Funding News: AHW Announces Funding to Support Student Research Experiences

“Engaging the next generation of leaders in research efforts early in their education is crucial to developing the health care and public health workforce of the future,” said Jesse M. Ehrenfeld, MD, MPH, director of AHW and senior associate dean at the Medical College of Wisconsin. “We applaud each of the principal investigators for creating real-world mentorship opportunities and congratulate each student for their commitment to advancing new knowledge that can impact health statewide and beyond.”

AHW, a statewide health philanthropy, was established by the Medical College of Wisconsin to serve as a resource to those working to advance health research, develop the health care and public health workforce, and support community health initiatives across Wisconsin. Through its Education & Workforce Development funding pathway, AHW supports promising work and ideas to develop and grow a workforce that will meet the diverse and evolving needs of Wisconsin residents and will be poised to impact health statewide.

The following AHW Student Research Experiences will expand on current AHW-funded projects and began their work in June 2020:

AUTO-TBI: Autonomic Function After Concussion
Principal Investigator: Lindsay Nelson, PhD, Neurosurgery
Student: Sophia Musacchio, M1
Studying how two of the body’s stress systems – the autonomic nervous system and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis – are affected by concussion and associated with symptom recovery.
Related Research Project: Neurophysiological Effects of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

Targeting JAK2-STAT5 Signaling in Apalutamide-Resistant Prostate Cancer
Principal Investigator: Marja Nevalainen, MD, PhD, Pathology
Student: Paul Beinhoff, MS1
Studying Apalutamide-resistant prostate cancer growth to improve understanding and treatment options that may impact quality and length of life for those with metastatic prostate cancer.
Related Research Project: Sub-award through the Cancer Biology Research Program

Identification of the Regeneration Competent Cardiomyocyte in Mouse and Man
Principal Investigator: Michaela Patterson, PhD, Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy
Student: Parker Foster, M1
Studying how to better characterize the mononuclear diploid cardiomyocyte (MDCM) population by gathering information to elucidate the distribution of the resident MDCM population within the left ventricle and attempting to link the MDCM to hypothesized microenvironments.
Related Research Project: Sub-award through the Cardiovascular Roadmap: Bridging Our Foundations to Signature Programs

Effect of PPE on Incidence of COVID-19 in a Ventilator Capable Nursing Home
Principal Investigator: L. Silvia Munoz-Price, MD, PhD, Medicine
Student: Cameron Gmehlin, M1
Investigating how factors such as geographical location, government ratings, health measures/quality measures, nursing staff, and size affect incidence of COVID-19 in nursing homes.
Related Research Project: The Effectiveness of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Across Wisconsin Nursing Homes