Since March 2022, UAB and McMaster University have advanced a shared vision to strengthen institutional collaboration across research, education and global health initiatives.The University of Alabama at Birmingham and McMaster University have selected two research teams to receive the 2025 UAB/McMaster Joint Pilot Grants, supporting binational collaborations designed to spark new discoveries and position investigators for larger, external funding.
Chosen from a competitive application process, the two projects were recognized for innovation, strong cross-institutional teamwork and strong potential for future growth. Each team will receive approximately $50,000, funded jointly by UAB and McMaster as part of a $100,000 investment in the partnership.
Since March 2022, UAB and McMaster University have advanced a shared vision to strengthen institutional collaboration across research, education and global health initiatives. Over four years, the partnership has expanded through strategic programs, educational exchanges, and the establishment of the Mary Heersink School of Global Health and Social Medicine at McMaster University.
This binational collaboration has created dedicated spaces for faculty-joint research, development of manuscripts, and the co-development of international agreements and regulatory frameworks that support global scholarship. The two most recently funded pilot grant investigators will present their research objectives at the partnership’s third in-person meeting at UAB in March 2026.
“The proposed projects by Drs. Manga and Phillips showcase how pilot funding can serve as a catalyst to deepen collaborations across institutions while sparking new research ideas,” said Rena C. Patel, M.D., associate professor in the UAB Department of Medicine and associate director for Global Health Research, UAB Mary Heersink Institute for Global Health. “This is precisely what the larger UAB and McMaster partnership aims to accomplish.”
The UAB/McMaster collaboration engages multiple UAB units, including the School of Health Professions, School of Public Health and the Graduate School, alongside other campus partners, and is all made possible from an endowment out of the Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine.
“Working collaboratively with UAB, we are jointly extending our global impact. The successful 2025 projects precisely demonstrate the goal of this grant opportunity — to collaborate and address a major health problem. These projects will provide foundational data and inform future studies, guidance and interventions,” said Paul O’Byrne, vice-president and dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences at McMaster. “Our two universities continue to enhance an innovative and exciting relationship that began with a landmark gift from Marnix and Mary Heersink in 2022, further strengthened with a 2024 Memorandum of Understanding. I look forward to seeing how these exciting projects develop in the months ahead.”
Project 1: Prevalence and Risk Factors of Heavy Menstrual Bleeding (HMB) in Cameroon: A Population-Based Pilot Study
Awardees: Simon Manga, Ph.D., adjunct instructor, UAB Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology; deputy director, Clinical Services for CBCHS; Ricardo Azziz, M.D., professor, UAB Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology; Laurie Elit, M.D., professor, McMaster University; Esther Chin, M.D., assistant professor, McMaster University.
Heavy menstrual bleeding affects health, daily life and quality of life for many women; but it remains under-studied, especially in low-resource settings where population-level data are limited. This pilot study will help answer a basic but important question: how common heavy menstrual bleeding in a community-based sample of women in Cameroon is, and the factors that are most often associated with it.
Working in partnership with the Cameroon Baptist Convention Health Services, the team will survey women ages 18-40 using established questionnaires and basic health measures. Women who meet criteria for heavy menstrual bleeding will be invited for additional clinical evaluation, with the goal of better understanding potential underlying causes (such as fibroids or hormone-related conditions) and the real-life impact on health and well-being. The findings are expected to provide foundational data that can guide improved screening, diagnosis and future interventions.
Project 2: Preserving Skeletal Muscle and Functional Capacity in Older Adults Undergoing GLP-1RA-Induced Weight Loss: A Pilot Trial
Awardees: Stuart Phillips, Ph.D., professor, McMaster University; James O. Hill, Ph.D., professor, UAB School of Health Professions, director, UAB Nutrition Obesity Research Center
GLP-1 receptor agonist medications, such as semaglutide, have changed the landscape of obesity treatment. But for adults over 55, already at risk for age-related muscle loss, an urgent question remains: When weight comes off with these medications, how much muscle is lost along the way, and can it be prevented?
This pilot trial will enroll a small group of older adults and compare two approaches: medication alone versus medication paired with a practical muscle-support plan that includes supervised resistance exercise and a daily nutrition supplement designed to support muscle health (including protein, creatine, vitamin D and calcium). The team will track whether participants can safely stick with the program and will use advanced methods to more precisely measure muscle changes, along with simple tests of strength and mobility. Results will inform a larger study and help shape future guidance for older adults using GLP-1 medications.
Building momentum for bigger collaborations
The joint pilot grants are designed to generate early feasibility data and strengthen research partnerships that can grow into larger, multi-site studies and competitive external grant applications. By funding projects spanning global women’s health and healthy aging, UAB and McMaster University are advancing shared priorities while building a durable, cross-border research network for faculty and trainees.
“These joint pilot grants reflect the Heersink School of Medicine’s commitment to investing in partnerships that accelerate discovery and expand our global impact,” said Anupam Agarwal, M.D., senior vice president for Medicine and dean of the UAB Heersink School of Medicine. “By supporting early-stage, collaborative research with partners like McMaster University, we are creating the conditions for innovative ideas to grow into sustainable programs that improve health across communities and borders.”