Genome-wide Epigenetic Mapping of NGN3+”
Christopher P. Gayer
Assistant Professor
TSRI Program: Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine
Mentor: Henri Ford, MD, MHA
Project Title: “The Role of Bile Acids in Necrotizing Enterocolitis”
Ashwini Lakshmanan
Assistant Professor
TSRI Program: Community, Health Outcomes and Intervention Research
Mentors: Michele Kipke, PhD and Istvan Seri, MD, PhD
Project Title: “Quality of Life Among Caregivers of Preterm Infants After Discharge from the NICU: Los Angeles Cohort”
2012 Award Recipient
Di Tian
Assistant Professor of Pathology
TSRI Program: Developmental Neuroscience
Mentor: Alex Judkins, MD and Richard Simerly, PhD
Project Title: “Characterization of an Autism Model for Human Chromosome 16p11.2 Microdeletion”
Health Professional Research Career Development Award (HP-RCDA)
The goal of the HP-RCDA is to support the research of clinician junior researchers at CHLA. The HP-RCDA is considered as seed funding to help investigators generate preliminary data that can be used to support extramural research grant applications. This award is aimed at supporting a clinician junior researcher for a research project that has a primary focus on laboratory research (dry or wet laboratory) or clinical (patient-related) research. The award provides $30,000/year for up to two years.
2023
Rebecca Barber
Strategic Plan Theme Affiliation: From Discovery to Pediatric Innovation
Mentor: Lily Chao
Project: Randomized Control Trial Evaluating the Impact of CGM Academy Education Curriculum Versus Standard Care on Glycemic Outcomes for Youth with Type 1 Diabetes
2020
Jessica Ward, PhD, MPH, CPNP, RN
Strategic Plan Theme Affiliation: From Discovery to Pediatric Care Innovation
Mentor: Michael Pulsipher, MD
Project: Problem-Solving Skills Training for Parents of Children Undergoing Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation: A Feasibility Study
2nd R01 Pilot Grant Program
The 2nd R01 Pilot Grant provides a maximum of $50,000/year for up to two years, to support faculty members with one NIH R01 grant to ensure that awardees submit a second NIH R01.
2024
Rohit Kohli
Strategic Plan Theme Affiliation: Pediatric Disease Models and Mechanisms
Project: Role of Malrd1 in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD)
Michael Neely
Strategic Plan Theme Affiliation: Best Starts to Life, Personalized Prevention and Care, From Discovery to Pediatric Innovation
Project: Optimizing ganciclovir suppression of CMV in the hollow fiber infection model
2022
Sonia Michail
Strategic Plan Theme Affiliation: From discovery to pediatric innovation
Project: Butyrate Therapy for Hispanic Children with Ulcerative Colitis
2021
David Cobrinik
Strategic Plan Theme Affiliation: From discovery to pediatric innovation
Project: Trans-cytoplasmic Transport of Repetitive Element DNAs
Yong-Mi Kim
Strategic Plan Theme Affiliation: Best starts to life, Personalized prevention & care, Pediatric disease models and mechanisms, From discovery to pediatric innovation
Project: Understanding relapse of B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia post- anti-CD19 CART cell therapy
2020
Natasha Leporé, PhD
Strategic Plan Theme Affiliation: Best Starts to Life
Project: Development of Brain Subcortical Structures from MRI
John Wood, MD, PhD
Strategic Plan Theme Affiliation: From Discovery to Pediatric Care Innovation and Pediatric Disease Models and Mechanisms
Project: Cerebrovascular Consequences of Acquired Anemia
2018
Robinder Khemani, MD
Program Affiliation: Human Physiology and Imaging
Project Title: Understanding and Preventing Long Term Impairments in Children Surviving Pediatric ARDS: a Follow-up of the Real-time Effort Driven Ventilator (REDvent) Management Study
Rex Moats, PhD
Program Affiliation: Human Physiology and Imaging
Project Title: mTor in Alveolar Development and Disease
2017
Sebastien Bouret
TSRI Program: Developmental Neuroscience
Project Title: Impact of Maternal Obesity on the Development of Parasympathetic Circuits Involved in Glucose Regulation
Ellen Lien
TSRI Program: Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine
Project Title: Cardiac Lymphatics in Heart Development and Regeneration
2016 Grant Recipient
Mark Frey
TSRI Program: Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine
Project Title: Suppression of pro-inflammatory macrophages by ErbB4 during colitis
2012 Grant Recipients
Sebastien G. Bouret
Associate Professor
TSRI Program: Developmental Neuroscience
Project Title: “miRNAs and Development of Hypothalamic Appetite-Related Pathways”
Steven Mittelman
Associate Professor
TSRI Program: Obesity and Diabetes, Cancer
Project Title: “The Role of Lymphocytes in Obesity-Induced Adipose Tissue Inflammation and Diabetes"
Wei Shi
Assistant Professor
TSRI Program: Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine
Project Title: “The Role of Resident Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Lung Injury Repair and Regeneration”
Team Science Grant
The Team Science Grant is designed to facilitate new collaborations involving diverse teams of experts, directed toward establishing innovative approaches to important problems in pediatric medicine. Funds aim to facilitate new collaborations and support outstanding research and cutting edge discoveries by teams of experts who have not worked together previously on similar projects.
