Meet the 2024-2026 iTHRIV Scholars
Virginia Gallagher, PhD
Assistant Professor
Department of Neurology
Division of Memory & Aging Care
UVA School of Medicine
Primary Mentor: Carol Manning, PhD
Research Project: Characterization of Millennial caregivers of persons with cognitive decline: Identifying intervention targets using a mixed-methods approach
Funding: UVA Department of Neurology & UVA Brain Institute
Christine Nelson, PhD
Assistant Professor
Department of Medicine
Division of Pulmonary & Critical Care
UVA School of Medicine
Primary Mentor: Imre Noth, MD
Research Project: Degree and timing of T cell co-stimulation determine protective immunity to M. tuberculosis infection
Funding: UVA Department of Medicine, Division of Pulm and Critical Care, & UVA Vice President for Research
Alexander Podboy, MD
Assistant Professor
Department of Medicine
Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology
UVA School of Medicine
Primary Mentor: Emily McGowan, MD, PhD
Research Project: Deciphering the Immunologic Landscape of Gastroparesis-Associated Pylorospasm: Insights from Single-Cell RNA Sequencing and Gastric Per-oral Endoscopic Myotomy
Funding: UVA School of Medicine
Russell Witt, MD, MAS
Assistant Professor
Department of Surgery
Division of Surgical Oncology
UVA School of Medicine
Primary Mentors: Craig Slingluff Jr., MD, and Allan Tsung, MD
Research Project: Exploring the Role of Adipokine Signaling in Melanoma: Deciphering the Obesity Paradox
Funding: UVA Comprehensive Cancer Center
Meet the 2023-2025 iTHRIV Scholars
Caitlyn Collins, PhD
Department of Biomedical Engineering & Mechanics
VT School of Engineering
Primary Mentor: Raffaella De Vita, PhD
Research Project: Development of strain-associated biomarkers for precision medicine in delayed fracture healing
Funding: VT Department of Biomedical Engineering & Mechanics
Lora Henderson Smith, PhD, MEd
Assistant Professor
Department of Human Services
UVA School of Ed &Human Development
Primary Mentor: Catherine Bradshaw, PhD, MEd
Research Project: Leveraging data from mental health emergency department visits to inform an online, multi-part, mixed-reality training for school mental-health professionals
Funding: UVA Vice President for Research & UVA School of Ed and Human Development
Jamie MacLeod, MD
Assistant Professor
Department of Medicine
Division of Pulmonary & Critical Care
UVA School of Medicine
Primary Mentor: Michael Shim, MD
Research Project: Biomolecular and clinical outcomes of FK-506 immunosuppression in lung transplantation
Funding: UVA School of Medicine
Jennifer Sasson, MD, MS
Assistant Professor
Department of Medicine
Division of Infect. Disease & Int’l. Health
UVA School of Medicine
Primary Mentor: William Petri, MD, PhD
Research Project: Acute and long-term implications of IL-13 in COVID-19 associated hypoxic respiratory failure
Funding: KL2TR003016
Mary Wesley, DrPH, MPH
Assistant Professor
Department of Health Systems & Implementation Science
VTC School of Medicine
Primary Mentor: Kathy Hosig, PhD, MPH, RD
Research Project: Facilitators and barriers of integrating community health workers (CHWs) into maternal and infant care for rural populations in Southwest Virginia
Funding: VTC Department of Health Systems & Implementation Science
Meet the 2022-2024 iTHRIV Scholars
Shannon Armbruster, MD, MPH
Assistant Professor
Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Division of Gynecologic Oncology
Carilion Clinic
Primary Mentors: Samantha Harden, PhD and Jamie Zoellner, PhD
Research Project: Group-based exercise intervention for endometrial cancer survivors: Exploration of physical activity and quality of life impact
Funding: KL2TR003016
Andrew Barros, MD
Assistant Professor
Department of Medicine
Division of Pulmonary & Critical Care
UVA School of Medicine
Primary Mentor: Randall Moorman, MD
Research Project: Machine Learning to Improve Sepsis Care
Funding: UVA School of Medicine
Christine Ibilibor, MD, MSc
Assistant Professor
Department of Urology
Division of Urologic Oncology
UVA School of Medicine
Primary Mentor:Tracey Krupski, MD
