Join us to celebrate the research of MD-PhD students, and CTSI trainees, scholars and pilot awardees representing multiple departments and colleges across the University of Florida. Attend the Zoom sessions below or click the links to learn more about the upcoming presentations.
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Amy JH Kind, MD, PhD
Dr. Amy Kind is a faculty member in the Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology within the University of Wisconsin's (UW) Department of Medicine. She is the Director of the UW Center for Health Disparities Research. She also leads the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s (ADRC) Dementia Care Research Core and co-leads the ADRC’s Research Education Core.
Agenda
9:00 a.m.
Welcome and Opening Remarks
Master of Ceremonies for MD-PhD – Miles Cameron
Thomas Pearson, MD, PhD
Colleen Koch, MD
Duane Mitchell, MD, PhD
Mark Segal, MD, PhD
9:15 a.m.
MD-PhD Presentations
The MD-PhD Training Program is at the interface of discovery and development where we are transcending individual disciplines for the “team science” paradigm. Here, enthusiastic and interactive researchers, creative minds, and cutting-edge technology work together to apply and advance science. The goal of the MD-PhD Training Program is to enable scholars to obtain the best training in their intended research areas while working closely with an outstanding faculty.
11:05 a.m.
Break
11:15 a.m.
Keynote Speaker
Amy JH Kind, MD, PhD
Topic:
Aligning Towards Action in Social Determinants of Health Research – The Neighborhood Atlas
12:15 p.m.
Discussion with Dr. Kind
Students will have an opportunity to meet with Dr. Kind after her presentation.
12:45 p.m.
Break
1:00 p.m.
Master of ceremonies for afternoon – Rachel Newsom
TL1 trainee presentations
The CTSI TL1 Training Program provides predoctoral trainees with the skills required to develop a career in multidisciplinary clinical and translational research. TL1 Teams are comprised of two or more PhD students from different degree programs in different colleges. Teams collaborate to develop new team-specific aims that expand the scope of their individual dissertation projects based on a common research interest, e.g., a human disease being investigated at different levels (molecular to population), with different experimental approaches or data analysis methods, and/or at different parts of the T0-T4 continuum.
KL2 scholar presentations
The KL2 Program is a multidisciplinary program for junior faculty, that provides two years of financial support and research training to develop the skills necessary to build a well-funded, collaborative career in clinical/ translational research.
1:55 p.m.
Break
2:45 p.m.
Afternoon speaker
Topic:
Bridging Industry and Academic Research
2:45 p.m.
Discussion with Dr. Tansey
Students will have an opportunity to meet with Dr. Tansey after her presentation.
3:15 p.m.
Conclusion
End of the symposium
WATCH THE PRESENTATIONS ONLINE
Join the symposium
This MD-PhD research day is available online via UF'S video hosting site. Click below to join the stream and watch the presentations.
Contact Us
For questions about the symposium, please contact Susan Gardner or Miles Cameron.
To learn more about any of the presentations and presenting scholars, view the posters, or to contact the presenters with questions or comments, click the corresponding presentation title link.
MD-PhD Presentations
| presenter name | mentor | presentation title |
|---|---|---|
| Miles Cameron | ||
| William Dodd | Brian Hoh, MD | NLRP3 inflammasome inhibition is protective after subarachnoid hemorrhage |
| Leanne Dumeny | Larisa Cavallari, PharmD; Julio Duarte, PharmD, PhD | SLC5A2 Polymorphisms Association with Heart Failure Outcomes |
| Connor Francis | Duane Mitchell MD, PhD; Catherine Flores PhD | Alternative Mechanisms of anti-PD-1 Therapy in Cancer Immunotherapy |
| Emily Helm | Stephanie Karst, PhD | A novel neonatal mouse model of norovirus diarrhea to elucidate mechanisms of disease induction |
| Rebecca Henderson | Adrienne Strong, PhD | Developing Oncology: Problems in Cancer Care in Haiti |
| Zachary Krumm | Todd Golde, MD, PhD | Targeting Systemic Stress Pathways In Chronic Neurological and Metabolic Disease |
| Kartik Motwani | ||
| Amy Peiper | Stephanie Karst, PhD | |
| Holly Ryan | Erika Moore, PhD |
TL1 presentations
KL2 Presentations
MD-PhD Presentations
Presenter
Zak Krumm
Mentor
Targeting Systemic Stress Pathways In Chronic Neurological and Metabolic Disease
Targeting CRF, the HPA Axis, and cellular stress pathways in the treatment of tau-dependent neurodegeneration, obesity, and systemic aging.
