Past Awardees and Projects

Awardees by Year: 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017

2023 Awardees

• Elizabeth Beam, PhD, UNMC; "Beam Helmet User needs: Applying Human Factors through Analysis of Failure Modes and Clinical Usability Testing of a Head-Mounted, Flip-Up Powered Air Purifying Respirator Prototype"
• Jennifer Black, PhD, UNMC; "Mechanistic Studies of UBXN2A-RICTOR-Mtorc2 Axis in Human Colorectal Cancer"
• Eric Bredahl, PhD; "Improving the Cardiac Transplant Window: Treatments Derived from Hibernators"
• Martin Conda-Sheridan, PhD; "Developing Activators of Cylindrical Proteases as Selective Antichlamydial Agents"
• Christopher D' Angelo, MD, UNMC; "Mechanisms of Gut Microbial Influence in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia"
• Steven Gliske, PhD; "Validation Testing of a Novel State of Vigilance Monitor Prototype for Hospitalized Neonates"
• Raschelle Hoffman, PhD, Creighton University; "Remotely Improving Physical Activity in Rural Communities: Insight from Key Stakeholders"
• Yunju Im, PhD; "Incorporating Neighborhood Information in Bayesian High-Dimensional Mediation Analysis"
• Sophie Sophia Jawed-Wessel, PhD; "Abortion Outcomes and Inequities"
• Tierney Lorenz, PhD; "Desire, Arousal and Heart Disease"
• Karla McGregor, PhD, Boys Town National Research Hospital; "The Boys Town - Nelson Mandela School Language and Literacy Partnership"
• Miguel Matos, MD, UNMC; "Machine Learning to Predict the Clinical Course of Traumatic Brain Injury"
• Dongming Peng, PhD; "Adaptive Partition of ECG Diagnosis Using Closed-Loop and Open-Loop Switch Modes"
• Gwenndolyn Porter, PhD; "Building Capacity to Translate Efficacious Weight Management Programming in Rural Primary Care"
• Jeffrey Salomon MD; "Intestinal Eicosanoids are Associated with Increased Systemic Inflammation After Cardiopulmonary Bypass in Congenital Heart Disease which is Mediated by Epithelial Barrier Dysfunction"
• Kailey Snyder, PhD; "The Feasibility of a Doula-Led Intervention to Prevent Postpartum Depression"
• Elizabeth Wellsandt, DPT, PhD, UNMC; "Movement Pattern Classification Using a Wireless Knee Device after ACL Injury"

2022 Awardees

• John Cote, MD, Creighton University; "Human Placental Lactogen (Human Chorionic Somatomammotropin) and Oxytocin during Pregnancy: Individual Patterns and Correlations with Maternal-Fetal Attachment, Anxiety, and Depression."
• Brian Knarr, PhD, UNO; "The Effects of Overground Visual Biofeedback on Walking Speed and Symmetry in Individuals Post-Stroke."
• Song-young Park, PhD, UNO; "Roles of Keap1-Nrf2 in Microcirculation of Peripheral Artery Disease."
• Julie Peterson, PT, DPT, Creighton University; "Utilizing the Multiphase Optimization Strategy (MOST) Framework to Optimize Pelvic Health Support for Postpartum Mothers in Rural Communities"
• Ka-Chun Siu, PhD, UNMC: "Smart Wearable In-home Monitoring System for Healthy Aging in Rural Nebraska."
• Mark Carlson, MD, UNMC; "Preclinical Development of a Synthetic Resorbable Hernia Mesh."
• James Gehringer, PhD, UNMC; "Hand Arm Bimanual Intensive Therapy in Virtual Reality."
• Eric Markvicka, PhD, UNL; "Multimodal Biosensor for Home Diagnostic Use."
• Chi Zhang, MD, PhD, UNMC: "Neurocognitive Protection by a Nanoparticle Formulation of Metformin (P4-MET) After Brain Radiation Therapy in a Mouse Model."
• Ann Anderson-Berry, MD, PhD, UNMC; "Prediction of Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy Using Vascular Reactivity Index."
• Timothy Baxter, MD, UNMC; "Semi-Supine Exercise Stress Echocardiography in Normal Healthy Children."
• Jason Christensen, MD, UNMC; "Extracellular Vesicle Profile: Potential for Diagnosis and Therapy of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms."
• Sathish Natarajan, PhD, UNL; "Analysis of Mitochondrial Dysfunction in HADHA-mutant Cardiomyocytes."
• Sahil Bajaj, PhD, Boys Town National Research Hospital; "Machine Learning Based Brain Biomarkers Underlying Suicide Risk in Adolescents."
• Roslyn Mannon, MD, UNMC; "Using Deep-Learning to Identify Imaging Signatures of Renal Allograft Rejection."
• Rashelle Hoffman, DPT, PhD, Creighton University; "Remotely Improving Physical Activity with Cognitive Impairment."
• Drew Prescott, PharmD, UNMC, "Assessing Continuous Glucose Monitor Use in Underserved, Primary Care Patients."
• Abraham Mengist, PhD, UNMC; "Evaluating the Validity of Health Behavior Theories in Detecting Predictors of HPV Vaccination in Nebraska Using Structural Equation Model."
• Jianghu Dong, PhD, UNMC; "New approaches for Joint Modelling of Longitudinal and Survival Renal Transplant Data."
• Merry Spratford, AuD, Boys Town National Research Hospital; "Creating Research-Practice Partnerships to Design Community-Based Interventions to Promote Early Identification of Hearing Loss."
• Becky Davis, DNP, APHN-BC, Creighton University; "Supporting Transitions of Care Through Community Partnerships."
• Teresa Kulig, PhD, UNO; "OPD-UNO Collaboration for the Prevention and Intervention of Human Trafficking against Children in Omaha."

