VCOM 2025 Annual Report

87

RESEARCH

Virginia Campus Elina Baltins, MA REAP: Development of a Library of

Melissa Lipsmeyer, PhD K. Adam Morrow, PhD

Co-PI on this project with a faculty member from the Virginia Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine. Irushi Dissanayake, DO Bridge Funding: Confidence Building Workshop Series for Preclinical Medical Students. Bernard Kadio, MD, PhD REAP: Development of an AI-Powered Instrument to Assess Nutritional Status of School Age Children in Global Health Settings: The GLOBO-NUTRI 1000®. Investigators on this project are Amy Hicks, PhD; Daniel Ross, PhD; and Jessica Nicholson, MAT Johnathan Millard, PhD REAP: Occipital Bone Shape Analysis in Chiari I Malformation. Dr. Millard is collaborating with colleagues from Northeastern University on this research. Shannon Murray, PhD VCOM /VMCVM One Health Program: Acyloxyacyl hydrolase (AOAH) Lipid A Modifications in Lupus and Leaky Gut Disease Pathogenesis. A collaborator from the Virginia Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine serves as Co-PI with Dr. Murray on this project. Matthew Chung, DO VCOM /VMCVM One Health Program: Feasibility of histotripsy to facilitate non invasive transverse ligament release using a naturally occurring equine model. A collaborator from the Virginia Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine serves as Co-PI with Dr. Chung on this project. Gunnar Brolinson, DO and David Redden, PhD are investigators. Kelly Roballo, DVM, PhD VCOM/ICTAS: Investigating Pain Behaviors in Females Following Lower Back Trauma. Dr. Roballo serves as Co-PI with a colleague from Virginia Tech Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics. This is a 1:1 funding match program with Virginia Tech’s Institute for Critical Technology and Applied Science.

REAP: The Role of Indole-3-propionic acid and CYR61 in an in vitro Model of Obesity induced Breast Cancer. Pawel Michalak, PhD REAP: NextGen Surveillance for Vector borne Disease across VCOM’s Central America and Caribbean Regional Network: Phase 2. Dean Sutphin, PhD, Lin Kang, PhD, Kasia Michalak, MS, and colleagues from the Virginia Maryland College of Veterinary Delta-CRP: Growth Hormone Releasing Hormone Antagonists (GHRHAnt) protect against Corneal Endothelial Dysfunction. Dr. Morrow and a collaborator from the ULM College of Pharmacy are Co-PIs. Stephen DiGiuseppe, PhD and Kasia Michalak, MS are investigators. Sarah Voth, PhD VCOM/LSU: The Role of Cystatin C in Host defense During ExoY-mediated End-organ Injury. Dr. Voth and a colleague from the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine are Co-PIs. Medicine serve as investigators. Rebekah Morrow, PhD

Digitally Annotated Cadaveric Specimens to Enhance Self-Directed Learning and Reduce Cognitive Load within the Anatomy Laboratory. Jonathan Millard, PhD and Aaron Beger, PhD are investigators. Harsha Bhagtani, MD Bridge Funding: Music Therapy for the Developing Mind: A Feed, Read, and Grow Initiative. Edward Magalhaes, PhD and David Redden, PhD serve as investigators. Other investigators include colleagues from Harvard Medical School, Anderson Music Therapy, Roanoke Public Libraries, JOI NEURON, and Roanoke Valley Television. Gunnar Brolinson, DO VCOM/ICTAS: Development of Novel Focused Ultrasound Therapies for the Non Invasive Treatment of Tendinopathies. Dr. Brolinson serves as Co-PI with a colleague from Virginia Tech Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics. This is a 1:1 funding match program with Virginia Tech’s Institute for Critical Technology and Applied Science. Blaise Costa, MPharm, PhD VCOM/VMCVM One Health Program: Safety and analgesic efficacy of a bidirectional NMDA receptor modulator on Canis Familiaris (Dogs). Dr. Costa serves as

“ I envision practicing in a rural or semi-rural community where I can provide patient-centered care, promote health literacy, and practice preventive medicine. My third-year rotations at a small community hospital have deepened my appreciation for rural physicians and their profound impact on the communities they serve. I witnessed firsthand how compassionate and skilled physicians can meaningfully improve someone’s life through relationship building and evidenced-based care.”

(Alexandra) Sasha Thomasson ’26 VCOM-Virginia, H. Pat and Nancy Eisenhart Artis Endowed Medical Scholarship