Questions or comments for the presenter?
Presenter
Puchong Thirawatananond
Mentor
The effect of CD226 co-stimulation on regulatory T cell development and function
CD226 encodes a costimulatory molecule that has been associated with type 1 diabetes risk. The Brusko lab recently determined that Cd226 knockout in the non-obese diabetic mouse results in reduced diabetes incidence. I am currently studying a regulatory T cell (Treg) selective Cd226 knockout to determine the role of CD226 in Treg stability and function in the context of T1D.
Questions or comments for the presenter?
Presenter
Connor Francis
Mentors
Duane Mitchell MD, PhD
Catherine Flores PhD
Alternative Mechanisms of anti-PD-1 Therapy in Cancer Immunotherapy
Therapies blocking the inhibitory immune receptor programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) have dramatically improved clinical outcomes in multiple cancers. Mechanistically, anti-PD-1 (aPD1) therapies have been predominantly understood to function by reinvigorating exhausted T cells within the tumor microenvironment. Our group and others found PD-1 blockade in peripheral lymphoid compartments can function to promote immune responses locally within the TME. This thesis project examines the effects of PD-1 blockade on central and secondary lymphoid organs in an effort to elucidate novel mechanisms of aPD1 therapy in cancer.
Questions or comments for the presenter?
Presenter
William Dodd
Mentor
Brian Hoh, MD
NLRP3 inflammasome inhibition is protective after subarachnoid hemorrhage
New therapeutics to treat the complications of subarachnoid hemorrhage are urgently needed. We have found inhibition of the NLRP3 inflammasome prevents the development of cerebrovascular dysfunction and reduces sensorimotor impairment after subarachnoid hemorrhage in a mouse model.
Questions or comments for the presenter?
Presenter
Emily Helm
Mentor
Stephanie Karst, PhD
A novel neonatal mouse model of norovirus diarrhea to elucidate mechanisms of disease induction
Norovirus is the leading cause of severe childhood diarrhea worldwide and a leading cause of acute gastroenteritis for people of all ages. We recently discovered that genetically wild-type neonatal mice develop acute, self-resolving diarrhea upon infection with acute MNV-1, a disease course mirroring human norovirus infection. The availability of many genetically related but phenotypically distinct MNV strains provides a powerful platform for identifying viral determinants of virulence. To that end, we have identified two MNV strains that are attenuated in this model (MNV-3 and MNV-CR6) and an additional MNV strain that is virulent in this model (MNV-WU23). Using a panel of chimeric viruses, we have identified the MNV-1 VP1 and VP2 proteins as virulence factors. Furthermore, the MNV-1 VP2 protein displays activity in a viroporin assay based on cytotoxicity in bacterial cells. Future work will aim to elucidate the mechanism underlying how these proteins regulate norovirus virulence.
Questions or comments for the presenter?
Presenter
Daniel Stribling
Mentor
Rolf Renne, PhD
TOMiD Analysis Identifies a Novel Human miRNA: miR-snaR
Using the newly-developed TOMiD bioinformatic analysis method with qCLASH data, we identified a novel human miRNA – miR-snaR, and identified its potential role in the promotion of tumor metastasis.
Questions or comments for the presenter?
Presenter
Leanne Dumeny
Mentors
Larisa Cavallari, PharmD
Julio Duarte, PharmD, PhD
SLC5A2 Polymorphisms Association with Heart Failure Outcomes
Identifying SLC5A2 polymorphisms associated with heart failure outcomes to assess the potential mechanisms behind sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors’ effect.
Questions or comments for the presenter?
Presenter
Rebecca Henderson
Mentor
Adrienne Strong, PhD
Developing Oncology: Problems in Cancer Care in Haiti
In Haiti, the poorest country in the Western hemisphere, cancer care faces numerous barriers ranging from political, socioeconomic, to technical and scientific. This poster will present an overall picture of the problems facing oncological care in Haiti and will encourage discussion of creative solutions.