2021 Awardees

• Cheryl Beseler, PhD, The Bridges Out of Poverty Model: Examining the Interconnectedness between Physical and Mental Health and Financial Health.
• Christopher Burcal, PhD, ATC, AVERT: Non-Invasive, Posturographic Discernment of Injured vs Non-Injured States.
• Yiannis Chatzizisis, MD, Patient-Specific Computational Planning of Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting: A Novel Approach.
• Jason Cook, MD, Mechanoregulation of Cardiovascular Physiology in Marfan Syndrome.
• Christopher D’Angelo, MD, Diet and the Gut Microbiome in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia: The DIG-CLL Study.
• Angela Dietsch, PhD, Centering Community Voices in the Development of Gender Affirming Communication Services.
• Diane Ehlers, PhD, Enhancing Cognitive and Cardiovascular Function in Breast Cancer Survivors Through High-Intensity Interval Training.
•   Margaret Emerson,  DNP, APRN, PMHNP-BC, Using Mobile Technology to Address the Trauma Mental Health Treatment Gap.
• Yeongjin Gwon, PhD, Development of an Efficient Phase II Bayesian Platform Trial Design and its Application to Emphysema.
• Matthew Halanski, MD, Elimination of Cast Saw Injuries.
• Regina Idoate, PhD, Addressing Cancer Disparities through an Art-Based Research Partnership.
• Victoria Kennel, PhD, Teamwork in Telehealth.
• Yutong Liu, PhD, CNS HIV Theranostics Based on Intrinsic CEST Contrasts of Antiretroviral Drugs.
• Shannon Maloney, PhD, Overcoming Barriers to Telehealth Services Among Low-Income Urban Women.
• Prabagaran Narayanasamy, PhD, Preclinical Testing of Novel Tri Bromo Morin or Morin in Mice to Reduce Aging.
• Michelle Roley-Roberts, PhD, Intersection of Domestic Violence, Eviction, and Racial Disparities in Omaha.
• Adam Rosen, PhD, ATC, Improving and Assessing the Validity and Reliability of the Ankle-PLAST (Ankle-Portable Laxity and Strength Tester).
• Marcia Shade, PhD, RN, The Loneliness Epidemic: Tailoring Interventions to Reduce Loneliness and Pain in Aging Adults Through Voice Assistants.
• Kailey Snyder, PhD, Application of the Multiphase Optimization Strategy (MOST): Targeting Pelvic Floor Dysfunction in Rural Postpartum Mothers.
• Patrick Swanson, PhD, Light Chain Contributions to Specificity and Pathogenicity of VH4-34+ B Cells in Lupus.
• Ying Yan, PhD, FLASH-Radiation Therapy for Increasing Therapeutic Index of Cancer Treatment.
• Dongze Zhang, MD, Optogenetic Therapy Improves Fatal Ventricular Arrhythmias in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM).
• Cheng Zheng, PhD, High-Dimensional Meditation Analysis for Studying Environmental Influences on Adolescent Behavior and Brain Development

