These awards are designed to provide financial support to investigators who currently hold an active R01 grant and are seeking to secure a second R01. The program aims to facilitate the expansion of research efforts and foster the development of sustained, independent research programs. Awardees will receive up to $50,000 per year for a period of two years. To be eligible, proposals must align with at least one of the school's four key research focus areas: Disruptive Technology Empowering Precision Health (D-TECH); Health Equity; Inflammation, Infection, Immunity, and Immuno-Therapy (I-4ward); and Brain Health and Disease Across the Lifespan.

“We are pleased to recognize the 2025 Heersink School of Medicine awardees for their outstanding research contributions and trust the 1R01 award will provide the opportunity for expansion of their research program,” said Tika Benveniste, Ph.D., senior vice dean of the Heersink School of Medicine.

Please join us in congratulating this year’s awardees and read how their work is fostering scientific discovery and innovation.

Andrew Arrant, Ph.D.

Andrew Arrant, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Neurology, was recognized for his study, “Investigating progranulin’s function in astrocytes.” Arrant and his team study mutations in a gene called progranulin, a secreted protein that manages cell growth and survival. Many of these mutations can lower the amount of progranulin produced in the brain, which is believed to increase the risk of frontotemporal dementia (FTD), potentially affecting a person’s behavior, decision-making, language, personality, and more.

“It's still not clear why low progranulin levels cause FTD, or even exactly what progranulin does to protect the brain against FTD as we age,” said Arrant. “This work may, therefore, increase our understanding of disease risk in the general population.”

Susan Campbell, Ph.D.

Susan Campbell, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology, was awarded funds for her study, “Anti-seizure medication interaction with the gut microbiome to reduce seizures.” Campbell’s research focuses on increasing care for individuals with drug-resistant epilepsy by investigating the gut microbiome as an emerging factor in epilepsy treatment.

“This research has exciting potential because probiotics, beneficial bacteria, are already widely used for other health conditions,” said Campbell. “If we can harness the power of the gut microbiome, we may find a way to enhance epilepsy treatment without the need for entirely new drugs.”

Jeremy Herskowitz, Ph.D.

Jeremy Herskowitz, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Neurology, was recognized for his study, “Targeting Rho kinases for Alzheimer's disease therapeutics.” Herskowitz and his team plan to study Rho-associated protein kinases (ROCK) 1 and 2, along with the drugs that inhibit them. ROCK 1 and 2 proteins help control the shape and movement of cells by acting on the cell's skeleton and play important roles in processes like cell division, movement, and maintaining tissue structure. ROCK Inhibitors are compounds that block the activity of these proteins and can help manage certain conditions by affecting cell shape and movement. The goal of this research is to repurpose them for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.

“The number of older adults suffering from Alzheimer’s disease is expected to rise unless new treatments are developed which can prevent or delay the onset of dementia,” said Herskowitz. “Therapeutic strategies that target Rho kinases could prevent or delay cognitive impairment in early Alzheimer’s disease, allowing for sustained independent living of older individuals.”

Masakazu Kamata, Ph.D.

Masakazu Kamata, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Microbiology, was awarded funds for his study, “Novel nanotherapy directing brain metastatic breast cancer.” Kamata’s research seeks to improve the survival time of patients with brain metastatic breast cancer (BMBC) by developing a safe and effective treatment method.

“We developed an antibody-drug conjugate capable of reaching the brain, effectively targeting BMBC while preserving healthy cells via a selective activation mechanism,” said Kamata. “This proposal aims to concentrate on BMBC, yet the technology employed in this research can be adapted to translate various other antibody-based medications as a foundational platform.”

Brittany Lasseigne, Ph.D.

Brittany Lasseigne, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology, was recognized for her study, “Leveraging cross-disease and sex-biased signatures to identify, prioritize, and test repurposed drugs for polycystic kidney disease in preclinical models.” Lasseigne and her team are working to identify and prioritize improved therapeutics for autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD), a genetic condition where fluid-filled cysts develop in the kidneys, causing them to enlarge and lose function over time.

“The only FDA-approved therapy for ADPKD is tolvaptan. Unfortunately, it does not cure ADPKD, shows no benefit for other symptoms, is associated with liver toxicity, and is expensive,” said Lasseigne. “Not only do our studies have the potential to transform unmet clinical ADPKD needs by prioritizing drug targets and precision-targeted therapeutics for ADPKD and identifying biology driving disease etiology and progression, but the strategies we develop here can be applied to other diseases.”

Selvarangan Ponnazhagan, Ph.D.

Selvarangan Ponnazhagan, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Pathology, was awarded funds for his study, “Remodeling castration-resistant prostate cancer immune landscape for improving immunotherapy outcome.” Ponnazhagan’s research focuses on the development of a single-application immunogene therapy able to effectively treat castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), a type of prostate cancer that continues to grow even when the levels of testosterone in the body are very low.

“Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer among men and metastatic CRPC is the aggressive form of the disease with an average survival time of less than two years,” said Ponnazhagan. “New treatment modalities that can extend the life of affected patients will be immensely beneficial.”