Research Project: Pre-Habilitation and Mindfulness Program for Patients Undergoing Radical Cystectomy
Funding: UVA School of Medicine
Irène Mathieu, MD
Assistant Professor
Department of Pediatrics
UVA School of Medicine
Primary Mentor: James Nataro, MD, PhD, MBA
Research Project: Community-based approaches to improving pediatric mental health
Funding: UVA School of Medicine
Rose Nevill, PhD
Assistant Professor
Department of Human Services
UVA School of Ed & Human Development
Primary Mentor: Micah Mazurek, PhD
Research Project: Advancing the Evidence-base for Mindfulness-Based Interventions for Treating Behavioral Health in Adults with Autism and Intellectual Disability
Funding: UVA Vice President for Research & UVA School of Ed and Human Development
Rell Parker, DVM, PhD, DACVIM
Assistant Professor
Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, VT Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine
Primary Mentor: Andrea Bertke, PhD
Research Project: Investigating Functional Changes in alpha6 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors Following Nerve Injury
Funding: VT Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences
Patricia Rodriguez Lozano, MD
Assistant Professor
Department of Medicine
Division of Cardiology Medicine
UVA School of Medicine
Primary Mentor: Christopher Kramer, MD
Research Project: Novel Therapy to treat Microvascular Disease in Women
Funding: KL2TR003016
Jia-Ray Yu, PhD
Assistant Professor
Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC
Primary Mentor: Catherine Bollard, MD, MBChB
Research Project: The Molecular basis of euchromatic dysregulation in Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG)
Funding: Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC
Meet the 2021-2023 iTHRIV Scholars
Julia Basso, PhD
Assistant Professor
Department of Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise
VT College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Primary Mentor: Martha Ann Bell, PhD
Research Project: Examining the clinical utility of dance to support social skills and behavioral and neural synchrony in individuals with autism spectrum disorder
Funding: VT Department of Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise
Jessie Gibson, PhD, RN
Assistant Professor
Acute and Specialty Care
UVA School of Nursing
Primary Mentor: Bethany Teachman, PhD
Research Project: Measurement and Modification of Threat Interpretation Bias to Reduce Anxiety in Huntington’s Disease
Funding: KL2TR003016
Lee Ann Johnson, PhD, RN
Assistant Professor
Acute and Specialty Care
UVA School of Nursing
Primary Mentor: Sarah Ratcliffe, PhD
Research Project: Comorbidity Profiles and Their Influence on Treatment and Survival Among Underserved Individuals with Advanced Lung Cancer
Funding: UVA Comprehensive Cancer Center
Shawna Klahn, DVM
Associate Professor
Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences
VT VA-MD College of Veterinary Medicine
Primary Mentor: Nicola Mason, BVetMed, PhD
Research Project: Nanopulse stimulation as an ablative immune modifier in spontaneous canine
diffuse large B-cell lymphoma
Funding: VT Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences
Gregory Madden, MD
Assistant Professor
Department of Medicine
Division of Infect. Disease & Int’l. Health
UVA School of Medicine
Primary Mentor: William Petri, MD, PhD
Research Project: Immune profiling to stratify Clostridioides difficile infection outcomes
Funding: K23AI163368
Kazlin Mason, PhD
Assistant Professor
Department of Human Services
UVA School of Ed & Human Development
Primary Mentor: Silvia Blemker, PhD
Research Project: Improving speech outcomes for cleft and craniofacial conditions through applications of machine learning algorithms and patient-specific pre-operative assessment
Funding: KL2TR003016
Adema Ribic, PhD
Assistant Professor
Department of Psychology
UVA College of Arts & Sciences
Primary Mentor: Jessica Connelly, PhD
Research Project: Vision deficits of non-retinal origin in preterm infants: circuit mechanisms and noninvasive approach for prevention and treatment
Funding: UVA Vice President for Research & UVA College of Arts and Sciences