Questions or comments for the presenter?
TL1 Presentations
Presenters
Jennifer Applebaum, MS, PhD Candidate
Carlyn Ellison, MPH, CPH, PhD Candidate
Mentors
Barbara Zsembik, PhD
Sherrilene Classen, PhD
Linda Struckmeyer, PhD
view the presentation
A TL1 team approach to assessing the impact of pets on everyday life for older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic
A TL1 team approach to investigate how pets impacted everyday lives of older adults in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. Here we show how pets may fulfill some social and emotional needs for older adults during this particularly isolating event; equally important to consider are the challenges that may be unique to and/or exacerbated by this public health emergency.
Questions or comments for the presenters?
Presenters
Rachel Judy, PhD Candidate
Kyle See, PhD Candidate
Mentors
Stephen Coombes, PhD
Ruogu Fang, PhD
view the presentation
A TL1 Team Approach on Predicting long-term effects of spinal cord stimulation
Our collaborative project seeks to further the application of machine learning in cognitive neuroscience and allow us to better understand how therapies for chronic pain alter resting brain activity.
Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is an intervention for patients with chronic back pain.
Efficacy and safety of SCS has been previously determined, but predicting long-term pain relief from SCS
remains difficult. Only 58% of patients experience meaningful pain relief, therefore clinical protocol requires
an invasive trial surgery to determine if pain decreases by at least 50%. Our work focuses on investigating
the utility of neuronal activity in the cortex prior to SCS to predict long-term pain relief. We utilize traditional
machine learning methods such as support vector machine and more complex models including deep
learning to generate interpretable features within resting EEG signals. Our results suggest that resting EEG
at baseline can differentiate between individuals who respond very well to SCS and individuals who respond
only moderately well to SCS with an overall accuracy of 88.89%. In addition, we found that long term pain
relief was associated with lower power in the theta, alpha, and beta bands in posterior regions of the frontal
cortex and anterior regions of the parietal cortex. Our work moves the field forward by demonstrating that
region and frequency specific resting EEG at baseline has strong potential for predicting long-term pain
relief.
Questions or comments for the presenters?
Presenters
Natalie Koskela-Staples, MS
Jacqlyn Yourell, MS
Mentors
David Fedele, PhD
Jennifer Doty, PhD
view the presentation
A TL1 Team Approach to The Role of Parents in Physical Activity Engagement Among Adolescents with Comorbid Asthma and Obesity
Asthma incidence doubles in youth with obesity. Physical activity is beneficial for asthma management; however, parental influence on physical activity levels among youth with asthma and obesity is poorly understood. This study examines the association of parents and physical activity among youth with asthma and/or obesity, accounting for risk and protective factors.
Questions or comments for the presenters?
Presenters
Sarah Long, PhD Candidate
Catherine Tocci, MS, PhD Candidate
Mentors
Aysegul Gunduz, PhD
William Perlstein, PhD
VIEW THE PRESENTATION
A TL1 team approach to investigate attention and learning at the intracranial network level and assess the effect different cognitive rehabilitation strategies have on measures of attention and learning
Our project aims to investigate the network level interactions of attention and learning during an attention network task (ANT) and an implicit learning contextual cueing (CC) task. Further, we will assess the effect attention rehabilitation strategies have on behavioral and neural responses pre/post-attentional intervention.
Questions or comments for the presenters?
Presenters
Courtney Wilkinson, PhD Candidate
Phillip Mackie, PhD Candidate
Mentors
Lori Knackstedt, PhD
Marek Schwendt, PhD
Habibeh Khoshbouei, PhD
Wolfgang Streit, PhD
view the presentation
A TL1 Approach to Assessing Peripheral Immune Changes in PTSD
We report our methodology and findings indicating a relationship between CNS dopamine signaling and peripheral immune cell populations and propose to extend this methodology to a PTSD patient population to elucidate immune-brain connections in this disorder.
Questions or comments for the presenters?