2020 Awardees

• Michele Aizenberg, MD, UNMC; “Evaluation of Changes in Brain Connectivity After Tumor Resection.”
• R. Timothy Baxter, MD, FACS, UNMC; “Identification of Biomarkers for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms."
• Kristy Carlson, PhD, UNMC; “Characterizing COVID-19 Patients Requiring Mechanical Ventilation and/or Tracheostomy.”
• Juan Cui, PhD, UNL; “AI-Powered Monitoring of Focused-Activity and Just-in-Time Intervention for Weight Management.”
• Kaustubh Datta, PhD, UNMC; “THINC-19: Telemedicine and Health Inequalities During the COVID-19 Pandemic.”
• Kristin Dickinson, PhD, RN, OCN, UNMC; “A Mouse Model of Cancer-Related Fatigue.”
• Angela Dietsch, PhD, UNL; “Accounting for Taste: Sensory Manipulations to Enhance Dysphagia Recovery.
• Diane Ehlers, PhD, UNMC; “Patterns Activity and Cognition During Treatment (PACT): A Pilot Smartphone Intervention in Women Receiving Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer.”
• Paul Fey,  PhD, UNMC; “Viral culture of SARS-CoV-2.”
• Douglas Franz, MD, UNMC; “Predictors of Clinically Significant Kidney Function Decline in Patients Receiving Long-Term Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) Support.”
• James Garrison, PhD, UNMC; “Development of NTSR1-targeted Radiotherapeutics for Colorectal and Pancreatic Cancers.”
• Andrew Goldsweig, MD, FACC, FSCAI, RPVI, UNMC; “Trends in Indications for Performing Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion with the WATCHMAN Device.”
• Sachin Kedar, MD, FAAN, UNMC; “Visual Search in Glaucoma: Relative Contributions of Vision, Cognition, and Eye Movements on Impaired Target Localization in Complex Naturalistic Sciences.”
  Xiaowei Li, PhD, UNMC; “3 Printed Scaffold to Assist Stem Cells for Ischemic Stroke Treatment.”
• Yutong Liu, PhD, UNMC; “MRI of SARS-CoV-2 Associated Neuropathogenesis in Human ACE2 Transgenic Mice.”
• Yuri Lyubchenko, PhD, DSc, UNMC; “Modular Design of Vaccines for COVID-19.”

2019 Awardees

• Lee Baugh, PhD, USD; ”Impact of transcranial direct current stimulation on motor-induced cognitive fatigue in a stroke population.”
• Julie Blaskewicz Boron, PhD, UNO; “Age-Related Differences in Food Choices and Appetite Regulation in the Context of Exercise.”
• Rebecca Brock, PhD, UNL; “The Role of the Early Family Environment in Child Behavioral Health.”
• David DiLillo, PhD, UNL; “Using VR to Assess the Efficacy of a Motivational Interviewing Intervention to Increase Bystander Behaviors.”
• Jungyoon Kim, PhD, UNMC; “Developing Strategies to Implement Evidence-Based Colorectal Cancer Screening Intervention Using Participatory Approach.”
• Matt Lunning, DO, FACP, UNMC; “Evaluating driving fitness, neurocognitive changes, and immunologic parameters in hematologic malignancy patients undergoing chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy."
• Dejun Su, PhD, UNMC; “Sustaining the Reach of a Scalable Weight Loss Intervention Through Financial Incentives: An Exploratory Randomized Controlled Trial at Nebraska Medicine Fontenelle Clinic.”
• Yingying Wang, PhD, UNL; “Neural Predictors of Speech Perception Outcomes in Adults with Cochlear Implants.”

