The University of Arizona Health Sciences Research Administration is pleased to congratulate the following UAHS investigators who recently received grant awards from the Arizona Biomedical Research Commission (ABRC), a unit of the Arizona Department of Health Services.
In all, the awards are worth a total of $5.85 million over three years, with six Arizona Investigator Awards worth $4.5 million ($250,000 per year x 3 years each) and six New Investigator Awards worth $1.35 million ($75,000 per year x 3 years each).
This is an extremely competitive two-stage application process, and awards are made only to Arizona institutions.
Among awardees were (from left) Drs. Monica Kraft, Steven Goldman and Heddwen Brooks. 
ARIZONA INVESTIGATOR AWARDEES:
Arizona Investigator Awards of $250,000 per year for three years — The UA Health Sciences received six of the 10 Investigator awards that were available. Investigators and research theme awarded below:
- “Targeted Therapeutics for Polycystic Kidney Disease” — Heddwen Brooks, PhD – UA College of Medicine – Tucson chair, Physiological Sciences – Graduate Interdisciplinary Programs (GIDP), professor of Biomedical Engineering – GIDP, Medicine and Physiology, and member, UA Center on Aging and Sarver Heart Center
- “New Treatment for Heart Failure: Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells on a Matrix Patch” — Steven Goldman, MD – UA Sarver Heart Center member, professor of Medicine and research scientist
- “Natural Product-Based Induction of Cancer Cell Death Combined with Immunotherapy for Melanoma Treatment” — Leslie Gunatilaka, PhD – UA professor of Natural Resources, director of the Natural Products Center, School of Natural Resources and the Environment, and UA BIO5 Institute member
- “Surfactant Protein A as an Innate Immune Modulator in Asthma” — Monica Kraft, MD – College of Medicine – Tucson chair, Department of Medicine, professor of Medicine, and the Robert and Irene Flinn Endowed Chair of Medicine, and deputy director, UA Health Sciences Asthma and Airway Disease Research Center
- “Massage Therapists Skin Health Awareness, Referral, and Education (MTsSHARE) to Reduce Skin Cancer Risk in Arizonans" —
Lois Loescher, PhD – associate professor of Nursing and Public Health, and co-director, Behavioral Measurement and Intervention Shared Resource, UA Cancer Center - “Tobacco Cessation Brief Intervention Training for Behavioral Health” — Myra Muramoto, MD – College of Medicine – Tucson chair, Department of Family and Community Medicine (FCM), professor of FCM and Public Health, and member, UA Cancer Center
UA Cancer Center members Drs. Lois Loescher and Myra Muramoto.
NEW INVESTIGATOR AWARDEES:
New Investigator Awards of $75,000 per year for three years — The UA Health Sciences received six of the 20 New Investigator awards. Investigators and research theme awarded below:
“Investigating the Genetics of Asthma with the Collaborative Cross” — Adam Buntzman, PhD (right) – College of Medicine – Tucson research assistant professor, Department of Immunobiology- “Cell-Type Specific role for Sirtuin Signaling in Cocaine Addiction” — Deveroux Ferguson, PhD – College of Medicine – Phoenix Department of Basic Medical Sciences
- “Small Molecule Restoration of Translation Dysregulation in ALS” — May Khanna, PhD – College of Medicine – Tucson assistant professor, Department of Pharmacology
- “A Translational Research Program on Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Arizona” — Shenfeng Qiu, PhD – College of Medicine – Phoenix assistant professor, Department of Basic Medical Sciences
- “Effect of Aging on Transporter Functional Expression at the Blood-Brain Barrier: Relevance to the Treatment of Hypoxia/Reoxygenation Stress” — Patrick Ronaldson, PhD –
College of Medicine – Tucson assistant professor of Pharmacology, Neuroscience – GIDP and Physiological Sciences – GIDP - “Development of a Data-Driven Precision T2D Treatment Regimen using the Veteran Healthcare Database” — Jin Zhou, PhD (right) – UA assistant professor of public health, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, and member, UA Arthritis Center
About ABRC
The Arizona Disease Control Research Commission was established by the Arizona Legislature and signed into law by Governor Bruce Babbitt in 1994. ADCRC’s mission was to fund investigators focused on diseases and health issues that impact the residents of Arizona. In 2005, this commission changed its name to the Arizona Biomedical Research Commission (ABRC). In 2011, ABRC was placed under direction of the Arizona Department of Health Services. Today, the mission and goals of ABRC are carried out through four key programs: Research Grants, Research Education, Biospecimen Locator, and Public Cord Blood. ARBC’s initiatives are guided by input from leaders and professionals from Arizona’s universities, nonprofit research institutions, hospitals and medical centers, and patient advocacy groups. Support is provided by valued community partners, Agency leadership, the Governor’s Office, and Legislators.
Click here for the latest Clinical Trials Newsletter from the UAHS Research Administration.
CONTACT: Karen Grinfeld, Senior Research Administrator, UAHS Research Administration, grinfeld@email.arizona.edu