Medical research highlights, October 2025 | Newsroom

The UNMC College of Medicine recently received grants and awards representing more than $10 million in new funding. Awards included:

• Kuan-Hua Chen, PhD, neurological sciences, received a grant of $3,240,750 from DHHS/NIH/NIA to study the influence of interpersonal connectedness in spousal care dyads on early progression of AD. Dr. Chen also received a grant of $200,000 from the Alzheimer’s Association to study the influence of family connectedness on early AD progression.
• Anna Dunaevsky, PhD, neurological sciences, received a grant of $2,260,898 from DHHS/NIH/NIGMS for the Cognitive Neuroscience of Development and Aging (CoNDA) Center.
• John Dickinson, MD, PhD, internal medicine-pulmonary, received a grant of $605,424 from the University of Nebraska Foundation for “The Mucin Cycle: application of a new paradigm to better understand and treat COPD.”
• El Kerns, PhD, pediatrics-health system sciences, received a grant of $425,401 from DHHS/NIH/Office of the Director for the Nebraska Pediatric Clinical Trials Unit.
• Nada Fadul, MD, internal medicine-infectious diseases, received a grant of $357,768 from DHHS/HRSA for the “UNMC Street Medicine Demonstration Site: Advancing Access and Outcomes for Unsheltered Individuals with HIV Through Implementation Science.”
• Tate Johnson, MD, PhD, internal medicine-rheumatology, received a grant of $172,034 from DHHS/NIH/NIAMS for a study of inflammatory responses, fibrotic mediators and comorbidity burden as determinants of myocardial dysfunction and heart failure in rheumatoid arthritis.
• Abhijit Aithal, PhD, biochemistry and molecular biology, received a grant of $65,000 from Nebraska DHHS for a study targeting MUC5AC to inhibit lung cancer metastasis.
• Prakash Kshirsagar, PhD, biochemistry and molecular biology, received a grant of $65,000 from Nebraska DHHS for a study on the nano-probe biosensor for detection of K-ras gene mutation in pancreatic cancer.
• Ruxana Sadikot, MD, internal medicine-pulmonary, received a grant of $56,000 from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation to study host-directed therapies to modulate immune response for infections in pwCF.
• Oluwatobi Ogun, MD, family medicine, received a grant of $55,000 from the American Board of Family Medicine Foundation for “Bringing Imaging to the Exam Room: Evaluating the Patient Centered Impact of POCUS integration in Continuity-Based Primary Care.”
• Jake Son, PhD, dean’s office, received a grant of $54,538 from DHHS/NIH/NIMH for a study on the impact of trauma on the longitudinal development of cognitive control networks in healthy youth.
• David F. Mercer, MD, PhD, surgery-transplant, received a grant of $30,000 from the International Intestinal Failure Registry.
• Rebekah Rapoza, pediatrics-newborn medicine, received a grant of $25,000 from the University of Nebraska-Buffett Early Childhood Institute for the study “Perinatal Health Disparities: Investigating the Influence of Maternal Socioeconomic Status on Placental Gene Regulation and Expression.”
• Colman Freel, cellular and integrative physiology, received a grant of $24,897 from the University of Nebraska-Buffett Early Childhood Institute for the study “Cardiovascular Wellness from the Womb: Evaluating the Role of the Endothelial-to\x2Mesenchymal Transition and Therapeutic Potential of Maresin-1 in Vascular Remodeling in Infants of Diabetic Mothers.”
• Nam Van Nguyen, MD, ophthalmology and visual sciences, received a grant of $5,000 from Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Society for the study “Risk Factors and Visual Acuity Outcomes of Optic Nerve Involvement in Patients with Ocular Syphilis at a Tertiary Hospital 2010 – 2025.”

Industry-sponsored grants and contracts:

The following industry-sponsored grants and contracts were received.

• Matthew Lunning, DO, internal medicine-oncology/hematology, received funding for a study of IM-1021 in participants with advanced malignancies.
• Laura Tenner, MD, internal medicine-oncology/hematology, received funding for a study evaluating two doses of leronlimab (pro 140) in combination with Trifluridine + Tipiracil (tas-102) + Bevacizumab in participants with CCR5+, microsatellite stable (MSS), relapsed refractory metastatic colorectal cancer.
• Samia Asif, MBBS, internal medicine-oncology/hematology, received funding for a study on Elacestrant vs. standard endocrine therapy in women and men with node-positive, estrogen receptor-positive, HER2-negative, early breast cancer with high risk of recurrence.
• Kelly Stauch, PhD, neurological sciences, received funding to study new approaches for an assessment to see if creatine HCl is neuroprotective in the context of traumatic brain injury.
• Hani Haider, PhD, orthopaedic surgery, received funding for a study on characterization of UHMWPE wear in fixed bearing and dual mobility total hip replacements.
• Sara Bares, MD, internal medicine-infectious diseases, received funding for a study of the clinical performance of the Cobas Liat Lesion Panel Nucleic Acid Test for use on the Cobas Liat system.
• Andjela Drincic, MD, internal medicine-DEM, received funding for a study on the feasibility and performance of continuous glucose monitoring to guide computerized insulin infusion therapy in NMC patients receiving corticosteroid therapy and/specialized nutrition in Warner Cancer Center.