2024
Yong-Mi Kim
Strategic Plan Theme Affiliation: Best Starts to Life, Personalized Prevention and Care, From Discovery to Pediatric Innovation
Project: Preclinical evaluation of targeting CD38 in B-ALL and T-ALL
2023
Chintan Parekh
Strategic Plan Theme Affiliation: Best Starts to Life, Personalized Prevention and Care, From Discovery to Pediatric Innovation
Project: CAD as a novel therapeutic target in acute lymphoblastic leukemia
Shafali Jeste
Strategic Plan Theme Affiliation: Best Starts to Life
Project: Biomarkers of visual processing and visual attention in syndromic neurodevelopmental disorders
2022
Ching-Ling Lien
Strategic Plan Theme Affiliation: Pediatric disease models & mechanisms
Project: Modeling concomitant congenital cleft palate and heart defects to study the roles of chromatin remodeling factors in neural crest cells
Rex Moats
Strategic Plan Theme Affiliation: Best starts to life, Personalized prevention & care, Pediatric disease models & mechanisms, From discovery to pediatric innovation
Project: Innovative CT Imaging and NETosis Mediated Biomarkers in Rheumatologic Lung Disease
Laura Perin
Strategic Plan Theme Affiliation: Pediatric disease models & mechanisms
Project: Molecular mechanism regulating cell self-renewal in human Wilms Tumor progenitors
2020
Anat Erdreich-Epstein, MD, PhD
Strategic Plan Theme Affiliation: Pediatric Disease Models and Mechanisms
Project: Innovative Immune Competent Autochthonous Mouse Model of Posterior Fossa Group A Ependymomas
2019
Shahab Asgharzadeh, MD
Project Title: Single Cell Analysis of Neuroblastoma Tumor Microenvironment Using Sequential FISH
2018
Bradley Peterson, MD
Program Affiliation: Institute of the Developing Mind
Project Title: Team Science Study of Repeated Head Impacts in High School Athletes
David Cobrinik, MD, PhD
Program Affiliation: Cancer, Developmental Neuroscience
Project Title: Visualizing and Targeting the Retinoblastoma Cell of Origin
2017
Anat Erdreich-Epstein
Co Principal Investigator: Xiaojiang Chen (USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences)
TSRI Program: Cancer and Blood Diseases
Project Title: Structural and Functional Studies of PID1, a Novel Growth Suppressor in Brain Tumors
Robert Seeger
Co Principal Investigators: Muller Fabbri, Ambrose Jong, Alan Wayne (CHLA); Noah Malmstadt (USC Viterbi School of Engineering)
TSRI Program: Cancer and Blood Diseases
Project Title: Natural Killer Cell Extracellular Vesicles for Treatment of Neuroblastoma and Leukemia
2016
Pat Levitt
Co Principal Investigators: Linda Rinaman (University of Pittsburg); Hong-Wei Dong (Keck School of Medicine of USC)
TSRI Program: Institute for the Developing Mind
Project Title: The Developing Connectome: Brain to Peripheral Organs
Ellen Lien
Co Principal Investigators: Megan McCain (Viterbi School of Engineering of USC)
TSRI Program: Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine
Project Title: Heart in a dish, engineering 3D heart tissues with lessons from regenerating zebrafish heart
