Pilot Project Investigators

The Cardiorenal and Metabolic Disease Research Center (CMDRC) at the University of Mississippi Medical Center offers pilot project grants through the Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE). These pilot grants are intended to assist new investigators in generating sufficient data to be competitive for extramural funding.

	Ana Omoto, PhD, Instructor, Department of Physiology and Biophysics Project Title: Cardiac protection by CNS actions of leptin administration after ischemia/reperfusion
	Heng Zeng, MD, Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology Project Title: Endothelial glucose metabolism and Coronary microvascular dysfunction in aged female
	Alexandre daSilva, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Physiology and Biophysics Project Title: CNS mechanisms of cardiac protection in heart failure
	Zhen Wang, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Physiology and Biophysics Project Title: Role of TRPC6 channels in mediating cardiac injury in hypertension combined with diabetes

Previous pilot project investigators

• Thales Barbosa, PhD, Instructor, Department of Physiology and Biophysics
  Project Title: Vascular Dysfunction in Black Individuals: Roles of Nitric Oxide and Endothelin-1
• Kemal Topaloglu, MD, Professor, Departments of Neurobiology, Pediatrics and Neurobiology & Anatomical Sciences
  Project Title: The NHLH2 gene has an important role in both body weight regulation and puberty
• Abelardo Medina, MD, Assistant Professor, Department of Surgery
  Project Title: Evaluation of Mesenchymal Stem Cells and their Cell Reprogramming Potential within Microsurgical Flaps
• Joshua Speed, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Physiology and Biophysics
  Project Title: Adipocyte Endothelin-1 and Insulin Resistance
• Alan Mouton, PhD, Instructor, Department of Physiology and Biophysics
  Project Title: Role of Immunometabolism in myocardial infarction outcomes in metabolic syndrome
• Yann Gibert, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology
  Project Title: Physiological and molecular metabolic consequences of fetal hyperglycemia
• Denise Cornelius, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine & Pharmacology & Toxicology
  Project Title: Mechanisms linking platelets to lung injury and renal dysfunction in sepsis
• Chad Washington, MD, MPHS, Assistant Professor, Department of Neurosurgery
  Project Title: Slidenafil for the treatment of cerebral vasospasm associated with SAH
• Erin Taylor, PhD, Instructor, Department of Physiology and Biophysics
  Project Title: The role of leptin in autoimmune-associated hypertension
• Jennifer Sasser, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology
  Project title: Elucidating Mechanisms Responsible for the Pathogenesis of Preeclampsia using the Dahl Salt Sensitive Rat as a Novel of Preeclampsia.

• Michael Hall, MD, Assistant Professor, School of Medicine, Cardiology; Chair, Department of Medicine
  Project title: Renal Sinus Fat, Hypertension and Altered Renal Hemodynamics. Hall.M

• Fan Fan, MD, Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology
  Project title: Role of 20-HETE on aging and hypertension related cerebral vascular disease.

• Romain Harmancey, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Physiology and Biophysics
  Project Title: Molecular Basis of Postischemic Maladaptation in the Insulin Resistant Heart
• Yonggang Ma, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Physiology and Biophysics
  Project Title: Novel Roles of MMP-28 Post Myocardial Infarction.

• Lusha Xiang, MD, Assistant Professor, Department of Physiology and Biophysics
  Project Title: Acute Kidney Injury following Severe Trauma in Obesity
• Suttira Intapad, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Physiology and Biophysics
  Project Title: Reduced Uterine Perfusion in the Mouse: Developmental Programming of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disease
• Eric George, PhD, Assistant Professor of Physiology and Biophysics
  Project Title: A Novel Proangiogenic Therapy for Preeclampsia
• J. Paula Warrington, PhD, Department of Physiology and Biophysics
  Project Title: Degenerins and Pregnancy Mediated Cerebrovascular Abnormalities
• Andrew Smith, MD, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Radiology
  Project Title: Quantitative  CT Imaging Biomarkers for NAFLD
• Bernadette Grayson, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Neurobiology and Anatomical Sciences
  Project Title: Placental Dysfunction and VSG-induced Intrauterine Growth Restriction