2018 Awardees

• Priscilla Rodriguez Armijo, MD, UNMC; “Use of i2B2 to Examine General Surgery Outcomes in Rural and Urban Patient Populations: A Big Data Analysis.”
• Angela AuBuchon, PhD, Boys Town National Research Hospital; “Testing the Validity of a New Measure of Rehearsal.”
• Shannon Bartelt-Hunt, PhD, UNL; “”Well Water, Farm Families and Better Health.”
• Pi-Wan Cheng, PhD, UNMC; “Identification of Aggressive Prostate Cancer Based on High Mannose N-glycans on PSA”
• Arielle Deutsch, PhD, USD; “Community-Based Understanding Links Between IPV and Alcohol for American Indian women.”
• Kyle Hackney, PhD, NDSU; “Effects of Eight Weeks of Concurrent Exercise Training and Time-Restricted Feeding (16/8) on Body Composition, Muscle Endurance, Metabolism, Cardiovascular Risk Factors, and Dietary Intake in Overweight, Sedentary Males and Females.”
• Keyonna King, DrPH, MA, UNMC; “Get Your Mind Right: Feasibility of a Mental Health Intervention for African American Fathers in North Omaha.”
• Kaylah Lalonde, PhD, Boys Town National Research Hospital; “Effects of Hearing Aid Compression on Temporal Cues in Audiovisual Speech.”
• Maital Neta, PhD, UNL; “Brain Connectivity for Prediction of Lesion Site in Sports-Related Concussion.”
• Timothy Nelson, PhD, UNL; “Developing Executive Control, Obesity Risk, and Behavioral Health Problems: A Pilot Fmri Study.”
• Shireen Rajaram, PhD, UNMC; “Planning Summit - Feasibility of Training/Education of Tattoo Artist in Sex Trafficking Prevention.’
• Alicia Schiller, PhD, UNMC; “Development of Real-time Clinical Data Visualization Tools through User-Centered Software Design.”
• Myra Schmaderer, PhD, MSN, RN, UNMC; “Self-Management Intervention Using Mobile Health for the Multimorbid.”
• Gina Forster, PhD, USD; “Gut Microbiota and Immune Markers in Psychological Health.”
• Gary Schwartz, PhD, MPH, UND; “Identifying Women at High Risk for Ovarian Cancer Using Routine Lab Results.”
• Lynette Smith, PhD, UNMC; “Time to Event Prediction Based on Risk Calculation from Longitudinal Biomarkers using Bayesian Hierarchical Changepoint Mixture Models.”
• Raluca Simons, PhD, USD; “An Experience Sampling Study of Sleep, PTSD, and Alcohol.”
• Saraswathi Viswanathan, PhD, UNMC; “Assessing the Link between TP-R and Obesity-associated Insulin.”
• Don Warne, MD, MPH, UND; “Targeting Avoidable Admissions and Non-Emergent ED Visits within Rural and Urban Populations.”
• David Warren, PhD, UNMC; “Targeted Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation to Improve Hippocampal-Dependent Declarative Memory Abilities in Patients with Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment.”
• Christopher Wichman, PhD, UNMC; “Are Linear Models Sufficient for Analyzing Adolescent BMI z-scores: A Comparison of Methods for Right Skewed Data.”
• Jon Youn, PhD, UNO; “Development of a Wearable Intelligent System for Elderly (WISE) with Fall Risk.”
• Chi Zhang, PhD, UNL; “Predictive Modeling and Visual Analytics of Radiotherapy on Pancreatic Cancer Treatment, Diagnosis, and Prognosis.”

2017 Awardees

• Deb Hope, PhD, UNL; “From Community to Clinical Trials: Translating Tools and Expanding Partnerships in Preparation for Clinical Trials to Reduce Mental Health Disparities in Underserved Transgender Communities.”
• Thuy Koll, PhD, UNMC; “Cognition, Physical Function and Quality of Life Following Stem Cell Transplantation in Older Adults.”
• Robin Lally, PhD, UNMC; “Facilitating Oncology Patient-Clinician Communication via E-health Innovations.”
• Jung Yul Lim, PhD, UNL; “Peripheral Nerve Regeneration with Novel Graphene Nerve Guidance Conduit.”
• Lisa McFadden, PhD, USD; “Dirty Little Secrets: Wastewater Epidemiology Use to Determine Community Drug Use.”
• Mahesh Pattabiraman, PhD, UNK: “Incarvillateine analogs as non-opioid alternative for geriatric pain management.”
• Scott Pattison, PhD, USD; “CMA-Targeting Peptide Technology: A Novel Strategy to Selectively Clear a Cardiac Disease-Causing Mutant Protein.”
• David Warren, PhD, UNMC; “Targeted Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation to Improve Hippocampal-Dependent Declarative Memory Abilities in Older Adults.
• Jingwei Xie, PhD, UNMC; “Injectable and Expandable Nanofiber Foams for Treating Noncompressible Hemorrhage.”
• Chi Zhang, MD, UNMC; “Targeting Androgen Receptors to Treat Glioblastoma (GBM), a Translational Research Using Primary Human GBM Cell Cultures and Animal Models.”