2025 Pilot Grant Awardees
Andrew Hale, M.D., Ph.D., UAB Department of Neurosurgery
“Cerebral organoids as a model of acquired hydrocephalus”
Faculty Mentor: Zechen Chong, Ph.D., UAB Department of Bioinformatics
Co-investigators: Graham Fieggen, M.B.Ch.B., M.Sc., FCS, M.D., Division of Neurosurgery, University of Cape Town, South Africa; Mubeen Goolam, Ph.D., Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town, South Africa
Najibah Galadanci, Ph.D., UAB Division of Hematology and Oncology
“Achieving Understanding of the Natural history of sickle cell Trait in Nigeria (AUNT-Nigeria)”
Co-investigator: Julie Kanter, M.D., UAB Division of Hematology and Oncology; Stephen Obaro, M.D., Ph.D., UAB Division of Pediatric Infectious Disease; Aminu Abba Bayero, Ph.D., University Kano, Nigeria, Division of Hematology and Oncology
Brandon Rocque, M.D., M.S., UAB Department of Neurosurgery
“Development of a wiki toolkit for intraoperative neuromonitoring using a collaborative model between COA and three hospitals in Vietnam.”
Co-investigators: Le Nam Thang, M.D., National Hospital of Pediatrics Hanoi, Vietnam Neurosurgery Department; Martina Gonzalez Gomez, M.D., M.Sc., UAB Department of Neurosurgery; James M Johnston, M.D., UAB Department of Neurosurgery; Jeffrey P. Blount, M.D., M.P.H., FAANS, UAB Department of Neurosurgery; Ms. Sai Shivani Palaparthi, B.A., M.Sc., UAB Collat School of Business; Donald (Trei) King, B.A., R EEG T, CNIMf, Children’s of Alabama Neurophysiology; Nguyen Thi Thao, M.D., M.Sc., National Children’s Hospital Hanoi, Vietnam Neurology Department; Nguyen Thi Huong, B.A., M.Sc., National Hospital of Pediatrics Hanoi, Vietnam Neurology Department
2024 Pilot Grant Awardees
Jefrey Blount, M.D., UAB Department of Neurosurgery
“Effectiveness study of novel folic acid fortified iodized salt to increase folate levels in Zambia, a non-fortifying country”
Co-investigators: Anastasia A. Smith, MPH, UAB School of Public Health; Waldemar A. Carlo, M.D., UAB Department of Pediatrics; Albert Manasyan, M.D., M.P.H., UAB Department of Pediatrics; Alexander Arynchyn, M.D., Ph.D., UAB Department of Medicine; Inmaculada Aban, Ph.D., M.S., UAB School of Public Health; Andrzej Kulczycki, Ph.D., UAB School of Public Health; Lyn Steffen, Ph.D., University of Minnesota; Ron Hoogeveen, Ph.D., Baylor College of Medicine
Jeffrey Lebensburger, D.O., UAB Department of Pediatrics
“Feasibility of Studying Sickle Cell Kidney Disease in a Brazilian Cohort”
Co-investigators: Ana Cristina Simoes e Silva, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brazil; Andre Rolim Belisario, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brazil; Malgorzata Kasztan, Ph.D., UAB Department of Pediatrics; Najibah Galadanci, Ph.D., UAB Department of Medicine
Ariel Salas, M.D., UAB Department of Pediatrics
“Feasibility of human milk pasteurization in neonatal units with limited resources”
Co-investigator: Vivian Valcarce, M.D., UAB Department of Pediatrics
2023 Pilot Grant Awardees
Mauricio Kahn, M.D., UAB Division of Infectious Diseases
“Feasibility of integrating novel malaria prevention tools into routine immunization visits in Cameroon” *co-funded by Sparkman Centre for Global Health
Principal Investigators: Katia Bruxvoort, Ph.D., M.P.H., UAB School of Public Health; Mauricio Kahn, M.D., UAB Division of Infectious Diseases; Jodie A. Dionne, M.D., M.S.P.H., UAB Division of Infectious Diseases; and Emmanuel Nfor, M.D., Cameroon Baptist Convention Health Services
