Congratulations are in order for several Department of Surgery faculty members. They have all recently won substantial awards and contracts, along with clinical breakthroughs, to further their important and life-changing research efforts. The huge wins for our faculty members include:

Anahita Jalilvand, MD, PhD, clinical associate professor of Surgery, wins first K08 Grant

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded Dr. Jalilvand, a prestigious K08 grant totaling $953,100. This five-year grant will fund her important research on how obesity affects the behavior of white blood cells in patients with severe infections after surgery. This is only the second K08 grant ever awarded in her division—the Division of Trauma, Critical Care and Burn.

Loren Wold, PhD, professor of Surgery, receives two prestigious federal awards totaling more than $3.5 million

Dr. Wold secured a grant from the Department of Defense totaling $1,225,244 over a three-year period. This multi-principal investigator (PI) project investigates the effects of burn pit exposures during military deployment on heart health. Collaborating with the Airborne Hazards and Burn Pits Center of Excellence (AHBPCE) at the New Jersey VA, the team will utilize a preclinical burn pit exposure model in conjunction with a clinical study led by Dr. Michael Falvo at the VA.

Additionally, Dr. Wold has been awarded a contract from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, totaling $2,305,554 over three years. This project will focus on assessing the impact of preconception exposure to airborne particulate matter (called PM2.5) on the health of offspring, particularly in relation to adult cardiac health and metabolic function.

Austin Schenk, MD, PhD, associate professor of surgery, secures $2.5 million R01 Grant

The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) awarded Dr. Schenk, along with Brittany Hand, PhD, OTR/L, associate professor in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, a five-year, $2.5 million R01 grant. This grant will fund their study on the effectiveness of laws in mitigating ableist discrimination in kidney transplantation. Their findings aim to inform health care providers, regulatory agencies, and legislators to ensure equity in organ transplantation.

Mona El Refaey, PhD, assistant professor of Surgery, wins first R01 Grant

Dr. El Refaey will use the five-year, $3.2 million grant from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to understand and address cardiac arrhythmias in regard to a specific regulatory component of the protein phosphatase 2A, known as B56α. Cardiac arrythmias are a leading cause of death in the U.S., and her research will span from the cellular level to whole animals to uncover how B56α influences heart function. Her research is paving the way for new treatments that could target this pathway, offering hope for better management of arrhythmias in the future.

Bryan Tillman, MD, PhD, associate professor of Surgery secures second R01 Grant

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health awarded Dr. Tillman the four-year, $2.7 million grant to study the use of a novel stent to prevent restenosis. The study may offer a more effective therapy for restenosis and more broadly, new approaches for focused drug delivery in treating a variety of other conditions

Clinical Trial Wins at the Ohio State Aortic Center

The Aortic Center has recently achieved significant milestones in their research efforts. In the stAAAble Trial, they became the first site in the US to randomize and treat patients using the Nectero EAST System. The Aortic Center is one of the top enrollers in the trial. Leading this groundbreaking work is Kristine Orion, MD, clinical associate professor of Surgery.

Additionally, the AAA-SHAPE Pivotal Trial saw the Aortic Center as the first site to open for enrollment this past spring. In August, Xiaoyi Teng, MD, clinical assistant professor of Surgery, and her team completed the first procedure at Ohio State for this trial in the treatment of infrarenal aortic aneurysms. Ohio State is currently tied as national leader in patient enrollment for this landmark study.

Glen Barber, PhD, FRS, professor of Surgery, honored with prestigious PELD Prize

Dr. Barber, who is also the director of the Center for Innate Immunity and Inflammation within the OSUCCC – James Pelotonia Institute for Immuno-Oncology, received the Paul Ehrlich and Ludwig Darmstaedter Prize (PELD). As the highest medical award in Germany, it honors scientists for exceptional research contributions. Dr. Barber was selected for his groundbreaking work focused on increasing our understanding of innate immunity.