Presenters
Hannah Anderson, PhD Candidate
Greg Takacs, PhD Candidate
Mentors
Tracy Stepien, PhD
Libin Rong, PhD
Jeffrey Harrison, PhD
view the presentation
A TL1 Team Approach to Integrating Mathematical and Biological Models to Target Myeloid-Derived Immune Cells in Glioblastoma
In order to best understand the immunosuppressive nature of Glioblastoma and predict therapeutic responses, we have developed murine and mathematical models to evaluate the arrival and effect of myeloid-derived immune cells in the tumor microenvironment.
Questions or comments for the presenters?
Presenter
Fatmah Almoudi, PhD Candidate
Mentors
Thomas George, MD
Saun-Joo Yoon, PhD
view the presentation
Survival Differences based on Platelet Counts at the time of diagnosis in Patients with Stage 2 Pancreatic Cancer
Pancreatic Cancer (PC) is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States in 2021, with a five-year survival rate of less than 10%. Biomarkers such as platelet counts at the time of diagnosis may be promising to predict the prognosis of PC. Findings from previous studies regarding the association between platelet and survival in patients with PC were inconsistent due to sample heterogeneity. The present study investigated the differences in survival among patients within stage 2 PC between having low (n=47) and high (n=143) platelet counts at the time of diagnosis by using the existing data provided by the UF Integrated Data Repository (IDR). We found that patients with low platelet counts (< 182K) had a numerically lower median survival duration (874 days vs. 1451 days) that was not statistically different from those with higher platelet counts (≥ 182K).
Questions or comments for the presenters?
Presenter
Rachel Newsome, PhD Candidate
Mentor
Christian Jobin, PhD
view the presentation
A TL1 team approach to investigating the adhesin gene fimH in adherent invasive E. coli induced inflammation and colorectal cancer development
Our 3D perfusion system models the physiological conditions of the human gut epithelium enabling real time confocal imaging of complex host-microbe interactions in the context of cancer development.
Questions or comments for the presenters?
KL2 Presentations
Presenter
Jennifer A. Nichols, PhD
Mentor
Kyle Allen, PhD
view the presentation
Carpometacarpal Osteoarthritis: Toward Identification of Biomechanical, Neuromuscular, and Somatosensory Mechanisms
Carpometacarpal osteoarthritis (CMC OA) is a disabling disease marked by pain and functional loss. This project aims to elucidate the biomechanical, neuromuscular, and somatosensory mechanisms that contribute to the symptomology of CMC OA by using a combination of orthopaedic biomechanics and quantitative pain testing.
Questions or comments for the presenter?
Presenter
Julia Sheffler, PhD
Mentor
view the presentation
Proof-of-Concept: Ketogenic Nutrition Adherence Program for Older Adults
The objective of the study was to establish the proof-of-concept and assess the feasibility of a ketogenic nutrition adherence (KNA) program for older adults with mild cognitive impairment, using motivational interviewing and cognitive behavioral therapy (MI-CBT) techniques to enhance adherence and acceptability. In addition to assessing the feasibility of the protocol, we also examined initial signals of effect and qualitative participant feedback.
We used a team science approach to develop an intervention and assessment protocol incorporating MI-CBT with ketogenic nutrition guidelines for older adults. A comprehensive assessment protocol, including a clinical interview, neuropsychological testing, genetic sequencing, and electroencephalogram was used as an initial screening. Nine participants (aged 60-75) with possible amnestic mild cognitive impairment were consented for the intervention. 100% of participants who began the trial completed the 6-week KNA program, including the pre- and post-assessments. All participants achieved measurable levels of ketones at least once during the program. The average self-rated adherence across the program was 8.7 out of 10. On average, participants reported trace to small levels of ketones daily during the intervention period. Finally, a paired samples t-test demonstrated significant improvement in cognitive performance (t(8)=-.3.06, p=.015) from baseline (M=89.78) to follow-up (M=97.11).These findings demonstrate that the intervention is both feasible and acceptable.
Questions or comments for the presenter?
Presenter
Erika Moore, PhD
Mentors
Josephine Allen, PhD
Laurence More, PhD
view the presentation
3D Tissue Model for Immune Cell Influence on Blood Vessels
Questions or comments for the presenter?