Co-investigators: Pius Tih, M.P.H., Ph.D., Cameroon Baptist Convention Health Services; Wilfred Mbacham, Sc.D., University of Yaounde and S. Patrick Kachur, M.D., MPH, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health
Douglas Morgan, M.D., UAB Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology
“Global Health Partnerships and Capacity Building in Northern Central America”
Co-investigators: Isabel Scarinci, Ph.D., M.P.H., UAB Heersink School of Medicine and School of Public Health and Manuel Ramirez-Zea, M.D., Ph.D., Institute of Nutrition of Central America and Panama
Vivek V. Shukla, M.D., UAB Department of Pediatrics
“Neonatal Mortality Risk Prediction in Resource-Limited Settings: A Pilot Feasibility Study (NICHD Global Network (GN) for Women’s and Children’s Health Research and RTI International)”
Co-investigators: Waldemar A. Carlo, M.D., UAB Department of Pediatrics; Rachel Sinkey, M.D., UAB Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology; Musaku Mwenechanya, M.D., UTH-Teaching Hospital; and Elwyn Chomba, M.D., UTH-Teaching Hospital
Noha Sharafeldin, M.B.B.Ch., M.Sc., Ph.D., UAB Division of Hematology and Oncology
“Telehealth Platform to Reduce Time to Diagnosis and Timely Referral of Childhood Cancer in Egypt”
Principal Investigator CCHE: Alaa El Haddad, M.B.B.Ch., M.Sc, Ph.D., Children’s Cancer Hospital – Egypt 57357
Co-investigators: Sonia Mahmoud Ahmed, M.B.B.Ch., M.Sc, Ph.D., Children's Cancer hospital Egypt 57357; Mariam Mohamed Elsherif, M.B.B.Ch., M.Sc, Ph.D., Children's Cancer hospital Egypt 57357; Mona Moustafa Fakhry, M.B.B.Ch., M.Sc, Ph.D., Children's Cancer hospital Egypt 57357; Hisham Hany Moneib, M.B.B.Ch., M.Sc, Ph.D., Children's Cancer hospital Egypt 57357
2022 Pilot Grant Awardees
Lori Bateman, Ph.D., UAB Division of Preventive Medicine
“Developing Egyptian Investigators to Explore Colorectal Cancer Prevention Knowledge and Behavior: The Colorectal Cancer Research Education Program (C-CREP)”
Senior investigators: Waleed Arafat, M.D., Ph.D., Egyptian MPI Alexandria University Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria, Egypt; Mona Fouad, M.D., M.P.H., Investigator and Mentor, UAB Division of Preventive Medicine
Adrie Steyn, Ph.D., UAB Department of Microbiology, Africa Health Research Institute Faculty
“Establishing an intercontinental alliance between UAB and the Africa Health Research Institute in South Africa to accelerate research and training to help end the tuberculosis pandemic”
MPI Co-investigators: Paul V. Benson, M.D., UAB Department of Pathology; Amit Gaggar, M.D., Ph.D., UAB Divison of Anatomic Pathology
Co-investigators: Bridgette M Cumming, Ph.D., Africa Health Research Institute; Jonathan Kalehoff, M.D., UAB Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine
Nora Switchenko, M.D., UAB Division of Neonatology
“Sildenafil citrate to improve maternal and neonatal outcomes in low-resource settings: a randomized feasibility trial”
Co-investigators: Waldemar A. Carlo, M.D., UAB Division of Neonatology; Amelia Schuyler, M.D.; UAB Department of Pediatrics; Richard Derman, M.D., MPH, Thomas Jefferson University
Lily Gutnik, M.D., UAB Department of Surgery
“Breast Cancer Survivors as Enablers of Change: A Pilot Feasibility Study of an Education and Stigma Reduction Intervention (Tanzania)”
*Co-funded with UAB Sparkman Center for Global Health
Co-Principal Investigator: Simon Manga, Ph.D, R.N., Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Co-investigators: Gabrielle Rocque M.D. M.S.P.H., Division of Hematology and Oncology; Isabel Scarinci Ph.D., M.P.H., Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology