Meharry Medical College

DEVELOPMENT OF A VIRTUAL SIMULATION AND TELE-MEDICINE PROGRAM FOR TRAINING AND PREPAREDNESS OF FUTURE PHYSICIANS TO SERVE THE UNDER-SERVED AND UNDERREPRESENTED POPULATIONS DURING THE COVID-19 EPIDEMIC

UNKNOWN TITLE

THE RCMI PROGRAM IN HEALTH DISPARITIES RESEARCH AT MEHARRY MEDICAL COLLEGE

ENDOWMENT FOR DISPARITIES RESEARCH AT MEHARRY MEDICAL COLLEGE

CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE

HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES PROGRAM

HBCU - INSTITUTIONAL AID

CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE PROGRAM (HBCU)

OFFICE OF GLOBAL HEALTH - THIS APPLICATION IS RESPONSIVE TO HRSA 22-160. THE HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES GLOBAL HEALTH CONSORTIUM (HBCU-GHC/CONSORTIUM) WORK IN ZAMBIA AND MALAWI IS CONSISTENT WITH THE PURPOSES DESCRIBED IN THE NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY (NOFO). OUR PROGRAM OUTCOMES ARE ALIGNED WITH 1) LEVERAGING HEALTH SERVICE EQUITY APPROACHES FOR SUSTAINABLE HIV EPIDEMIC CONTROL IN ZAMBIA AND MALAWI; 2) DEVELOPING AND EXPANDING OF UNIQUE PLATFORMS TO BRING BEST PRACTICES FROM DOMESTIC EXPERIENCES TO ASSIST THE GLOBAL HIV/AIDS PROGRAM TO SUSTAIN THE GOAL OF REACHING EPIDEMIC CONTROL IN ZAMBIA, MALAWI, AND OTHER PEPFAR-SUPPORTED COUNTRIES”; AND 3) THE CONTINUING AND IMPLEMENTING OF HIV PERSON-CENTERED PROGRAMS THAT ARE INNOVATIVE AND TRANSFORMATIVE IN THE PROVISION OF CLINICAL CARE. ADDITIONALLY, OUR HISTORY AS HBCUS DEMONSTRATES OUR EXPERTISE IN TRAINING ADOLESCENTS, GIRLS, AND YOUNG WOMEN (AGYW) IN THE DREAMS MODEL AS HEALTH SURVEILLANCE ASSISTANTS IN MALAWI. THE MISSION OF THE CONSORTIUM IS TO SUPPORT THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH IN ZAMBIA, MALAWI AND OTHER PEPFAR COUNTRIES TO ADDRESS THE UNAIDS 95-95-95 TARGETS THROUGH THE OPTIMIZATION OF PERSON-FAMILY-CENTERED HEALTH CARE. THE CONSORTIUM HAS DESIGNED, DEVELOPED, AND IMPLEMENTED SYNERGISTIC INITIATIVES IN ZAMBIA AND NOW MALAWI, IT HAS HELD TWO SUB-AWARDS OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS WITH: 1) AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL HEALTH ALLIANCE (2017-2019) AND HW 21-JHPIEGO (2019-2022). BOTH ORGANIZATIONS ACTED IN FISCAL INTERMEDIARY ROLE. ALL PROGRAM INITIATIVES WERE CARRIED OUT BY THE CONSORTIUM. HBCU-GHC ADDRESSES HIV AFFECTING ADULTS, ADOLESCENTS, GIRLS, YOUNG WOMEN, AND MOTHERS AND BABIES IN ZAMBIA AND WILL CONDUCT A SECONDARY EDUCATION TRAINING PROGRAM IN MALAWI TO IMPROVE THE ECONOMIC IMPACT ON THE LIVES OF AGYW. THERE ARE FOUR (4) BLACK MEDICAL SCHOOLS WHO ARE THE MEMBERS OF THE CONSORTIUM 1) CHARLES R. DREW UNIVERSITY OF MEDICINE AND SCIENCE (CDU), LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA; 2) HOWARD UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDIC INE, WASHINGTON, DC (HU); 3) MEHARRY MEDICAL COLLEGE (MMC), NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE AND 4) MOREHOUSE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE (MSM), ATLANTA, GEORGIA. THE CONSORTIUM OPERATES IN THREE (3) PROVINCES (COPPERBELT, LUSAKA AND SOUTHERN) AND IN 45 FACILITIES. THE INTENT OF THE APPLICATION IS TO DEMONSTRATE STRATEGIES AND APPROACHES THAT WILL REDUCE DISCRIMINATION, STIGMA, AND ECONOMIC IMPACT ON PERSONS AND FAMILIES AFFECTED BY HIV. ITS PROGRAMS AND INITIATIVES ADDRESS PREVENTION OF HIV IN KEY POPULATIONS (KPS) STIGMA, DISCRIMINATION, HEALTH DISPARITIES, ACCESS, UTILIZATION AND CASE MANAGEMENT AND ADVANCING HEALTH EQUITY, SUSTAINABILITY THROUGH TRAINING, AND CULTURAL COMPETENCY IN PERSON CARE INCLUDING PREVENTION AND TREATMENT. USING INTEGRATED MODELS ACROSS FOUR FLAGSHIP HOSPITAL FACILITIES (MATERO, CHILENJE, KANYAMA, AND CHAWAMA) HEALTH CENTERS AND HEALTH POSTS. THE CONSORTIUM HAS A PRESENCE IN 23 HEALTH FACILITIES ACROSS LUSAKA, OF WHICH 13 ARE DIRECT SERVICE DELIVERY SITES, AND TEN ARE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE SITES, EIGHTEEN DROP-IN CENTERS, MOBILE HOTSPOT OUTREACH, AND SUPPORTED KEY POPULATION (KP)-FRIENDLY PUBLIC FACILITIES. OUR STRATEGIES AND APPROACHES INCLUDE IMPLEMENTING WRAPAROUND HIV SERVICES FOR ADULTS, MOMS, CHILDREN, ADOLESCENTS AND YOUNG WOMEN, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, ENSURING FACILITIES HAVE WELL-TRAINED AND SUPERVISED HEALTH CARE WORKERS TO PROVIDE KP-FRIENDLY AND SENSITIVE CLINICAL SERVICES, USING KP (KEY POPULATIONS) LAY PERSONNEL, SUCH AS MENTOR MOMS, COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS, PEER EDUCATORS AND HIV POSITIVE PEER NAVIGATORS TO REACH KPS; AND PROVIDING DIRECT SERVICE DELIVERY TO BENEFICIARIES IN THE COMMUNITY. IN MALAWI, THE CONSORTIUM WILL CONTINUE TO COORDINATE WITH KP COMMUNITIES, THE MOH, PEPFAR, AND THE LOCAL GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES IN (BLANTYRE, MACHINGA, AND ZOMBA) TO OFFER AGYW TRAINING IN HIV, REPLICATED FROM SUCCESSFUL AGYW PROGRAMMING IN ZAMBIA AT SUPPORTED SITES TO FACILITATE THE PROVISION OF FRIENDLY AND RESPECTFUL INTEGRATED KP SERVICES.

MEHARRY CLINICAL AND TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH CENTER (METRC)

CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE

CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE PROGRAM (HBCU)

FIVE YEAR TITLE III FUNDED PROGRAM TO SUPPORT CAMPUS TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE AND STUDENT SUCCESS.

MMC, VICC & TSU: PARTNERS IN ELIMINATING CANCER DISPARITIES ( 1 OF 3)

THE MEHARRY RISE INITIATIVE

HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES PROGRAM

MEHARRY CLINICAL AND TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH CENTER (METRC)

MEHARRY RCMI PROGRAM IN WOMEN'S HEALTH RESEARCH

MEHARRY EXPORT CENTER FOR HEALTH DISPARITIES

ENDOWMENT FOR CARDIOMETABOLIC HEALTH DISPARITIES RESEARCH - PROJECT ABSTRACT THE LONG-TERM OBJECTIVE OF THE ENDOWMENT FOR CARDIOMETABOLIC HEALTH DISPARITIES RESEARCH IS TO EXPAND THE CAPACITY OF MEHARRY MEDICAL COLLEGE (MMC) TO ENHANCE RESEARCH AND RESEARCH TRAINING IN MINORITY HEALTH. THE PROGRAM WILL ADDRESS HEALTH DISPARITIES IN CARDIOMETABOLIC HEALTH DISPROPORTIONATELY PREVALENT IN THE AFRICAN AMERICANS IN NASHVILLE AND DAVIDSON COUNTY, THE CATCHMENT AREAS OF MMC. WE WILL ACCOMPLISH THIS OBJECTIVE BY RECRUITING A WELL-ESTABLISHED ANCHOR FACULTY TO BUILD INTELLECTUAL CAPACITY, INCREASING THE NUMBER OF PHD STUDENTS FROM UNDERREPRESENTED BACKGROUNDS IN HEALTH DISPARITY RESEARCH, PROVIDING INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH AND LEADERSHIP TRAINING TO POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWS AND JUNIOR FACULTY FROM UNDERREPRESENTED BACKGROUNDS, AND INCREASING THE NUMBER OF HEALTH PROFESSIONAL FACULTY INVOLVED IN CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH DISPARITY RESEARCH. TO ACHIEVE OUR GOAL, THERE ARE 5 PRIORITY ACTIVITIES. PRIORITY ACTIVITY 1 IS TO DEVELOP A BACHELORS TO MASTERS TO PHD PATHWAY PROGRAM IN PARTNERSHIP WITH NEARBY UNDERGRADUATE HBCU INSTITUTIONS. WE WILL DEVELOP GRADUATE CURRICULUM AND ESTABLISH A NEW PHD TRAINING GRADUATE CONCENTRATION IN CARDIOMETABOLIC HEALTH DISPARITIES RESEARCH. PRIORITY ACTIVITY 2 IS TO HIRE A SENIOR MAGNET CARDIOVASCULAR SCIENTIST AND JUNIOR SCIENTIST TO BUILD A CORPUS OF RESEARCHERS. PRIORITY ACTIVITY 3 IS TO DEVELOP A RESEARCH LEADERSHIP PROGRAM FOR POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWS TO EARLY-STAGE TENURE-TRACK FACULTY UNDERREPRESENTED IN MEDICINE AND SCIENCE TO ALLOW THEM TO SUCCESSFULLY ESTABLISH THEIR INDEPENDENT RESEARCH PROGRAMS AND TRANSITION TO SUCCESSFUL TENURE STATUS. PRIORITY ACTIVITY 4 IS TO ESTABLISH AN ANNUAL PRESIDENTS SEMINAR TO BRING ACCOMPLISHED, NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED PROMINENT RESEARCHERS ON THE MEHARRY CAMPUS TO PRESENT AND TO ENGAGE WITH OUR PHD CANDIDATES AND FACULTY FOR NEW NETWORKING/MENTORING OPPORTUNITIES. PRIORITY ACTIVITY 5 IS TO INVEST IN RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE TO ADVANCE TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION ON OUR CAMPUS FOR EXPERIMENTATION, DATA COLLECTION, AND TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH FOCUSED ON HEALTH DISPARITIES OF CARDIOMETABOLIC DISEASE. WITH ENDOWMENT FUNDS SECURED THROUGH THE S21 MECHANISM, WE WILL PROVIDE ROBUST TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES TO ENCOURAGE MORE PARTICIPATION IN HEALTH DISPARITIES RESEARCH FOCUSED ON CARDIOMETABOLIC DISEASES. THE IMPACT WILL BE ESTABLISHMENT OF A SUSTAINABLE PROGRAM THAT INCLUDES HEALTH DISPARITY CURRICULA FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS, A POSTDOCTORAL FELLOW TO TENURE-TRACK FACULTY DEVELOPMENT PATHWAY, AND A CRITICAL CORPUS OF HEALTH DISPARITY RESEARCHERS WITH ACTIVE RESEARCH PROJECTS IN THE AREA FOCUSED ON CARDIOMETABOLIC HEALTH DISPARITIES. LEVERAGING OUR ONGOING ACADEMIC RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE NEIGHBORING UNDERGRADUATE HBCUS, TRAINING PATHWAYS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY AND FISK UNIVERSITY, LOCATED IN THE ONE-MILE CORRIDOR OF MMC, WILL CREATE A SCHOLARLY ENVIRONMENT FOR TEACHING AND RESEARCH TO ADDRESS THE CHALLENGE OF HALTING AND REDUCING THE WIDENING GAP OF CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH DISPARITIES WITHIN THE MINORITY POPULATIONS OF THE US.

MEHARRY RCMI PROGRAM IN WOMEN'S HEALTH RESEARCH

HEALTH CAREERS OPPORTUNITY PROGRAM

COMMUNITY-BASED UNIFIED RESPONSE TO ELIMINATE HEPATITIS C (CURE) - PROJECT TITLE: COMMUNITY-BASED UNIFIED RESPONSE TO ELIMINATE HEPATITIS C (CURE) APPLICANT ORGANIZATION: MEHARRY MEDICAL COLLEGE TARGET POPULATION: PEOPLE WHO USE DRUGS (PWUD), INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, AND THOSE WITH CO-OCCURRING MENTAL ILLNESS IN DAVIDSON COUNTY, TN STRATEGY: DELIVER LOW-BARRIER, SAME-DAY HCV TESTING AND TREATMENT INTEGRATED WITH BEHAVIORAL HEALTH, HIV, AND SUBSTANCE USE SERVICES GOAL: ELIMINATE HCV AMONG HIGH-RISK POPULATIONS BY INCREASING TESTING, TREATMENT ACCESS, RETENTION, AND SUSTAINED VIROLOGIC RESPONSE (SVR) ABSTRACT: THE COMMUNITY-BASED UNIFIED RESPONSE TO ELIMINATE HEPATITIS C (CURE) INITIATIVE, LED BY MEHARRY MEDICAL COLLEGE, SEEKS TO ELIMINATE HEPATITIS C VIRUS (HCV) AMONG PEOPLE WHO USE DRUGS (PWUD), INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, AND THOSE LIVING WITH CO-OCCURRING MENTAL ILLNESS IN NASHVILLE/DAVIDSON COUNTY, TN. DESPITE BEING A NATIONAL MEDICAL EDUCATION AND HEALTH EQUITY LEADER, TENNESSEE HAS AMONG THE HIGHEST HCV INFECTION RATES IN THE U.S., EXACERBATED BY FRAGMENTED CARE SYSTEMS, LOW MEDICAID UPTAKE, AND LIMITED ACCESS TO EVIDENCE-BASED TREATMENT FOR VULNERABLE POPULATIONS. THE CURE PROJECT WILL IMPLEMENT AN INTEGRATED, PERSON-CENTERED, AND LOW-BARRIER MODEL ACROSS FOUR SERVICE SITES: THE MEHARRY ADDICTION CLINIC (MAC), THE ELAM MENTAL HEALTH CENTER, THE MEHARRY COMMUNITY WELLNESS CENTER (MCWC), AND THE HOPE MOBILE OUTREACH CLINIC. SERVICES WILL INCLUDE SAME-DAY HCV ANTIBODY AND RNA TESTING USING POINT-OF-CARE DIAGNOSTICS; IMMEDIATE LIVER STAGING; AND INITIATION OF DIRECT-ACTING ANTIVIRAL (DAA) THERAPY. ALL SERVICES ARE CO-LOCATED WITH HIV TESTING AND CARE, MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING, MEDICATION FOR OPIOID AND ALCOHOL USE DISORDER (MOUD/MAUD), AND PEER-LED RECOVERY SUPPORT. OVER THE 3-YEAR PROJECT PERIOD, CURE WILL: PROVIDE RAPID HCV SCREENING TO AT LEAST 750 HIGH-RISK INDIVIDUALS (250/YEAR); INITIATE DAA TREATMENT FOR A MINIMUM OF 405 PARTICIPANTS; ACHIEVE SUSTAINED VIROLOGIC RESPONSE (SVR12) IN ≥85% OF THOSE TREATED; TRAIN 10+ PRESCRIBERS IN HCV CARE USING EVIDENCE-BASED CURRICULA; PROVIDE CO-LOCATED HCV, SUD, AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES TO 100% OF ENROLLED CLIENTS; INCREASE HAV/HBV VACCINATION RATES AND IMPLEMENT MOTIVATIONAL INCENTIVES TO SUPPORT ADHERENCE AND CURE. THE PROJECT LEVERAGES A UNIFIED 340B PHARMACY INFRASTRUCTURE, MOBILE CARE DELIVERY, AND AN IMPLEMENTATION SCIENCE EVALUATION GUIDED BY THE RE-AIM FRAMEWORK. MEHARRY WILL COORDINATE WITH PEER-LED HOUSING ORGANIZATIONS, TENNCARE NAVIGATORS, AND HARM REDUCTION EXPERTS TO ADDRESS STRUCTURAL BARRIERS, IMPROVE RETENTION, AND ADVANCE HEALTH EQUITY. THE PROPOSED ACTIVITIES ARE FULLY ALIGNED WITH THE NOFO'S REQUIRED AND ALLOWABLE STRATEGIES AND WILL CREATE A REPLICABLE MODEL FOR SYNDEMIC CARE INTEGRATION IN NON-MEDICAID EXPANSION STATES.

MMC AND VICC: PARTNERS IN ELIMINATING CANCER DISPARITIES

2008 COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT WITH MEHARRY MEDICAL COLLEGE

MEHARRY RESEARCH FACILITIES FOR ADVANCED GENOMICS (MERFAG) - PROJECT SUMMARY THE PROPOSED APPLICATION AIMS TO ESTABLISH THE “MEHARRY RESEARCH FACILITIES FOR ADVANCED GENOMICS” (MERFAG) AT MEHARRY MEDICAL COLLEGE (MMC), AN INSTITUTION OF EMERGING EXCELLENCE (IEE) IN THE SOUTHERN UNITED STATES DEDICATED TO EDUCATING HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS AND BIOMEDICAL SCIENTISTS WITH A FOCUS ON ADDRESSING HEALTH DISPARITIES. THE PROPOSED MERFAG WILL SERVE AS A STATE-OF-THE-ART RESEARCH ENVIRONMENT, ATTRACTING HIGH-CALIBRE COMMITTED GENOMICS SCIENTISTS, FOSTERING CROSS-FERTILIZATION OF IDEAS, INNOVATION AND INTERINSTITUTIONAL COLLABORATION TO ADVANCE BIOMEDICAL AND TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH. MERFAG WILL ENHANCE MMC’S PARTNERSHIPS WITH ACADEMIC AND INDUSTRY COLLABORATORS, INCLUDING THE GENETICS-FOCUSED VISITING SCIENTISTS PROGRAM WITH THE ICAHN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT MT SINAI, NY, GENOMIC STUDIES THROUGH THE DIASPORA HUMAN GENOMICS INSTITUTE (DHGI) INCORPORATED BY MMC, AND THE NHGRI-FUNDED CENTER FOR GENOME RESEARCH AT MMC. IT WILL ALSO SUPPORT THE TOGETHER FOR CHANGE (T4C) INITIATIVE, A TEN-YEAR PROJECT TO RECRUIT 500,000 VOLUNTEERS OF AFRICAN ANCESTRY FOR A BIOBANK TO ADVANCE HEALTH STUDIES. IN KEEPING WITH DEMANDS FOR THE DIVERSE GENOMICS WORKFORCE, T4C WILL ALSO DEVELOP STEM MENTORING PATHWAYS FOR CAPACITY BUILDING, SUCH AS THE DNA LEARNING CENTER IN COLLABORATION WITH COLD SPRING HARBOR LABORATORY AND A GENETIC COUNSELING TRAINING PROGRAM. THE T4C INITIATIVE GOVERNED BY DHGI IS FUNDED BY THE REGENERON-LED BIOPHARMACEUTICAL CONSORTIUM. IN KEEPING WITH DEMANDS FOR THE DIVERSE GENOMICS WORKFORCE, T4C IS DEVELOPING STEM MENTORING PATHWAYS FOR GENOMICS CAPACITY BUILDING. ADDITIONALLY, MERFAG WILL COMPLEMENT MMC’S PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CHAN ZUCKERBERG INITIATIVE TO ACCELERATE PRECISION HEALTH, WHICH IS RECRUITING FACULTY IN MMC’S NEW DEPARTMENT OF INTEGRATIVE GENOMICS TO FOCUS ON CLINICAL AND BASIC GENOMICS TO ADDRESS DISEASE ETIOLOGY AND TREATMENT. MERFAG WILL ALSO STRENGTHEN NATIONAL PROGRAMS LIKE THE MEHARRY- LED SOUTHEAST HUB OF NIH AIM-AHEAD PROGRAM AND THE DOE-FUNDED TSU-MMC-FISK ALLIANCE, AIMED AT BUILDING COMPETITIVENESS IN DIVERSE WORKFORCE. APPROXIMATELY 17,898 SQ FT OF UNUSED SPACE WILL BE RENOVATED TO HOUSE A CLUSTER OF EIGHT RESEARCH CORE FACILITIES IN THE PROPOSED MERFAG WITH DISTINCT CAPACITIES OF A BIOREPOSITORY, DIGITAL PATHOLOGY, TRANSCRIPTOMICS, PHARMACO & TOXICOGENOMICS, MICROBIAL GENOMICS, MITOCHONDRIAL GENOMICS, IMMUNOGENOMICS AND IMMUNE CELL THERAPY, AND SINGLE CELL SEQUENCING AND NGS. THESE FACILITIES WILL ENABLE A BROAD SCOPE OF CUTTING-EDGE GENOMICS RESEARCH ADDRESSING HEALTH DISPARITIES, REDUCE STARTUP COSTS FOR NEW FACULTY, AND ATTRACT HIGH-CALIBER RESEARCHERS. BY INTEGRATING INNOVATIVE RESEARCH CAPABILITIES, MERFAG WILL POSITION MMC AND MIDDLE-TN AS A LEADER IN GENOMICS-DRIVEN HEALTHCARE RESEARCH.

MEHARRY CLINICAL RESEARCH CENTER

MEHARRY MEDICAL COLLEGE-CHC COMMUNITY NETWORKS PROGRAM CENTER

RYAN WHITE PART C OUTPATIENT EIS PROGRAM

MODEL STATE SUPPORTED AHEC PROGRAM

RYAN WHITE PART C OUTPATIENT EIS PROGRAM

MODEL STATE SUPPORTED AHEC PROGRAM

DEFINING THE EFFECTS OF BORTEZOMIB ON NK CELL ACTIVATION IN CANCER

PRIMARY CARE TRAINING AND ENHANCEMENT-COMMUNITY PREVENTION AND MATERNAL HEALTH

RURAL COMMUNITIES OPIOID RESPONSE PROGRAM - MEDICATION ASSISTED TREATMENT ACCESS - CHEATHAM COUNTY IS LOCATED ~30 MILES FROM NASHVILLE AND IS DESIGNATED AS A RURAL COUNTY. CHEATHAM IS ALSO A PART OF ONE OF THREE HIGH IMPACT AREAS FOR OPIOID USE DISORDER INTERVENTIONS IN THE STATE OF TENNESSEE. IN 2019, OPIOID OVERDOSE DEATH RATES IN THE COUNTY WERE MORE THAN DOUBLE THE STATE RATE. CHEATHAM HAD AN OVERDOSE RATE OF 78.8 PER 100,000 IN 2019 COMPARED TO THE STATE RATE OF 38.4 AND THE NATIONAL RATE OF 28.7.1 THIS RATE HAS RISEN EVEN HIGHER IN 2020 TO 105 PER 100,000, THE HIGHEST IN RATE IN THE STATE IN 2020. CHEATHAM LEADS THE STATE IN THE RATE OF NONFATAL OVERDOSES AS WELL, WITH 676 PER 100,000. FURTHER, CHEATHAM COUNTY HAD NO BUPRENORPHINE WAIVERED PHYSICIANS AS OF 2019, NO COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS, NO SUBSTANCE USE TREATMENT FACILITIES, AND NO MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT FACILITIES. WHILE ONE PHYSICIAN BEGAN PRESCRIBING IN 2020, THIS IS FAR BELOW THE ACTUAL NEED FOR BUPRENORPHINE. DUE TO BOTH THE HIGH RATE OF OVERDOSE AND THE LACK OF SERVICES, WE HAVE CHOSEN TO FOCUS OUR PROJECT IN CHEATHAM COUNTY. SPECIFICALLY, WE INTEND TO: (1) DEVELOP A THREE NEW MEDICATION ASSISTED TREATMENT (MAT) ACCESS POINTS THROUGH OUR MOBILE CLINIC THAT WILL SERVE CHEATHAM COUNTY; (2) PARTNER WITH CHEATHAM COUNTY GENERAL SESSIONS COURT TO SERVE AS THE PRIMARY MAT REFERRAL SOURCE IN THE COUNTY; (3) INCREASE THE OPIOID AND ALCOHOL USE DISORDER TREATMENT WORKFORCE IN THE COUNTY BY PROVIDING TRAINING AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TO PROVIDERS IN THE COUNTY; (4) INCREASE COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURE TO PROVIDE MEDICATION ASSISTED TREATMENT THROUGH OUR ROAM LEARNING COLLABORATIVE FOR PHYSICIANS, OTHER PRESCRIBERS AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PROVIDERS; AND (5) ENSURE A SUSTAINABLE MODEL OF MAT DELIVERY THROUGH INCREASED INSURANCE ENROLLMENT AND BILLING AND CODING OPTIMIZATION PROVIDED THROUGH OUR COMMUNITY PARTNER C2 SOLUTIONS.

ROLE OF GRIN2 IN ART AND SUD ASSOCIATED NEUROLOGICAL DEFICITS. - ABSTRACT APPROXIMATELY 1.2 MILLION PEOPLE IN THE US AND ~ 37 MILLION PEOPLE WORLDWIDE ARE LIVING WITH HIV-1. IN SPITE OF CONSIDERABLE PROGRESS IN HIV/AIDS RESEARCH, ANTI-RETROVIRAL THERAPY (ART) REMAINS THE ONLY TREATMENT OPTION FOR HIV-1 INFECTION. WHILE ART HAS BEEN HIGHLY EFFECTIVE IN CONTROLLING THE VIRUS AND MAKING HIV INFECTION A MANAGEABLE DISEASE, THE DRUGS USED IN THE ART REGIMENS CAUSE ADVERSE SIDE EFFECTS. AMONG THE MOST WIDELY PRESCRIBED ANTIRETROVIRALS (ARVS) ARE INTEGRASE STRAND TRANSFER INHIBITORS (INSTIS) WHICH BLOCK THE CRITICAL STEP OF HIV-1 INTEGRATION INTO HOST CHROMOSOMES. UNFORTUNATELY, RECENT REPORTS SUGGEST THAT INSTI USE IS ASSOCIATED WITH TREATMENT-LIMITING NEUROPSYCHIATRIC ADVERSE EFFECTS. EVIDENTLY, PLHIV ARE OFTEN COMORBID WITH COCAINE USE DISORDERS (CUD) THAT EXACERBATES NEURONAL DEFICITS. THUS, UNDERSTANDING THE COMBINED EFFECTS OF INSTI-ART AND CUD ON NEURONAL DYSFUNCTION IS CRITICAL FOR THE LONG-TERM EFFECTIVENESS OF THE ART. THIS PROPOSAL WILL PROBE THE COMBINED NEURONAL AND NEUROPSYCHIATRIC EFFECTS OF INSTI-BASED ART AND CHRONIC COCAINE USE. INSTIS ARE INCLUDED IN ALL INITIAL ART REGIMENS AND ARE WIDELY PRESCRIBED ARVS TO CONTROL HIV-1 INFECTION WORLDWIDE. CURRENTLY APPROVED INSTIS INCLUDE RALTEGRAVIR, ELVITEGRAVIR, DOLUTEGRAVIR, BICTEGRAVIR, AND CABOTEGRAVIR. ALTHOUGH GENERALLY REPORTED TO BE SAFE AND EFFECTIVE THERE IS A GROWING CONCERN ABOUT THE ADVERSE METABOLIC AND NEUROPSYCHIATRIC EFFECTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE INSTI-BASED ART. HOWEVER, THE MECHANISMS AND THE PATHWAYS THAT DRIVE INSTI-ASSOCIATED NEURONAL AND NEUROPSYCHIATRIC SIDE EFFECTS ARE UNKNOWN. FURTHERMORE, THERE ARE KEY KNOWLEDGE GAPS IN OUR UNDERSTANDING OF ANY ADDITIVE OR SYNERGISTIC EFFECTS OF CUD IN INSTI-ART ASSOCIATED NEUROLOGICAL DEFICITS. WE HYPOTHESIZE THAT INSTI-ART AND COCAINE-ASSOCIATED NEUROCOGNITIVE DEFICITS ARE DRIVEN BY ALTERATIONS IN GLUTAMATE AND CALCIUM SIGNALING THAT AFFECT SYNAPTIC FUNCTION AND NEURONAL COMMUNICATION IN SPECIFIC BRAIN CIRCUITS. TO TEST THIS, WE HAVE DEVELOPED A MULTI-PRONGED APPROACH THAT COMBINES BIOCHEMICAL, GENETIC, AND PHARMACOLOGIC ANALYSIS OF NEURONAL FUNCTION WITH ELECTROPHYSIOLOGICAL STUDIES OF NEURONAL CIRCUITS. USING THIS NOVEL APPROACH, WE WILL TEST OUR HYPOTHESIS THROUGH THREE SPECIFIC AIMS. IN AIM 1, WE WILL ASSESS THE EFFECTS OF INSTI-ART REGIMENS ON EXCITATORY GLUTAMATE NEUROTRANSMISSION. IN AIM 2, WE WILL PROBE THE ADVERSE EFFECTS OF INSTI-ART ON NEUROPSYCHIATRIC CIRCUITRY. IN AIM 3, WE WILL PROBE THE COMBINED EFFECTS OF INSTI-ART AND CHRONIC COCAINE USE ON ALTERATIONS IN SYNAPTIC NEUROTRANSMISSION WITHIN NEUROPSYCHIATRIC CIRCUITRY. TO ACHIEVE THESE GOALS, WE HAVE COMBINED THE EXPERTISE IN HIV NEUROPATHOGENESIS, TO THAT OF NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROPSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS, AND CLINICAL RESEARCH. TOGETHER, THESE STUDIES WILL COMPREHENSIVELY DEFINE THE MOLECULAR, CELLULAR, AND NEURONAL CIRCUIT LEVEL EFFECTS INSTI-ART AND CUD. THIS NEW KNOWLEDGE WILL PROMOTE NEW AND IMPROVED THERAPEUTIC STRATEGIES TO REDUCE THE SEVERITY OF NEURONAL DEFICITS AMONG ART-ADHERENT PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV.

DEFECTIVE ISOFORMS OF APOE INDUCE ATHEROGENESIS VIA UNFOLDED PROTEIN RESPONSES

MINORITY INSTITUTIONAL RESEARCH TRAINING PROGRAM

SPATIOTEMPORAL STAGING OF THE HIV-1 PREINTEGRATION COMPLEX - ABSTRACT APPROXIMATELY 1.2 MILLION PEOPLE IN THE US AND ~40 MILLION PEOPLE WORLDWIDE ARE INFECTED WITH HIV. IN SPITE OF SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS IN HIV/AIDS RESEARCH, ANTI-RETROVIRAL THERAPY (ART) REMAINS THE ONLY TREATMENT OPTION AVAILABLE FOR HIV-1 INFECTION. ART HAS BEEN HIGHLY EFFECTIVE IN CONTROLLING THE VIRUS AND MAKING HIV INFECTION A MANAGEABLE DISEASE. SPECIFICALLY, INHIBITORS OF HIV-1 INTEGRASE (IN) ARE USED AS THE PREFERRED DRUGS IN THE CURRENT ART REGIMENS. HOWEVER, THESE INHIBITORS CONTINUE TO FACE DRUG RESISTANCE AND THERE IS GROWING CONCERN OF THE ADVERSE METABOLIC AND NEUROPSYCHIATRIC EFFECTS OF THESE INHIBITORS. THUS, THERE IS A NEED FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW AND IMPROVED IN INHIBITORS FOR EFFECTIVE AND LONG-TERM CONTROL HIV-1 INFECTION. SUCH EFFORT IS CRITICALLY DEPENDENT ON A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE MECHANISMS OF HIV-1 INTEGRATION. IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT STUDIES OF THE PREINTEGRATION COMPLEX (PIC) EXTRACTED FROM ACUTELY INFECTED CELLS HAVE BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN DEFINING THE MECHANISMS OF HIV-1 INTEGRATION. FURTHERMORE, PIC STUDIES HAVE PLAYED A CENTRAL ROLE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF CURRENTLY USED IN INHIBITORS. THEREFORE, OUR PROPOSAL TO DEFINE THE MECHANISM OF HIV-1 PIC FORMATION WILL GENERATE NEW KNOWLEDGE TO PROMOTE THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW AND IMPROVED IN-BASED THERAPIES. RETROVIRAL REPLICATION IS DEPENDENT ON THE ESSENTIAL STEPS OF REVERSE TRANSCRIPTION (RTN) AND INTEGRATION. IN THE CASE OF HIV, THE RNA GENOME IS REVERSE TRANSCRIBED INTO A DNA COPY BY THE REVERSE TRANSCRIPTION COMPLEX (RTC). THEN, THE RTC TRANSITIONS INTO A PIC BY AN UNKNOWN MECHANISM AND UNDEFINED TIME. THE PIC, CONTAINING THE VIRAL DNA, THE IN ENZYME, AND OTHER VIRAL/HOST FACTORS, CARRIES OUT INTEGRATION. THE PREVAILING VIEW IS THAT HIV-1 RTN IS COMPLETED IN THE CYTOPLASM AND/OR AT THE NUCLEAR PORE COMPLEX (NPC). THUS, NUCLEAR ENTRY OF THE PIC IS NECESSARY TO CARRY OUT HIV-1 DNA INTEGRATION INTO THE HOST CHROMOSOMES. HOWEVER, NEW EVIDENCE SUGGEST THAT THE INTACT HIV-1 CAPSID ENTERS THE NUCLEUS AND RTN IS COMPLETED AFTER THE NUCLEAR ENTRY STEP. A NUCLEAR COMPLETION OF RTN CREATES KEY KNOWLEDGE GAPS IN OUR CURRENT UNDERSTANDING OF THE PIC. WE HYPOTHESIZE THAT FUNCTIONAL HIV-1 PICS ARE FORMED PRIOR TO THE COMPLETION OF RTN AND NUCLEAR ENTRY PROTECTS THE INTEGRITY OF THE PIC-VIRAL DNA. THIS PROPOSAL WILL TEST THIS HYPOTHESIS THROUGH THREE SPECIFIC AIMS: AIM 1 WILL DEFINE THE LINK BETWEEN THE TIMING OF FUNCTIONAL PIC FORMATION RELATIVE TO RTN COMPLETION, AIM 2 WILL ASSESS THE ROLE OF NUCLEAR ENTRY ON PIC FUNCTION, AND AIM 3 WILL DETERMINE THE SPATIOTEMPORAL TRANSITION OF THE RTC TO A PIC. FOR THESE AIMS, WE HAVE DEVELOPED A NOVEL APPROACH OF QUANTIFYING PIC-SPECIFIC INTEGRATION ACTIVITY AND MEASURING HIV-1 CORE-MEDIATED DNA INTEGRATION, COUPLED WITH THE BLOCKADE OF VIRAL NUCLEAR ENTRY AND TIME OF INHIBITOR ADDITION ASSAYS. TOGETHER, THESE STUDIES WILL DEFINE THE MECHANISTIC AND KINETIC LINK BETWEEN HIV-1 RTN AND PIC FUNCTION. MOST IMPORTANTLY, OUR TEAM IS UNIQUELY QUALIFIED TO SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETE THIS TIMELY R01-PROJECT, SINCE WE HAVE THE EXPERTISE, REAGENTS, AND THE TOOLS REQUIRED TO STUDY PIC BIOCHEMISTRY (DASH), CAPSID BIOLOGY (AIKEN), NUCLEAR ENTRY (CAMPBELL), AND INTEGRATION (ENGELMAN AND CRAIGIE).

RENOVATIONS OF THE ANIMAL CARE FACILITY

AFFORDABLE CARE ACT: PRIMARY CARE RESIDENCY EXPANSION

CHARACTERIZING A SMALL MOLECULE OF STREPTOCOCCUS CRISTATUS FOR HIV DRUG DESIGN

MINORITY BASED COMMUNITY CLINICAL ONCOLOGY PROGRAM AT MEHARRY MEDICAL COLLEGE

CLINICAL RESEARCH AND EDUCATION FOR CAREER DEVELOPMENT

MEHARRY OPIOID RESPONSE AND RECOVERY (MORRE) CENTER - MEHARRY MEDICAL COLLEGE (MMC) HAS BEEN SERVING UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS IN NASHVILLE SINCE 1876. THE MEHARRY ACADEMIC MEDICAL CENTER IS THE LARGEST HBCU MEDICAL CENTER IN THE COUNTRY WITH A MISSION OF ELIMINATING HEALTH DISPARITIES. WE WILL BUILD ON THIS EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE TO PROVIDE CUTTING EDGE EVIDENCE BASED CARE DESIGNED FOR UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS THROUGH THE CREATION OF THE MEHARRY OPIOID RESPONSE AND RECOVERY (MORRE) CENTER. THROUGH THE MORRE WE WILL INTEGRATE THE EXISTING NEAR FULL CONTINUUM OF CARE FOR PEOPLE WITH OPIOID USE DISORDER (OUD) TO PROVIDE THE FULL CASCADE OF OUD SERVICES TO PEOPLE IN NASHVILLE TENNESSEE AND SURROUNDING COUNTIES WITH A FOCUS ON SERVING BLACK RESIDENTS AND THE UNHOUSED POPULATION. CURRENTLY, MEHARRY IS HOME TO THE MEHARRY ADDICTION CLINIC (MAC) IN THE DEPARTMENT OF FAMILY AND COMMUNITY MEDICINE, AND THE ELAM MENTAL HEALTH CENTER (EMHC) IN THE DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHIATRY AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES. THE MAC CONSISTS OF A LOW THRESHOLD MEDICATION FOR OPIOID USE DISORDER (MOUD) CLINIC THAT PROVIDES MOUD ALONG WITH A FULL CONTINUUM OF PRIMARY CARE SERVICES DESIGNED FOR PEOPLE WHO USE DRUGS (PWUD) BOTH THROUGH A STATIONARY AND A MOBILE CLINIC. THE MAC ALSO PROVIDES HARM REDUCTION OUTREACH AND SYRINGE SERVICE PROGRAMMING FOCUSING ON BLACK AND UNHOUSED DRUG USING COMMUNITIES IN THE CITY. THE EMHC HAS BEEN THE SAFETY NET SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER PROVIDER FOR THE CITY SINCE 1976. THE EMHC PROVIDES INTENSIVE OUTPATIENT, OUTPATIENT, AND RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT, INCLUDING TREATMENT FOR PREGNANT WOMEN AND WOMEN WITH CHILDREN. THE CREATION OF THE MORRE CENTER WILL FURTHER STRENGTHEN THE INTEGRATION OF THESE TWO CLINICS WITHIN MEHARRY MEDICAL COLLEGE. FURTHER, TO COMPLETE THE CONTINUUM OF CARE WE WILL PARTNER WITH THE ONLY METHADONE PROVIDER IN THE CITY, AS WELL AS RECOVERY SUPPORT SERVICE PROVIDERS, INCLUDING RECOVERY HOUSING. WITH THE REQUESTED FUNDING WE WILL PROVIDE A FULL CONTINUUM OF CARE FOR PEOPLE WITH OUD AND SOLIDIFY AND AUGMENT THE CURRENT SYSTEM OF CARE FOR PEOPLE WITH OUD IN NASHVILLE. FINALLY, BY IMPLEMENTING THIS PROGRAM WITHIN AN ACADEMIC MEDICAL CENTER STUDENTS, RESIDENTS AND FELLOWS TRAINED THROUGH MMC WILL BE READY TO MEET THE CHALLENGES OF THE OPIOID EPIDEMIC IN THEIR OWN PRACTICES, EXPONENTIATING THE IMPACT OF THIS IMPORTANT PROJECT.

SNRP PROJECT AT MEHARRY MEDICAL COLLEGE

MEHARRY ADDICTION CLINIC EXPANSION - THE MEHARRY ADDICTION CLINIC (MAC) WILL EXPAND CURRENT MEDICATION ASSISTED TREATMENT (MAT) SERVICES USING BUPRENORPHINE TO PROVIDE TREATMENT TO HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS THROUGH A MOBILE STREET MEDICINE ADDICTION CLINIC; INCREASE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT RECRUITMENT OF RECENTLY OVERDOSED PATIENTS; AND INCREASE RECRUITMENT OF BLACK NASHVILLIANS WHOSE RATE OF FATAL OVERDOSE HAS DOUBLED IN THE PAST 2 YEARS. NORTH NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE WHERE THE MAC IS LOCATED IS AN AREA WITH A POVERTY RATE THAT IS THREE TIMES THE NATIONAL AVERAGE, THE POPULATION IS PREDOMINANTLY BLACK, HOMELESSNESS IS AT A FIVE YEAR HIGH, AND THE AVERAGE NUMBER OF NONFATAL OVERDOSES PER QUARTER IN NASHVILLE IS OVER 250. WE WILL INCREASE RECRUITMENT OF UNHOUSED INDIVIDUALS BY PARTNERING WITH NASHVILLE'S ONLY SYRINGE SERVICES PROGRAM, STREETWORKS, TO PROVIDE A MOBILE MAT CLINIC THREE HALF DAYS PER WEEK, PROVIDING BRIEF TREATMENT ENGAGEMENT INTERVENTIONS, PRIMARY CARE SERVICES AND BRIDGE PRESCRIPTIONS OF BUPRENORPHINE TO THE HOMELESS IN THEIR COMMUNITY. WE WILL ALSO PARTNER WITH THE TENNESSEE RECOVERY NAVIGATORS (TRN) PROGRAM TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF PATIENTS RECENTLY EXPERIENCING OVERDOSE THAT RECEIVE MAT IN OUR CLINIC. THE TRN PROGRAM UTILIZES PEER RECOVERY SPECIALISTS TO NAVIGATE PATIENTS FROM EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS TO CARE, AND WE WILL PROVIDE 80 HOURS OF COVERAGE PER WEEK TO CONDUCT TELEHEALTH INTAKES WITH TRN REFERRED PATIENTS. FINALLY, OVERDOSE RATES FOR BLACK NASHVILLIANS HAVE RECENTLY DOUBLED, YET TREATMENT ENTRY RATES FOR THIS POPULATION REMAIN FLAT. THE HBCU, MEHARRY MEDICAL COLLEGE, THE HOME TO THE MAC, HAS PROVIDED CARE TO THE BLACK POPULATION OF NORTH NASHVILLE FOR NEARLY 150 YEARS. WE WILL USE THIS HISTORY COUPLED WITH A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE STATE OF TENNESSEE'S FAITH BASED INITIATIVES AND THE LIFELINERS PROGRAMS TO CONDUCT OUTREACH IN BLACK CHURCHES AND VIA LOCAL RADIO TO REDUCE STIGMA REGARDING DRUG USE AND MAT IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY OF NORTH NASHVILLE. THE DIRECTOR OF FAITH BASED INITIATIVES, MONTY BURKS, PHD, WILL ENABLE OUR ACCESS INTO LOCAL CONGREGATIONS AND CO-LEAD ANTI-STIGMA WORKSHOPS. WE WILL ALSO WORK WITH LIFELINERS, THESE ARE INDIVIDUALS IN RECOVERY THAT PROVIDE EDUCATION, TREATMENT LINKAGE AND SELF-HELP GROUP DEVELOPMENT, TO PRESENT THE LIVED EXPERIENCE OF DRUG USE AND RECOVERY THROUGH MAT IN THESE WORKSHOPS TO INCREASE TREATMENT ENTRY IN THE COMMUNITY. SINCE ITS INCEPTION IN 2018, THE MAC HAS BUILT A CENSUS OF OVER 350 CURRENT PATIENTS, THE MAJORITY ARE HOMELESS (56%) AND UNINSURED (86%). WE SEEK TO ADD AN ADDITIONAL 200 PATIENTS PER YEAR THROUGH THESE OUTREACH EFFORTS OR AN ADDITIONAL 1,000 PATIENTS RECEIVING OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS. OUR TEAM HAS EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE IMPLEMENTING SAMHSA FUNDED PROJECTS, HAVING COMPLETED FIVE IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS, INCLUDING A PREVIOUS MAT-PDOA PROJECT. OUR EVALUATION PROCESSES ARE ALREADY IN PLACE AND HAVE LED TO INTAKE AND FOLLOW-UP NUMBERS WELL ABOVE THE NATIONAL AVERAGE.

MEHARRY OCCUPATIONAL MEDICINE RESIDENCY TRAINING PROGRAM

NASHVILLE YOUTH VIOLENCE PREVENTION URBAN PARTNERSHIP CENTER OF EXCELLENCE

MOLECULAR MICROBIAL PATHOGENESIS TRAINING PROGRAM

ACADEMIC UNITS FOR PRIMARY CARE TRAINING AND ENHANCEMENT

MITOCHONDRIAL PROTEIN IMPORT IN TRYPANOSOMA BRUCEI

METHAMPHETAMINE RESEARCH PROGRAM AT MEHARRY MEDICAL COLLEGE

MECHANISMS OF POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBON TOXICITY

MEHARRY CENTER FOR GENOME RESEARCH (MCGR) - MEHARRY MEDICAL COLLEGE IS COMMITTED TO BRIDGING THE GAPS FOR ALL POPULATIONS BY ESTABLISHING A MEHARRY CENTER FOR GENOME RESEARCH (MCGR). THE MCGR WILL ENSURE PROPER HEALTHCARE UTILIZATION BY REALIZING OUR VISION TO PROMOTE GENOMIC RESEARCH THROUGH INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT AND THE FORMATION OF INTERDISCIPLINARY, COMMUNITY-ENGAGED BASIC, CLINICAL, AND COMPUTATIONAL SCIENCE RESEARCH TEAMS. ALSO, THE PROPOSED MCGR WILL FACILITATE A SUSTAINABLE PARTNERSHIP AMONG INSTITUTIONS SUCH AS MMC, FISK UNIVERSITY, AND TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY IN NASHVILLE. THE ESTABLISHMENT OF MCGR WILL COMPLEMENT MMC’S ONGOING GENOMICS CAPACITY-BUILDING INITIATIVES. THE MCGR RESEARCH THEME WILL FOCUS ON STUDYING THE GENETIC BASIS OF CHRONIC DISEASES THAT ARE PREVALENT IN COMMUNITIES. PROJECT 1 (BORZA) WILL STUDY THE LOSS-OF-FUNCTION VARIANT GENOME-PHENOME ASSOCIATION IN INFLAMMATORY DISEASES, SUCH AS DEMENTIA, CANCER, TUBERCULOSIS, AND SARCOIDOSIS (ALSO TERMED: BESNIER-BOECK-SCHAUMAN) THAT TYPICALLY PRESENT IN LUNGS (SKIN OR LYMPH NODES) AS ABNORMAL COLLECTIONS OF INFLAMMATORY CELLS. PROJECT 2 (IVANOVA/SHANKER) AIMS TO CORRELATE THE GENETICS OF INFLAMMATORY/MITOCHONDRIAL RESPONSES TO IMMUNOPHENOTYPES TO IDENTIFY PROGNOSTIC INDICATORS OF HEALTH ISSUES. PROJECT 3 (SINGH) AIMS TO ADDRESS BARRIERS TO RECRUITMENT AND BUILD A BLOOD REPOSITORY TO EVALUATE DISEASE BIOMARKERS ASSOCIATED WITH HEALTH ISSUES. THE MCGR EFFORTS WILL BE SPEARHEADED BY THREE CORES. THE ADMINISTRATIVE CORE WILL MANAGE THE CENTER'S ADMINISTRATIVE, FISCAL, AND SCIENTIFIC ASPECTS, INCLUDING ACCREDITATION OF NEW GRADUATE PROGRAMS, OVERSIGHT OF CAREER ENHANCEMENT ACTIVITIES FOR STUDENTS, TRAINEES, AND FACULTY, AND FOSTERING SYNERGY WITH OTHER ONGOING GENOMIC TRAINING AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES. THE GENOMIC WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT CORE WILL INITIATE NEW ACADEMIC ACTIVITIES, INCLUDING NEW GRADUATE PROGRAMS IN GENOMICS AND GENETIC COUNSELING TRAINING TO EDUCATE AND TRAIN STUDENTS AND RESEARCHERS IN GENOMIC SCIENCES TOWARDS BUILDING A STRONG GENOMICS RESEARCH WORKFORCE. THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT CORE WILL ENHANCE SUSTAINABLE PARTNERSHIPS WITH COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS TO ADDRESS COMMUNITY CONCERNS AND PROMOTE THEIR PARTICIPATION IN THE CENTER’S RESEARCH ACTIVITIES. THE CORES WILL FINALIZE, IMPLEMENT, AND OVERSEE A MANAGEMENT PLAN THAT STIMULATES, COORDINATES, INTEGRATES, AND MONITORS ACTIVITIES AND FUNCTIONS ACROSS ALL ELEMENTS OF THE CORES, ADDRESSING: AIM 1. TRANSFORM THE ORGANIZATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE AND PROCESSES SUPPORTING ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE IN GENOME RESEARCH AT MMC; AIM 2. PROMOTE SCHOLARSHIP WITHIN THE RESEARCH COLLABORATIONS AND MENTORSHIP NETWORKS TO ENRICH THE QUALITY OF GENOME RESEARCH AND PROVIDE A NEXUS FOR SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY BUILDING AMONG BASIC, CLINICAL, AND COMPUTATIONAL SCIENCE STAKEHOLDERS WITH ACADEMIC INTEGRATION; AIM 3. MAXIMIZE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF A FACULTY COHORT TO ADVANCE GENOME RESEARCH COMPETENCIES AND ATTAINMENT OF CAREER MILESTONES BY FOSTERING FACULTY DEVELOPMENT AND MAKING MMC A MAGNET THAT ATTRACTS OTHER GENOMICS SCHOLARS.

COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER TRAINING PROGRAM - ADDRESS: MEHARRY MEDICAL COLLEGE 1005 DR. D.B. TODD, JR., BOULEVARD NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE, 37208 PROJECT DIRECTOR NAME: PAUL D. JUAREZ, PHD CONTACT PHONE NUMBERS: 310-902-1047 (CELL); 615 327-6992 EMAIL ADDRESS: PJUAREZ@MMC.EDU PROGRAM FUNDS REQUESTED: $1,000,000 YEAR 1; $3,000,000 YEARS 1-3 FUNDING PREFERENCE AND PRIORITY REQUESTED: # OF DISADVANTAGED URM TRAINEES; # OF TRAINEES IN MUC PURPOSE AND GOAL: THE GOAL OF THIS APPLICATION IS TO EXPAND THE HEALTH PROFESSIONS WORKFORCE TO ADVANCE HEALTH EQUITY FOR MEDICALLY UNDERSERVED AND RURAL POPULATIONS IN TN BY ESTABLISHING 1) A COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER (CHW) CREDENTIALING PROGRAM, AND 2) A HEALTH SUPPORT WORKER (HSW) TRAINING AND APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM THAT LEADS TO HEALTH PROFESSIONS CAREER IN NURSING. TO ACCOMPLISH THIS, THE NATIONAL BLACK NURSES FOUNDATION (NBNF), DEPARTMENT OF FAMILY AND COMMUNITY MEDICINE (DFCM) AT MEHARRY, STATEWIDE TENNESSEE AREA HEALTH EDUCATION CENTER (TN AHEC), BAPTIST HEALTH SERVICES UNIVERSITY (BHSU), RURAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION OF TENNESSEE (RHA), TOGETHER WITH COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER, LOCAL HEALTH DEPARTMENT, RURAL HOSPITALS, AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS WILL COLLABORATE TO RECRUIT, TRAIN AND PLACE 240 CHWS OF WHICH 25% CHWS WILL BE HSWS, OVER THREE YEARS, IN HEALTH CARE SETTINGS IN RURAL AND URBAN, MEDICALLY UNDERSERVED AREAS (RUMUAS) OF TENNESSEE. THIS APPROACH WILL EXPAND THE NUMBER OF CHWS AND NURSES IN RUMUAS OF TN WHO ARE RECRUITED, TRAINED, AND RETAINED IN PRIMARY CARE SETTINGS. AN EXISTING, TENNESSEE INTEGRATED HEALTH WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT COLLABORATIVE (TIHWDC), SUPPORTED BY THE TN AHEC AND ITS FOUR, REGIONAL AHEC CENTERS, WILL SERVE AS THE COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARD FOR THE CHW TRAINING PROGRAM. TIHWDC PARTNERS INCLUDE: TN DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH (TDH), OFFICE OF MINORITY HEALTH AND DISPARITY ELIMINATION, OFFICE OF RURAL HEALTH, THE RURAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION OF TN (RHA), TN PRIMARY CARE ASSOCIATION, TN HEALTH OCCUPATIONS STUDENT S OF AMERICA, AND THE TENNESSEE CHARITABLE CARE NETWORK. FIVE (5) SUB-OBJECTIVES: (1). TO DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT A PUBLIC HEALTH FOCUSED CHW CURRICULUM STATEWIDE FOR CHW AND HSW THROUGH THE TN AHEC; (2). RECRUIT, TRAIN, AND PLACE COHORTS OF 80 CHWS A YEAR, OVER THREE YEARS, IN HEALTH SETTINGS IN RUMUAS IN TN; (3). TO RECRUIT, TRAIN, PLACE IN APPRENTICESHIPS, AND RETAIN 15 HSWS IN A NURSE CAREER PATHWAY; (4) PLACE 95% OF ALL TRAINED CHWS AND HSWS IN FEDERALLY QUALIFIED HEALTH CENTERS (FQHC), FQHC LOOK-A-LIKES, HOSPITALS, AND RURAL COMMUNITY CLINICS AND HOSPITALS IN TENNESSEE; (5). TO RETAIN 95% OF CHWS BY PROVIDING QUARTERLY, CONTINUING EDUCATION TRAININGS AND HEALTH PROFESSIONS CAREER MENTORING SERVICES THROUGH THE RURAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION. METHODOLOGY: THE TIHWDC WILL REVIEW AND RECOMMEND ENHANCEMENTS TO THE CURRENT BHSU CURRICULUM, WHICH INCLUDES 80 HOURS, ACROSS 11 MODULES: 1. INTRODUCTION TO THE US HEALTH CARE SYSTEM AND CHW; 2. CHW ROLES, RESPONSIBILITIES, AND CORE COMPETENCIES; 3. INTRODUCTION TO PUBLIC HEALTH: A BASIC OVERVIEW; 4. COMMUNICATION AND COMMUNITY HEALTH PRACTICES; 5. CARE COORDINATION AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH; 6. COVID-19 AND ITS IMPACT ON VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES AND HEALTH SYSTEMS; 7. VACCINE 101; 8. BARRIERS TO VACCINE UPTAKE; 9. VACCINE ACCEPTANCE AND UPTAKE: THE ROLE OF THE CHW; PUTTING COMMUNITY HEALTH WORK INTO PRACTICE: NEXT STEPS; 11. APPLYING COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER PRACTICES: INTEGRATIVE PRACTICE/FIELD EXPERIENCE. THE CHW TRAINING PROGRAM WILL PARTNER WITH FQHCS AND OTHER LOCAL HEALTH SETTINGS IN RUMUAS FOR FIELD EXPERIENCE AND/OR APPRENTICESHIP. EACH CHW WILL RECEIVE A) MONTHLY STIPENDS FOR CANDIDATES DURING THE TRAINING; B) MENTORING AND CAREER COUNSELING; C) A CHW OR HEALTH WORKER CREDENTIAL UPON COMPLETION OF TRAINING; D) PAID EMPLOYMENT FOR HSWS IN THE APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM; AND D) SIX EDUCATIONAL CREDITS BY BHSU FOR ALL PROGRAM COMPLETERS. EVALUATION: THE PROJECT DIRECTOR AND DATA MANAGER WILL BE RESPONSIBLE F

GERIATRIC EDUCATION CENTERS

METHAMPHETAMINE RESEARCH PROGRAM AT MEHARRY MEDICAL COLLEGE

MEHARRY FUTURETECH: SHORT-TERM, HIGH-IMPACT CREDENTIALS FOR AI, CYBERSECURITY, AND BIOINFORMATICS

PRIMARY CARE TRAINING AND ENHANCEMENT - RESIDENCY TRAINING IN MENTAL AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH

PREVENTIVE MEDICINE RESIDENCIES

SHORT COURSE IN TRANSFERABLE SKILLS TRAINING (SHIFT) PROGRAM - PROJECT SUMMARY/ ABSTRACT THE GOAL OF THIS APPLICATION IS TO DEVELOP A NATIONALLY ACCESSIBLE PROGRAM TAKEN OVER A ONE-YEAR TIME PERIOD TO HELP STUDENTS TRANSITION CONFIDENTLY INTO ANY CAREER IN THE BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH WORKFORCE. THE SHORT COURSE IN TRANSFERABLE SKILLS TRAINING (SHIFT) PROGRAM WILL PROVIDE OUR TRAINEES WITH SKILLS NEEDED TO DEVELOP THEIR CAREERS REGARDLESS OF THE PATH THEY CHOOSE. THE SKILL SET TAUGHT TO PARTICIPANTS FOCUSES ON THE PRIMARY CONSTITUENTS OF CAREER MANAGEMENT, NAMELY MARKETING, RELATIONSHIP BUILDING, PROJECT MANAGEMENT, AND BUDGETING. PROVIDING THIS COURSE TO STUDENTS WITHIN THE FIRST THREE YEARS OF THEIR TRAINING IN THEIR PHD PROGRAMS WILL PROVIDE FOUNDATIONAL SUPPORT AT THE TIME MOST NEEDED, WHEN THEY ARE FORMULATING THEIR CAREER DEVELOPMENT PLANS. OUR GOAL WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED WITH THREE AIMS. AIM 1 WILL BUILD THE INNOVATIVE INTERACTIVE LEARNING PLATFORM TO DELIVER THE SHIFT PROGRAM IN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT. IN AIM 2, WE WILL SELECT THE FIRST COHORT OF PARTICIPANTS TO TEST AND EVALUATE THE PROGRAM. IN AIM 3, WE WILL ITERATIVELY IMPROVE AND FURTHER EVALUATE THE PROGRAM WITH AN ADDITIONAL 3 COHORTS. THE AIMS WILL BE COMPLETED THROUGH THE USE OF FOUR TRAINING MODULES. IN MODULE I, STUDENTS WILL COMPLETE SELF-ASSESSMENTS AND BE ASSIGNED TO A SMALL PEER-MENTORING TEAM OF 5 STUDENTS. MODULE II WILL CONSIST OF A 5-DAY WORKSHOP THAT ENCOMPASSES INSTRUCTION ON THE TRANSFERRABLE SKILLS. MODULE III WILL BE COMPOSED OF MONTHLY INTERACTIVE DISCUSSIONS OVER A 6-MONTH PERIOD INVOLVING CASE STUDY REVIEW AND MENTOR-GUIDED BOOK CLUB DISCUSSIONS TO FURTHER REINFORCE SKILLS LEARNED. MODULE IV IS A CULMINATING ACTIVITY IN WHICH STUDENTS WILL COMPILE THE INFORMATION FROM MODULES I-III TO DEVELOP AN INDIVIDUAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN THAT INCORPORATES 3-5 SPECIFIC, MEASURABLE, ATTAINABLE, RELEVANT, AND TIME-BASED (SMART) CAREER GOALS. PLANS WILL BE SHARED DURING A ONE-DAY WRAP-UP SESSION. A TEAM OF TWO MENTOR ADVISORS WILL BE ASSIGNED FOR EACH SMALL GROUP TO PROVIDE CAREER INFORMATION, ADVICE, AND SUPPORT. FURTHER MENTORING WILL BE INCLUDED THROUGH THE USE OF PEER MENTORING TO PROVIDE A CONTINUAL SUSTAINED SUPPORT SYSTEM TO OVERCOME CURRENT AND FUTURE CHALLENGES. TO INFLUENCE A WIDE RANGE OF STUDENTS, OUTREACH ACTIVITIES WILL FOCUS ON INSTITUTIONS WITH LARGE POPULATIONS OF STUDENTS UNDERREPRESENTED IN BIOMEDICAL SCIENCE. COMBINED, THESE ACTIVITIES WILL ALLOW PARTICIPANTS TO TRAIN, PRACTICE, AND REFRESH THEIR SKILLS, EMPOWERING THEM TO NAVIGATE CAREER TRANSITIONS AND OBTAIN SUCCESS IN THE CAREER OF THEIR CHOICE.

HEALTH CAREERS OPPORTUNITY PROGRAM - I. PROJECT ABSTRACT PROJECT TITLE: “MEHARRY MEDICAL COLLEGE: HEALTH CARING NATIONAL HEALTH CAREERS OPPORTUNITY PROGRAMS (HCOP” ORGANIZATION NAME: MEHARRY MEDICAL COLLEGE ADDRESS: 1005 D.B. TODD, JR. BLVD, NASHVILLE, TN 37208 PROJECT DIRECTOR: CHERAE M. FARMER-DIXON, DDS. MSPH, FACD PROGRAM DIRECTOR PHONE: (615)327-6207; FAX (615) 327-6213 EMAIL: CDIXON@MMC.EDU FUNDS REQUESTED: $640,000/YEAR FOR 5 YEARS ($3,200,000) HHS REGION: REGION IV MEHARRY MEDICAL COLLEGE WILL HAVE COMPREHENSIVE AMBASSADOR AND ACADEMY PROGRAMS CONSISTING OF STRUCTURED ACTIVITES DESIGNED TO PROVIDE QUALIFIED COLLEGE, HIGH SCHOOL, AND OLDER ADULT/NON-TRADITIONAL STUDENTS FROM DISADVANTAGED BACKGROUNDS AN OPPORTUNITY TO DEVELOP THE SKILLS NEEDED TO SUCCESSFULLY COMPETE FOR, ENTER, AND GRADUATE FROM HEALTH AND ALLIED HEALTH PROFESSION SCHOOLS. LEGISLATIVE PURPOSES-OUTCOME OBJECTIVES: 1) TO IMPLEMENT RECRUITMENT STRATEGIES TO IDENTIFY, RECRUIT, AND ENROLL 40 INDIVIDUALS FROM DISADVANTAGED BACKGROUNDS INTO 2 STRUCTURED PROGRAMS: (A) THE HCOP PRE-MATRICULATION ACADEMY FOR 20 HIGH ACADEMIC ACHIEVING HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS FROM DISADVANTAGED BACKGROUNDS, AND; (B) THE HCOP ADULT/NON-TRADITIONAL/VETERANS ACADEMY FOR 20 OLDER INDIVIDUALS AND VETERANS; 2) TO IMPLEMENT COUNSELING, MENTORING, AND OTHER SERVICES SUCH AS ACADEMIC SUPPORT INITIATIVES (CRITICAL THINKING, TIME MANAGEMENT, MATH/SCIENCE ENRICHMENT, AND TEST TAKING SKILLS) DESIGNED TO ASSIST SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF THE EDUCATION FOR ALL PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS; 3)TO IMPLEMENT PRELIMINARY EDUCATION AND HEALTH RESEARCH TRAINING FOR ALL PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS. WITH AN EMPHASIS ON RESEARCH RELATED TO HEALTH DISPARITIES, HEALTH EQUITY, AND SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH; 4)TO PROVIDE FINANCIAL AID INFORMATION DISSEMINATION ON SCHOLARSHIP OPTIONS, LOAN ALTERNATIVES, DEBT COUNSELING, ETC., TO ALL PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS; 5) TO PROVIDE PRIMARY CARE EXPOSURE ACTIVITIES IN COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS AND SETTINGS IN MEDICALLY UNDER SERVED COMMUNITIES TO ALL PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS; 6) TO DEVELOP A MORE COMPETITIVE APPLICANT POOL BY IMPLEMENTATION AND CULTIVATION OF COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS AND LINKAGES WITH INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION, SCHOOL DISTRICTS, AND OTHER COMMUNITY-BASED ENTITIES; AND, 7) TO PROVIDE STIPENDS FOR 25 QUALIFIED DISADVANTAGED COLLEGE STUDENTS PARTICIPATING IN THE AMBASSADORS PROGRAM, 20 HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS PARTICIPATING IN THE HCOP PRE-MATRICULATION ACADEMY AND 20 INDIVIDUALS PARTICIPATING IN THE HCOP ADULT/NON-TRADITIONAL ACADEMY. THE FUNDING PREFERENCE COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH AT MEHARRY MEDICAL COLLEGE WILL DEVELOP A CULTURALLY COMPETENT HEALTHCARE WORKFORCE THAT WILL SERVE THE UNSERVED AND UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS OF NASHVILLE/DAVIDSON COUNTY, THE STATE OF TENNESSEE, AND NATIONALLY BY INCREASING THE NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS FROM ECONOMICALLY AND EDUCATIONALLY DISADVANTAGED BACKGROUNDS IN HEALTH PROFESSIONS SCHOOLS. UTILIZING LINKAGES AND PARTNERSHIPS WITH HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES, THE METROPOLITAN NASHVILLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS, AND TENNESSEE COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS, THE PROGRAM WILL CONSOLIDATE RESOURCES BY ESTABLISHING A COMPETITIVE HEALTH PROFESSIONS APPLICANT POOL AND ENHANCE THE COMPREHENSIVE PREPARATION, BOTH ACADEMICALLY AND SOCIALLY, OF INDIVIDUALS TO SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETE A HEALTH PROFESSIONS DEGREE.

SCHOLARSHIPS FOR DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS

SCHOLARSHIPS FOR DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS

MEN'S ACCESS TO TREATMENT (MATT)

STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION OF THE TRYPANOSOME TIM COMPLEX

ESTROGEN DEPENDENCY OF UTERINE LEIOMYOMA

PTEN-LOSS DYSREGULATED PATHWAYS IN PROSTATE CANCER

THE ARYL HYDROCARBON RECEPTOR AND BREAST CANCER

ROLES OF INFLAMMATION-DRIVEN CHEMOKINES IN THE PATHOGENESIS OF OVARIAN CANCER

ENHANCING VIROLOGY TRAINING OF UNDERREPRESENTED MINORITY STUDENTS THROUGH SUMMER RESEARCH - ABSTRACT DIVERSIFYING THE BIOMEDICAL WORKFORCE IS A PRIORITY OF THE US GOVERNMENT SCIENTIFIC FUNDING AGENCIES. TO FULFILL THESE PRIORITIES, HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES (HBCUS) AND OTHER MINORITY SERVING INSTITUTIONS HAVE CONTINUED TO PLAY AN OUTSIZED ROLE IN TRAINING UNDERREPRESENTED MINORITY (URM) STUDENTS. SPECIFICALLY, MEHARRY MEDICAL COLLEGE (MMC) HAS BEEN A LEADER IN TRAINING URM STUDENTS IN BASIC, TRANSLATIONAL, AND CLINICAL RESEARCH. OUR GRADUATE, MEDICAL AND DENTAL STUDENTS ARE OFTEN FIRST-GENERATION COLLEGE STUDENTS, AND FIRST FROM THEIR COMMUNITY TO PURSUE TRAINING IN BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH. IMPORTANTLY, OUR TRAINEES ARE ROLE MODELS FOR THE NEXT GENERATION AND OFTEN MENTOR AND EDUCATE URM STUDENTS POST-GRADUATION. CONSISTENT WITH OUR HISTORY OF PROVIDING CARE TO THE UNDERSERVED SINCE 1876, MMC IS PLAYING A VITAL ROLE IN COMBATTING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. AS EVIDENT WITH OTHER INFECTIOUS DISEASES, COVID-19 DISPROPORTIONALLY AFFECTS MINORITY HEALTH, SPECIFICALLY AFRICAN AMERICANS AND HISPANICS. A KEY STRATEGY TO COMBAT THESE EVOLVING PATHOGENS IS TO TRAIN THE NEXT GENERATION OF VIROLOGISTS FROM DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS. THE URGENT NEED FOR A DIVERSE WORKFORCE IN VIROLOGY IS ACUTELY FELT DURING THE ONGOING COVID-19 PANDEMIC THAT HAS RAVAGED THE WORLD AND DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTED THE MINORITY POPULATION IN THE US. FURTHERMORE, INCREASING THE NUMBER OF VIROLOGISTS FROM URM BACKGROUNDS IS ALSO CRITICAL TO FIGHT AGAINST DEADLY DISEASES CAUSED BY VIRUSES SUCH AS HIV, INFLUENZA, EBOLA, AND OTHERS. TO ADDRESS THIS UNMET NEED, WE PROPOSE THE “ENHANCING VIROLOGY TRAINING (ENVIT) THROUGH SUMMER RESEARCH” PROGRAM. THE GOAL OF THIS PROGRAM IS TO PREPARE AND INCREASE THE NUMBER OF URM STUDENTS IN VIROLOGY-FOCUSED CAREERS. THIS 10-WEEK PROGRAM WILL PROVIDE AN INTENSIVE RESEARCH EXPERIENCE FOR GRADUATE, MEDICAL AND DENTAL STUDENTS. A LOCAL, REGIONAL, AND NATIONWIDE RECRUITMENT STRATEGY WILL BE EMPLOYED TO ATTRACT URM STUDENTS. WE WILL PROVIDE CLASSROOM TEACHING AND HANDS-ON LABORATORY TRAINING IN BASIC VIROLOGY, LECTURES/SEMINARS ON CAREER- DEVELOPMENT, SCIENTIFIC WRITING, COMMUNICATIONS SKILLS AND NETWORKING. EACH STUDENT WILL WORK UNDER THE MENTORSHIP OF A FACULTY MENTOR FROM MEHARRY MEDICAL COLLEGE (MMC) AND/OR VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER (VUMC) ON A RESEARCH PROJECT THAT FOCUSED ON VIROLOGY. THE PARTICIPANTS WILL ATTEND SEMINARS THAT ALLOW INTERACTIONS WITH VIROLOGISTS AND EXPOSE STUDENTS TO CAREER OPPORTUNITIES IN VIROLOGY. THE PROGRAM WILL END WITH A ONE-DAY VIROLOGY MINI-SYMPOSIUM WHERE STUDENTS WILL SHOWCASE THEIR RESEARCH. THIS MINI-SYMPOSIUM WILL ALSO FEATURE A KEYNOTE LECTURE FROM A NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL LEADER FROM THE VIROLOGY FIELD. FINALLY, THE ENVIT PROGRAM WILL TRACK THE CAREER PATH OF PARTICIPANTS TO EVALUATE THE EXTENT TO WHICH PROGRAM GOALS WERE MET, AND IDENTIFY AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT. EVALUATIONS FROM RESEARCH MENTORS WILL ALSO BE USED TO ASSESS AND IMPROVE THE PROGRAM. THESE FOCUSED RESEARCH EXPERIENCES AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES WILL MEANINGFULLY INCREASE ENGAGEMENT OF URM STUDENTS IN THE AREA OF VIROLOGY AND DIVERSIFY THE BIOMEDICAL WORKFORCE SPECIFICALLY NEEDED TO FIGHT THE EXISTING AND EMERGING VIRAL PATHOGENS.

MULTIDISCIPLINARY PRACTICE-BASED RESEARCH TRAINING IN MEHARRY MEDICAL COLLEGE, SCHOOL OF DENTISTRY - MEHARRY MEDICAL COLLEGE (MMC) IS A HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGE THAT ROUTINELY OVERSEES THE HEALTHCARE NEEDS OF UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS AND PATIENTS WITH LOW SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS INFLICTED WITH MULTIPLE MEDICAL AND DENTAL COMORBIDITIES. THE MAJORITY OF OUR SCHOOL OF DENTISTRY (SOD) STUDENTS AND RESIDENTS ARE FROM UNDERREPRESENTED MINORITY GROUPS. AT THE MMCSOD CLINICS, THEY SERVE PATIENTS OF LOW SOCIOECONOMIC BACKGROUNDS, MANY OF WHOM ARE UNDERINSURED OR UNINSURED. THEREFORE, MMCSOD IS UNIQUELY POSITIONED TO PROVIDE THE CLINICAL TRAINING REQUIRED TO SERVE UNDERSERVED PATIENT POPULATIONS. UNFORTUNATELY, ONLY A SMALL NUMBER OF MMCSOD GRADUATES THUS FAR, IF ANY, HAVE BECOME DENTIST-SCIENTISTS. THIS COULD BE DUE TO THE LACK OF SUFFICIENT RESEARCH TRAINING IN THE CLINICAL SETTING. IMPLEMENTING A) CLINICAL RESEARCH SKILLS DEVELOPMENT THROUGH RESEARCH EDUCATION AND B) PRACTICE- BASED APPROACH RESEARCH AT MMCSOD WILL ENHANCE THE CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS NECESSARY TO INCORPORATE THE ACQUIRED KNOWLEDGE INTO BEST PRACTICES AMONG OUR TRAINEES. FURTHERMORE, IT WILL BOOST THE GRADUATION OF MORE COMPETENT DENTAL SCIENTISTS. WE AIM TO ENGAGE OUR PRE-DOCTORAL, POST-DOCTORAL RESIDENTS AND DENTAL FACULTY (TRAINEES) IN A MULTIDISCIPLINARY PROJECT THAT WILL ALLOW THEM TO GAIN RESEARCH SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE WHILE TREATING UNDERSERVED PATIENTS AT THE MMCSOD CLINICS. TO ENHANCE CLINICAL RESEARCH AND MULTIDISCIPLINARY PRACTICE-BASED RESEARCH SKILLS AMONG TRAINEES, WE WILL A) IMPLEMENT EVIDENCE BASED CLINICAL RESEARCH COURSES AND TRAINING; B) LEVERAGE INTRA-INSTITUTIONAL COLLABORATIONS WITH MEHARRY SCHOOLS OF MEDICINE, GRADUATE STUDIES AND APPLIED COMPUTATIONAL SCIENCES AND INTER-INSTITUTIONAL COLLABORATIONS WITH VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER; AND C) ENHANCE PEER AND STUDENT MENTORING PARTNERSHIPS WITH FACULTY FOCUSED ON CLINICAL RESEARCH. WE WILL IMPLEMENT “CLINICAL RESEARCH IMMERSION PROGRAM” WITH THE SUPPORT OF CLINICAL AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE AWARD (CTSA). THE TRAINEES WILL EVALUATE THE PROGRAM AT THE END OF THEIR ROTATION. OUR TRAINEES WILL ALSO CONDUCT CLINICAL CHART REVIEWS, CASE STUDY SESSIONS, COLLECT AND PROCESS ORAL SPECIMENS, AND PERFORM CRITICAL APPRAISAL OF THE LITERATURE. COLLECTIVELY, THIS WILL BOOST OUR TRAINEES TO ACQUIRE THE CLINICAL RESEARCH EXPERIENCE IN TREATING PERIODONTAL DISEASE (PD) AND HIV PATIENTS BECAUSE OF THE HIGH INCIDENCES OF THESE DISEASES AMONG THE PATIENTS THEY SEE. THEY WILL LEARN ABOUT AND APPLY OMICS ANALYSIS IN THE IDENTIFICATION OF BIOMARKERS FOR INCREASED PD RISK. THEY WILL ALSO LEARN TO CORRELATE THEIR PATIENTS’ MICROBIOLOGICAL AND IMMUNOLOGICAL PROFILES WITH THE SEVERITY AND ACTIVITY OF PD. THE MULTIDISCIPLINARY PRACTICE-BASED RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES WILL ENHANCE THE CLINICAL TRAINING OF MINORITY TRAINEES AT MMCSOD. OUR PROPOSED TRAINING PROGRAM WILL ULTIMATELY HELP IMPROVE THE OVERALL COMMUNITY/PUBLIC HEALTH OUTCOMES FOR UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS AFFECTED BY PD AND HIV.

MEHARRY CENTER FOR HEALTH DISPARITIES RESEARCH IN HIV

TI-09-006 TREATMENT ACCESS PROJECT II (TAP II) TREATMENT FOR HOMELESS - GENERAL

CAPACITY BUILDING ASSISTANCE (CBA) TO IMPROVE THE DELIVERY AND EFFECTIVENESS

PRIMARY CARE TRAINING AND ENHANCEMENT

PRIMARY CARE TRAINING AND ENHANCEMENT

G-RISE AT MEHARRY MEDICAL COLLEGE - PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT THE MEHARRY G-RISE PROGRAM IS DESIGNED TO ADDRESS THE LACK OF DIVERSITY WITHIN ALL FACETS OF THE UNITED STATED BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH WORKFORCE BY SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASING THE NUMBER OF MINORITY STUDENTS PURSUING BIOMEDICAL AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES RESEARCH CAREERS. MEHARRY MEDICAL COLLEGE HAS A STRONG RECORD OF GRADUATING PHDS IN BIOMEDICAL SCIENCE DISCIPLINES, MANY OF WHOM OBTAIN POSITIONS IN ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS, GOVERNMENT OR INDUSTRY WHERE THEY CONTINUE THE TRADITION OF TEACHING, RESEARCH AND SERVICE THAT IS A PART OF OUR MISSION. THE COLLEGE AS A WHOLE HAS A PROVEN COMMITMENT TO EDUCATING UNDERREPRESENTED MINORITIES (URM). SINCE 1972, THE GRADUATE SCHOOL HAS AWARDED 307 PHDS IN BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES. THEREFORE, IT HAS A PROVEN RECORD OF PREPARING STUDENTS FOR RESEARCH CAREERS WITH A STRONG FOCUS IN DISEASES THAT DISPROPORTIONALLY AFFECT MINORITIES. THE MEHARRY G-RISE PROGRAM WILL BUILD UPON THE SUCCESS OF OUR CURRENT RISE PROGRAM, WHICH HAS SUPPORTED 188 STUDENTS SINCE 1999 AND TO DATE GRADUATED 108 PHDS WITH DEGREES IN BIOMEDICAL SCIENCE. THIS G-RISE PROGRAM WILL ALLOW US, TOGETHER WITH OTHER PROGRAMS AT MEHARRY, TO PROVIDE THE INFRASTRUCTURE AND ACTIVITIES NEEDED TO CONTINUE TO GRADUATE MORE MINORITIES IN BIOMEDICAL AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES AT THE DOCTORAL LEVEL. THE OVERALL MISSION OF THE MEHARRY G- RISE PROGRAM IS TO PROVIDE PHD STUDENTS WITHIN THE SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES AND RESEARCH AT MEHARRY MEDICAL COLLEGE WITH THE KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERTISE NEEDED TO PURSUE RESEARCH CAREERS IN ACADEMIA, INDUSTRY OR OTHER ALTERNATIVE CAREER VENUES. THREE SPECIFIC AIMS ARE PROPOSED IN THE CURRENT G-RISE APPLICATION: 1) TO PROVIDE EXCELLENT TRAINING IN BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH TO URM STUDENTS THAT EMPHASIZES CRITICAL THINKING, DATA SCIENCE AND COLLABORATIVE/TEAM SCIENCE APPROACHES AND ALLOWS FOR COMPLETION OF PHD DEGREE REQUIREMENTS WITHIN A TIMELY FASHION; 2) TO STRENGTHEN WRITTEN AND ORAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS AND PROVIDE PROFESSIONAL SKILLS TRAINING TO PROGRAM TRAINEES; 3) TO CREATE A SUPPORTIVE TRAINING ENVIRONMENT BY PROMOTING HEALTHY MENTOR/MENTEE RELATIONSHIPS. THE PROPOSED PROGRAM WILL SUPPORT A COHORT OF 8 PHD TRAINEES EACH YEAR FOR FIVE YEARS, APPOINTING EACH TRAINEE FOR 2 TO 3 YEARS. A SET OF WELL-DEFINED ACTIVITIES HAS BEEN DEVELOPED TO HELP TRANSITION PHD STUDENTS INTO RESEARCH CAREERS IN BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES. THESE ACTIVITIES INCLUDE MULTIDISCIPLINARY, RIGOROUS RESEARCH TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES WITH FACULTY COMMITTED TO THE SUCCESS OF URM STUDENTS AND SPECIALTY COURSES SUCH AS ADVANCES IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND BIOINFORMATICS. STUDENT TRAINING WILL BE ENHANCED BY THE OPPORTUNITY TO COMPLETE A CERTIFICATE PROGRAM IN BIOMEDICAL DATA SCIENCE. TRAINEES WILL ALSO PARTICIPATE IN A ROBUST CAREER DEVELOPMENT CURRICULUM THAT PREPARES THEM FOR POSTDOCTORAL POSITIONS AND ULTIMATELY A VARIETY OF CAREERS WITHIN THE BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH WORKFORCE. PROGRAM OUTCOMES WILL INCLUDE AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF PHD STUDENTS THAT COMPLETE DEGREE REQUIREMENTS IN A TIMELY FASHION AND A MORE DIVERSE POOL OF WELL-TRAINED BIOMEDICAL SCIENTISTS WITH THE TECHNICAL, OPERATIONAL AND PROFESSIONAL SKILLS NEEDED FOR CAREER SUCCESS.

MEHARRY MEDICAL COLLEGE-COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS NETWORK

ACADEMIC UNITS FOR PRIMARY CARE TRAINING AND ENHANCEMENT

MEHARRY ADDICTION CLINIC EXPANSION

BILE ACID RECEPTOR SIGNALING IN RETINOPATHY OF PREMATURITY - THE PROPOSED STUDIES ARE RELEVANT TO THE TREATMENT OF RETINOPATHY OF PREMATURITY (ROP), THE LEADING CAUSE OF PREVENTABLE BLINDNESS IN CHILDREN. AN IMPORTANT TRIGGER FOR ROP DEVELOPMENT IS THE EXPOSURE OF PREMATURE INFANTS TO OXYGEN AFTER BIRTH. THIS DELAYS NORMAL RETINAL VASCULAR GROWTH, STILL TAKING PLACE IN THE PREMATURE RETINA. WHEN THE INFANT IS BROUGHT BACK TO ROOM AIR, THIS LEADS TO TISSUE ISCHEMIA, ABNORMAL RETINAL NEOVASCULARIZATION, AND, POSSIBLY, RETINAL DETACHMENT AND BLINDNESS. AVAILABLE INTERVENTIONS ARE APPLIED IN THE MOST ADVANCED STAGES OF THE DISEASE AND CONSIST OF ABLATION OF RETINAL NEOVASCULAR TUFTS OR INTRAVITREAL INJECTIONS OF ANTI-ANGIOGENIC FACTORS (I.E., VEGF). ALL THESE PROCEDURES AND TREATMENTS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH SEVERE SIDE EFFECTS, INCLUDING SIGNIFICANT LOSS OF VISUAL FIELD AND LATE RECURRENCES. WE HAVE RECENTLY FOUND THAT AGONISTS OF THE NUCLEAR RECEPTOR FARNESOID-X-RECEPTOR (FXR) EXERT PROTECTIVE EFFECTS IN AN EXPERIMENTAL MODEL OF ROP (OXYGEN-INDUCED RETINOPATHY; OIR). INTERESTINGLY, WE HAVE ALSO FOUND THAT FXR EXPRESSION AND LEVELS OF FXR ENDOGENOUS LIGANDS ARE DOWNREGULATED IN OIR, FURTHER SUPPORTING THE HYPOTHESIS THAT LEVERAGING/RESTORING FXR-DEPENDENT SIGNALING COULD EXERT KEY PROTECTIVE EFFECTS IN ROP/OIR. TO CONFIRM THIS, WE FOUND THAT FXR IS PRESENT IN RETINAL ASTROCYTES AND ENDOTHELIAL CELLS THAT ARE PRIMARILY AFFECTED IN OIR. FXR STIMULATION MAY ELICIT ANTI-APOPTOTIC RESPONSES IN ASTROCYTES AND ANTI-ANGIOGENIC EFFECTS IN RETINAL ENDOTHELIAL CELLS, THUS TARGETING TWO KEY EVENTS INVOLVED IN THE INDUCTION AND PROGRESSION OF OIR. OUR WORKING HYPOTHESIS IS THAT ALTERATIONS IN RETINAL FXR SIGNALING PLAY A KEY ROLE IN ROP PATHOGENESIS AND THE PHARMACOLOGICAL MODULATION OF THESE PATHWAYS REPRESENTS A NEW THERAPEUTIC TOOL IN LIMITING ROP PATHOLOGY. WE HAVE DESIGNED EXPERIMENTS TO BE CONDUCTED IN VIVO, USING THE OIR MODEL AND IN VITRO EXPERIMENTAL SETTINGS TO 1) INVESTIGATE THE EFFECTS OF MODULATING FXR RECEPTOR SIGNALING IN OIR; 2) INVESTIGATE FXR SIGNALING IN RETINAL ASTROCYTES AND ENDOTHELIAL CELLS IN OIR. THE POTENTIAL OUTCOMES OF THE PROPOSED STUDIES COULD FILL THE NEED FOR NEW AND BETTER THERAPIES FOR ROP.

MINORITY INSTITUTIONAL RESEARCH TRAINING PROGRAM

TRAINING IN PRIMARY CARE MEDICINE-INTERDISCIPLINARY AND INTERPROFESSIONAL GRADUATE JOINT DEGREE PROG

INITIATION PATTERNS OF DNA REPLICATION IN CANCER CELL LINES

MECHANISMS OF ANNEXIN A6 MEDIATED BASAL-LIKE BREAST CANCER PROGRESSION - PROJECT SUMMARY TRIPLE NEGATIVE BREAST CANCER (TNBC) REMAINS A COMPLEX UNMET MEDICAL NEED BECAUSE OF ITS HETEROGENEITY, POOR PROGNOSIS, AND ITS POTENTIAL TO GROW RAPIDLY AND/OR METASTASIZE ESPECIALLY FOLLOWING THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTION. THE RESPONSE OF TNBCS TO VARIOUS THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTIONS INCLUDING TYROSINE KINASE INHIBITORS (TKIS) IS GENERALLY POOR. OUR PUBLISHED AND ONGOING STUDIES HAVE IMPLICATED THE CA2+ DEPENDENT MEMBRANE BINDING ANNEXIN A6 (ANXA6) IN A WIDE RANGE OF CELLULAR FUNCTIONS INCLUDING CELL GROWTH AND MOTILITY THAT DEFINE TUMOR PROGRESSION, METASTASIS AND CHEMO-RESISTANCE. WE HAVE NOW SHOWN THAT ANXA6 IS A TUMOR SUPPRESSOR IN TNBC AND THAT THE PRO-TUMORIGENIC PROPERTIES OF LOW ANXA6 AND THE PRO-INVASIVE FUNCTIONS OF HIGH ANXA6 TNBC CELLS ARE MEDIATED AT LEAST IN PART, BY ANXA6 MODULATED CA2+ INFLUX AND ACTIVATION OF GRF2. CHRONIC TREATMENT OF ANXA6-LOW BUT NOT ANXA6 HIGH TNBC CELLS WITH TKIS LEADS TO ANXA6 UPREGULATION AND ACCUMULATION OF CHOLESTEROL IN LATE ENDOSOMES AS A NOVEL MECHANISM FOR ACQUIRED RESISTANCE OF ANXA6 LOW TNBCS TO THESE DRUGS. FURTHERMORE, REDUCED EXPRESSION OF ANXA6 IS MORE RELEVANT IN TNBC COMPARED TO NON-TNBC AND MAY BE USED AS A RELIABLE BIOMARKER FOR RESPONSE TO CHEMOTHERAPY AND AS AN INDEPENDENT PREDICTOR OF TNBC RELAPSE AFTER CHEMOTHERAPY. INTERESTINGLY, THE RECIPROCAL EXPRESSION OF ANXA6 AND GRF2 IS CLINICALLY RELEVANT AND SEMI-QUANTITATIVE ASSESSMENT OF THE RATIO OF GRF2:ANXA6 CAN BE USED TO DELINEATE RAPIDLY GROWING FROM HIGHLY INVASIVE TNBCS. TOGETHER, THIS SUGGESTS THAT ANXA6 PLAYS A CRITICAL ROLE IN TNBC PROGRESSION, METASTASIS AND RESISTANCE TO THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTIONS, BUT THE MECHANISMS UNDERLYING THE CHRONIC TKI INDUCED REACTIVATION AND THE PRO- INVASIVE PROPERTIES OF ANXA6 IN TNBC REMAIN POORLY UNDERSTOOD. WE HYPOTHESIZE THAT THE PRO-INVASIVE PROPERTIES OF ANXA6 ARE MEDIATED BY EXTRACELLULAR AND/OR INTRACELLULAR POOLS OF ANXA6 VIA ANXA6-MODULATED INTERACTION OF GRF2 WITH RHO GTPASES; AND THAT REACTIVATION OF ANXA6 EXPRESSION IS TRIGGERED BY INHIBITION OF CA2+ MOBILIZING RTKS VIA POTENT INHIBITION OF CA2+ ENTRY CHANNELS AND/OR MODIFICATION OF SPECIFIC HISTONE MARKS. TO TEST THIS WE WILL DETERMINE THE MECHANISMS UNDERLYING TKI-INDUCED REACTIVATION OF ANXA6 AND THE EFFECTS OF ANXA6 REACTIVATION IN TNBC PROGRESSION AND METASTASIS IN AIM 1; AND IN AIM 2, WE WILL DETERMINE THE MECHANISMS UNDERLYING THE PRO-INVASIVE PROPERTIES OF ANXA6 IN BASAL-LIKE TNBC. DATA FROM THIS STUDY WILL LEAD TO A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF HOW TNBC CELLS CIRCUMVENT THE EFFECTS OF CHRONIC TREATMENT WITH TKIS TO BECOME EVEN MORE AGGRESSIVE AND/OR INVASIVE, KEY ATTRIBUTES ASSOCIATED WITH TNBC PATIENT MORTALITY.

MECHANISMS OF ANNEXIN A6-MEDIATED BASAL-LIKE BREAST CANCER PROGRESSION

MOLECULAR MECHANISMS OF TRYPANOSOMA CRUZI CARDIOPATHOGENESIS

HIV INTERACTIONS WITH HOST CELL PROTEINS IN PARTICLE RELEASE - PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT BST-2, ALSO KNOWN AS TETHERIN, INHIBITS HIV-1 RELEASE FROM THE PLASMA MEMBRANE OF INFECTED CELLS. HIV-1 VPU NEUTRALIZES THIS RESTRICTION THROUGH NOT-MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE MECHANISMS, INCLUDING DEGRADATION/DOWNREGULATION, SEQUESTRATION, AND DISPLACEMENT. HOWEVER, THE RELATIVE IMPORTANCE OF EACH OF THESE ANTI-TETHERIN MECHANISMS IN VIRUS REPLICATION AND TRANSMISSION REMAINS TO BE DEFINED. OUR LONG-TERM GOAL IS TO UNDERSTAND THE ROLES OF VPU AND TETHERIN IN HIV-1 PATHOGENESIS. SPECIFICALLY, WE AIM TO UNDERSTAND THE MECHANISMS OF HOW HOST CELL PROTEINS ARE INVOLVED IN THE VPU-TETHERIN INTERACTION. RECENT STUDIES FROM OUR LABORATORY DEMONSTRATE THAT A SPECIFIC HOST CELL PROTEIN, FILAMIN A (FLNA) CAN MODULATE THE ANTIVIRAL ACTIVITY OF TETHERIN, AND THE PARTICLE RELEASE-PROMOTING ACTIVITY OF VPU. THESE DISCOVERIES SUGGEST THAT, AN FLNA-DEPENDENT TRAFFICKING PATHWAY OF TETHERIN IS THE ESSENTIAL STEP FOR VPU TO OVERCOME THE RESTRICTION IMPOSED BY TETHERIN. IN THIS PROPOSAL, WE WILL FURTHER UNDERSTAND THE DETAILS OF HOW FLNA REGULATES THE ASSOCIATION OF VPU TO TETHERIN. IN AIM 1, WE WILL DETERMINE THE MECHANISM BY WHICH FLNA REGULATES THE ANTIVIRAL ACTIVITY OF TETHERIN. USING LIVE CELL IMAGING AND FLOW CYTOMETRY, WE WILL EXAMINE THE EFFECTS OF FLNA ON TRAFFICKING DYNAMICS OF CELL-SURFACE TETHERIN AND INTRACELLULAR TETHERIN. BY EXAMINING THE ROLE OF FLNA IN THE ANTIVIRAL ACTIVITY OF TETHERIN AGAINST DIFFERENT HIV-1 SUBTYPES, WE WILL DEFINE THE ACTION SPECTRUM OF FLNA. BY PERFORMING RESCUE EXPERIMENTS COUPLED WITH SITE- DIRECTED MUTAGENESIS, WE WILL TEST THE SPECIFICITY OF DIFFERENT FLNA DOMAINS IN THE ANTIVIRAL ACTIVITY OF TETHERIN. IN AIM 2, WE WILL DETERMINE THE MECHANISM BY WHICH FLNA MODULATES THE ACTIVITY OF VPU TO RELIEVE TETHERIN RESTRICTION. WE WILL EXAMINE THE ROLE OF FLNA IN THE ANTI-TETHERIN ACTIVITY OF VPU DERIVED FROM DIFFERENT GENETIC SUBTYPES. USING ISOTHERMAL TITRATION CALORIMETRY (ITC) AND MICROSCALE THERMOPHORESIS (MST), WE WILL QUANTIFY THE FLNA-VPU INTERACTION. USING QUANTITATIVE IP ASSAYS AND QUANTITATIVE CONFOCAL MICROSCOPY, WE WILL EXAMINE POTENTIAL ROLES OF FLNA IN THE VPU-TETHERIN INTERACTION AND IN THE VPU-TETHERIN COLOCALIZATION. FINALLY, WE WILL EVALUATE THE IMPORTANCE OF FLNA IN EACH OF THREE DIFFERENT MECHANISMS INVOLVED IN VPU-MEDIATED TETHERIN ANTAGONISM. IN AIM 3, WE WILL FOCUS ON HUMAN PRIMARY MACROPHAGES TO DEFINE THE POTENTIAL ROLE OF FLNA IN THE ASSOCIATION OF VPU TO TETHERIN. WE WILL DETERMINE THE EFFECTS OF FLNA IN HIV-1 INFECTED MACROPHAGES ON VIRUS RELEASE AND VIRUS TRANSMISSION FROM MACROPHAGES TO CD4+ T CELLS. TAKEN TOGETHER, THESE STUDIES WILL PROVIDE IMPORTANT INSIGHTS INTO THE VPU-TETHERIN INTERACTION IN HIV-1 REPLICATION, TRANSMISSION, AND PATHOGENESIS.

ROLES OF PROINFLAMMATORY CHEMOKINES LINKING OBESITY AND BREAST CANCER

ROLE OF NRF2 IN NITRERGIC MEDIAITED STOMACH MOTILITY

MECHANISMS OF BIOGENESIS OF ATYPICAL ALPHAVIRUSES

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH WORKFORCE EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROGRAM- AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN

ROLE OF THE VIRAL CAPSID IN HIV-1 INTEGRATION

PRE-DOCTORAL TRAINING IN PRIMARY CARE

MATERNAL HEALTH RESEARCH NETWORK (MH-RN) FOR MSIS--RESEARCH AWARDS

ROLE OF FETUIN-A IN TUMOR CELL GROWTH

MAMMOGRAPHIC BREAST DENSITY IN A COHORT OF MEDICALLY UNDERSERVED WOMEN

REGULATION OF THE EXPRESSION OF G(ALPHA)I2 BY REACTIVE OXYGEN SPECIES

SOUTHEAST FETAL ALCOHOL SPECTRUM DISORDERS REGIONAL TRAINING CENTER AND PRACTICE-

CREST HBCU-RISE: CENTER FOR AI/ML RESEARCH AND EDUCATION -CREST HBCU-RISE: CENTER FOR AI/ML RESEARCH AND EDUCATION WITH SUPPORT FROM THE CENTERS OF RESEARCH EXCELLENCE IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY HBCU RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE FOR SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING (CREST HBCU-RISE), THIS PROJECT AIMS TO INCREASE MEHARRY MEDICAL COLLEGE?S (MMC) DATA SCIENCE RESEARCH CAPACITY BY CREATING A CENTER FOR AI/ML RESEARCH AND EDUCATION AND A PHD PROGRAM IN DATA SCIENCE. THIS WILL SIGNIFICANTLY CONTRIBUTE TO INCREASING THE DIVERSITY OF INDIVIDUALS WITH A DOCTORAL DEGREE IN DATA SCIENCE AND AI/ML PREPARED FOR BOTH INDUSTRY AND ACADEMICS CAREERS. THE CUTTING-EDGE RESEARCH CONDUCTED FOR THEIR DOCTORAL DEGREES WILL ADVANCE OUR KNOWLEDGE IN KEY AREAS IMPORTANT TO THE NATION AND SOCIETY. THIS PROJECT HAS FOUR OBJECTIVES: (1) ENHANCE RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE BY UPGRADING THE MMC DATA CENTER WITH HIGH-PERFORMANCE COMPUTING AND NETWORKING CAPABILITIES; (2) ESTABLISH A NEW DOCTORATE DEGREE PROGRAM IN DATA SCIENCE AT MMC; (3) RECRUIT HIGH CALIBER FACULTY AND SCIENTISTS WITH EXPERTISE IN AI/ML AND DATA SCIENCE RESEARCH; AND (4) INCREASE THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS FROM UNDERREPRESENTED MINORITIES AND WOMEN WHO ATTAIN A DOCTORATE IN DATA SCIENCE. THE PROJECT WILL ENROLL TWELVE STUDENTS INTO THE NEW PHD PROGRAM IN DATA SCIENCE IN TWO COHORTS OF SIX STUDENTS EACH. THE KNOWLEDGE GAINED FROM THIS PROJECT WILL BE DISSEMINATED BROADLY TO A COMMUNITY OF SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS. THE CENTERS OF RESEARCH EXCELLENCE IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY HBCU RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE FOR SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING (CREST HBCU-RISE) PROGRAM SUPPORTS THE EXPANSION OF INSTITUTIONAL RESEARCH CAPACITY AS WELL AS THE SUCCESSFUL TRAINING OF DOCTORAL STUDENTS, ESPECIALLY THOSE FROM GROUPS UNDERREPRESENTED IN STEM AT HBCUS. THIS AWARD REFLECTS NSF'S STATUTORY MISSION AND HAS BEEN DEEMED WORTHY OF SUPPORT THROUGH EVALUATION USING THE FOUNDATION'S INTELLECTUAL MERIT AND BROADER IMPACTS REVIEW CRITERIA.- SUBAWARDS ARE NOT PLANNED FOR THIS AWARD.

MATERNAL HEALTH RESEARCH NETWORK (MH-RN) FOR MSIS--RESEARCH AWARDS

RESIDENCY TRAINING IN PRIMARY CARE

MECHANISMS FOR BENZO(A)PYRENE-INDUCED COLON CANCER EXACERBATION BY DIETARY FAT

CYCLODEXTRIN AS A NOVEL HIV MICROBICIDE

CONTROL OF NOCICEPTION IN THE SPINAL CORD

STRENGTHENING RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES FOR GROWTH AT MEHARRY MEDICAL COLLEGE (MEHARRY-STRONG) - PROJECT SUMMARY/ ABSTRACT THE GOAL OF THE STRENGTHENING RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES FOR GROWTH AT MEHARRY MEDICAL COLLEGE (MEHARRY- STRONG) PROGRAM IS TO ASSESS RESEARCH CAPACITY AND DEVELOP AN INSTITUTION-WIDE ACTION PLAN TO MEET OUR SPECIFIC NEEDS IDENTIFIED. WE HYPOTHESIZE THAT FIRST DEVELOPING AN INFRASTRUCTURE THAT SUPPORTS ENGAGED EVALUATION OF OUR RESEARCH CAPACITY WILL ALLOW US TO PERFORM HIGH QUALITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT AND DEVELOP AN ACTION PLAN THAT TRULY PERMITS CAPABILITY ENHANCEMENT. IN AIM 1, WE WILL ENGAGE STAKEHOLDERS BEFORE DEVELOPING AND ADMINISTERING THE NEEDS ASSESSMENT, WHICH INCLUDES BOTH QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE TOOLS. IN AIM 2, WE WILL ANALYZE RESULTS AND INTERPRET DATA BASED ON TOPIC AREAS: ADMINISTRATIVE, RESEARCH, AND FACULTY AND STUDENT DEVELOPMENT. IN AIM 3, WE WILL FORMULATE AN INSTITUTIONAL ACTION PLAN THAT INCORPORATES INTERVENTIONS TO BUILD CAPACITY AT MEHARRY. THE PLAN WILL PROVIDE A DETAILED ROADMAP FOR ENHANCING OUR RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE AND CAPACITY USING STEP BY STEP ADDITIONS TO GRADUALLY AND PROGRESSIVELY BUILD ON PAST SUCCESSES TO GENERATE MOMENTUM. ACCOMPLISHMENT OF OUR AIMS WILL PROVIDE MEHARRY WITH AN ACTIONABLE AND REALISTIC PLAN TO INCREASE COMPETITIVENESS IN THE BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH ENTERPRISE AND FOSTER AN ENVIRONMENT CONDUCIVE TO DEVELOPING RESEARCH CAREERS FOR OUR TRAINEES AND FACULTY.

FACULTY DEVELOPMENT IN PRIMARY CARE

MOLECULAR ANALYSIS OF TRYPANOSOME INFECTION

NOVEL MECHANISM AND TARGETING OF NEUROENDOCRINE PROSTATE CANCER

HEALTH CARE AND OTHER FACILITIES

SCREENING, BRIEF INTERVENTION, AND REFERRAL TO TREATMENT (SBIRT)

SCHOLARSHIPS FOR DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS

CONTROL OF NOCICEPTION IN THE SPINAL CORD

PRIMARY CARE TRAINING AND ENHANCEMENT

INTEGRATED OUTREACH AND CARE (IOC) PROJECT - THE INTEGRATED OUTREACH AND CARE (IOC) PROGRAM IS A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN SEVERAL CLINICS THAT ALL OPERATE WITHIN THE MEHARRY MEDICAL COLLEGE ACADEMIC MEDICAL CENTER, THE LARGEST HBCU MEDICAL CENTER IN THE COUNTRY. IT BRINGS TOGETHER THE MEHARRY ADDICTION CLINIC, THE NASHVILLE ALLIANCE FOR DRUG USER SAFETY (NADUS) AND THE PATIENT NAVIGATION FOR ADDICTION TREATMENT AND HIV/HCV TREATMENT AND CARE (PATH) FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF FAMILY AND COMMUNITY MEDICINE. WE ARE ALSO PARTNERING WITH THE MEHARRY COMMUNITY WELLNESS CENTER, THE DEPARTMENT OF INTERNAL MEDICINE'S INFECTIOUS DISEASE CLINIC AND LARGEST RYAN WHITE HIV PROVIDER IN NASHVILLE. FINALLY, THE ELAM MENTAL HEALTH CENTER, A CLINIC OF THE DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHIATRY AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES, THE CITY'S SAFETY NET MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE USE PROVIDER CLINIC. WE WILL INTEGRATE OUR OUTREACH EFFORTS WITH THE CLINIC SERVICES TO PROVIDE A ONE STOP SHOP FOR HIV, VIRAL HEPATITIS, SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER TREATMENT, MENTAL HEALTH, AND HARM REDUCTION SERVICES. WE WILL FOCUS ON UNDERSERVED AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITIES AS WELL AS THE BURGEONING HOMELESS POPULATION IN NASHVILLE. THE COMBINATION OF EXPERTISE WITHIN THE THREE PARTNER DEPARTMENTS WILL ALLOW US TO MEET THE GOALS OF (1) IDENTIFYING, ENGAGING, AND SUPPORTING INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE RACIAL AND ETHNIC MINORITIES, USE SUBSTANCES AND ARE AT RISK FOR, OR LIVING WITH HIV AND OTHER BLOOD BORNE PATHOGENS ACCESS THE SERVICES THEY NEED TO SUCCESSFULLY TRANSITION TO HEALTH AND WELLNESS; AND (2) SOLIDIFY AND AUGMENT THE SYSTEM OF CARE TO PROVIDE A WELCOMING, CULTURALLY APPROPRIATE, AND TRAUMA INFORMED COMMUNITY-BASED CONTINUUM OF SUBSTANCE USE AND HEALTH SERVICES. THE TIMING OF THESE FUNDS IS VERY CRITICAL FOR OUR COUNTY AS THE STATE RETURNED NEARLY $12 MILLION DOLLARS IN CDC FUNDING EAR MARKED FOR HIV TESTING AND SURVEILLANCE. RECEIPT OF THESE FUNDS WILL ALLOW US TO BEGIN TO FILL THE GAPS LEFT BY THE LOSS OF CDC FUNDING IN THIS AREA.

EFFECT OF ANTIOXIDANT ENZYMES ON BAP-INDUCED ATHEROGENESIS

STUDENT RESEARCH: STIMULUS FOR ACADEMIC RESEARCH CAREERS

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH WORKFORCE EDUCATION AND TRAINING (BHWET) PROGRAM

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH WORKFORCE EDUCATION AND TRAINING (BHWET) PROGRAM

SNRP PROJECT AT MEHARRY MEDICAL COLLEGE

PREVENTIVE MEDICINE RESIDENCIES

NASHVILLE REACH 2020

COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING/CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED SPENDING - CONSTRUCTION - THIS CONSTRUCTION PROJECT WILL OCCUR AT MEHARRY MEDICAL COLLEGE, A BLACK ACADEMIC MEDICAL CENTER, WHICH IS LOCATED IN BOTH A FEDERALLY DESIGNATED OPPORTUNITY ZONE AND PROMISE ZONE IN THE HEART OF NASHVILLE, TN. THE CONSTRUCTION AND EQUIPMENT PURCHASED THROUGH THIS AWARD WILL PROVIDE A SUPERCOMPUTER CLUSTER FOR MEHARRY’S NEW SCHOOL OF APPLIED COMPUTATIONAL SCIENCES (SACS). THIS WILL ALLOW MEHARRY SACS TO COMPLEMENT AND TRANSFORM THE EDUCATION, RESEARCH, AND CLINICAL TRAINING OF MEHARRY’S EXISTING SCHOOLS OF MEDICINE, DENTISTRY, AND GRADUATE STUDIES. MEHARRY’S SACS WILL MERGE THE STRENGTHS OF ONE OF THE NATION’S LEADING HISTORICALLY BLACK MEDICAL SCHOOLS TO EXTEND ITS IMPACT ON HEALTH EQUITY EVEN FURTHER AND TO UNLOCK THE LIFE-CHANGING POSSIBILITIES THAT DATA SCIENCE BRINGS TO HEALTHCARE AND BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH. THIS PROJECT WILL ALSO SUPPORT MASTER’S DEGREE CURRICULA IN COMPUTER SCIENCE AND DATA SCIENCE, AND IN BIOMEDICAL DATA SCIENCE ALONG WITH THE PHD-LEVEL CURRICULA IN BIOMEDICAL DATA SCIENCE AT MEHARRY. THESE PROGRAMS WERE ESTABLISHED TO HELP ADDRESS THE NATIONAL SHORTAGE OF UNDERREPRESENTED MINORITIES IN THE DATA AND COMPUTING PROFESSION IS A DIRECT CONSEQUENCE OF THE FACT THAT CURRENT NATIONAL PROGRAMS DO NOT CONSISTENTLY ATTRACT ENOUGH STUDENTS FROM THESE POPULATIONS. SPECIFICALLY, THIS PROJECT ADDRESSES AN URGENTLY NEEDED STRATEGY FOR INCREASING RESEARCH AND EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR AFRICAN AMERICAN DATA SCIENTISTS, WHILE ENSURING THAT THOSE WHO DEVELOP HEALTH SOLUTIONS ARE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE POPULATIONS THEY STUDY. THE SUPERCOMPUTER CLUSTER CONSISTS OF TWO CLUSTERS. CLUSTER 1 CONSISTS OF 12 HIGH-PERFORMANCE COMPUTING NODES CAPABLE OF PROCESSING INTENSIVE GENOMICS DATASETS AND DISTRIBUTED COMPUTING. CLUSTER 2 CONSISTS OF 4 GPU NODES GOOD FOR DEEP LEARNING, ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI), MACHINE LEARNING (MI), IMAGE ANALYSIS, MATHEMATICAL OPERATIONS, 3-D STRUCTURES, MODELING, DRUG DISCOVERY, AND PARALLEL PROCESSING. BOTH CLUSTE RS HAVE ONE COMMON LOG IN NODE AND ONE MANAGEMENT NODE. THE STORAGE SOLUTION CONTAINS APPROXIMATELY 1.76 PETABYTE TO SUPPORT THE STORAGE AND ACCESS OF DATA AND INTERMEDIATE FILES.

SOUTHEAST FETAL ALCOHOL SPECTRUM DISORDERS REGIONAL TRAINING CENTER

EXCELLENCE IN RESEARCH: DETERMINATION OF STRUCTURE AND SUBSTRATE-SPECIFICITY OF A UNIQUE HAD PHOSPHATASE IN MITOCHONDRIA -MITOCHONDRIA PLAY A VITAL ROLE IN MANY CELLULAR FUNCTIONS, INCLUDING METABOLIC REGULATION, SIGNAL TRANSDUCTION, AND CONTROLLED CELL DEATH. MITOCHONDRIA REQUIRE HUNDREDS OF PROTEINS TO DO THESE FUNCTIONS; HOWEVER, MORE THAN NINETY-FIVE PERCENT OF MITOCHONDRIAL PROTEINS ARE ENCODED IN THE NUCLEAR DNA. THEREFORE, THESE PROTEINS ARE IMPORTED INTO THE MITOCHONDRIA AFTER SYNTHESIS IN THE CYTOSOL VIA TRANSLOCASE OF THE MITOCHONDRIAL OUTER AND INNER MEMBRANES REFERRED TO AS THE TOM AND TIM PROTEINS, RESPECTIVELY. IN ADDITION TO MITOCHONDRIAL PROTEIN TRANSLOCATION, THE TOM AND TIM PROTEINS OFTEN PERFORM ADDITIONAL FUNCTIONS VIA THEIR INTRINSIC ENZYMATIC PROPERTIES AND PLAY A BROADER ROLE IN CELLULAR HEALTH. THE TIM50 HOMOLOG IN A GROUP OF ANCIENT PARASITIC PROTOZOA POSSESSES THE HALOACID DEHALOGENASE (HAD) PHOSPHATASE ACTIVITY BUT THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS ENZYMATIC ACTIVITY IS NOT CLEAR. THIS PROJECT WILL UTILIZE DIFFERENT STRUCTURE BIOLOGY TOOLS TO CHARACTERIZE THE STRUCTURE AND ELUCIDATE THE DUAL ROLES OF A MITOCHONDRIAL HAD-PHOSPHATASE IN A DIVERGENT UNICELLULAR ORGANISM. THE PROJECT WILL PROVIDE HANDS-ON RESEARCH EXPERIENCES FOR GRADUATE/UNDERGRADUATE MINORITY STUDENTS FROM LOCAL COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES IN VARIOUS BIOCHEMICAL AND STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY WORKS. THE OUTCOME FOR TRAINEES WILL BE THEIR ABILITY TO COMBINE STRUCTURAL AND BIOLOGICAL APPROACHES TO ADDRESS BROAD QUESTIONS AT THE INTERFACE OF BIOLOGY AND PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY. TIM50 IS AN ESSENTIAL PROTEIN IN EUKARYOTES. THE HAD SIGNATURE MOTIF IS SPECIFICALLY FOUND IN THE PROTOZOAL TIM50. IN HUMANS, TIM50 HAS PROTEIN PHOSPHATASE ACTIVITY AND IS INVOLVED IN WIDER CELLULAR FUNCTIONS. IT IS OVER-EXPRESSED IN MANY TYPES OF CANCER CELLS. INHERENT MUTATIONS OF TIM50 ARE CONNECTED TO SEVERE NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS. AS THE RECEPTOR TRANSLOCASE, THE C-TERMINAL DOMAIN OF TIM50 BINDS WITH SIGNAL PEPTIDES OF VARIOUS MITOCHONDRIA-TARGETED PROTEINS. INTERESTINGLY, THE SAME DOMAIN IN TIM50 IS ALSO INVOLVED IN BINDING PHOSPHO-SUBSTRATES. AS THE STRUCTURAL INFORMATION IS VERY LIMITED, THE MECHANISM OF ACTION FOR THE DUAL FUNCTION OF TIM50 IS ELUSIVE. THIS PROJECT IS FOCUSED ON CHARACTERIZING THE STRUCTURE, MEMBRANE TOPOLOGY, SUBSTRATE SPECIFICITY, AND OTHER BIOCHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PROTOZOAL TIM50 TO UNDERSTAND THE SIGNIFICANCE OF ITS DUAL FUNCTION, WHICH CAN BE EXTRAPOLATED TO TIM50S IN OTHER SYSTEMS AND ELUCIDATE THE EVOLUTIONARY PERSPECTIVE OF TIM50. THIS AWARD REFLECTS NSF'S STATUTORY MISSION AND HAS BEEN DEEMED WORTHY OF SUPPORT THROUGH EVALUATION USING THE FOUNDATION'S INTELLECTUAL MERIT AND BROADER IMPACTS REVIEW CRITERIA.- SUBAWARDS ARE PLANNED FOR THIS AWARD.

REDUCING HIV & SA AMONG MSMS ON BCU CAMPUSES

DIVERSITY CENTER FOR GENOME RESEARCH AT MEHARRY - PROJECT SUMMARY MEHARRY MEDICAL COLLEGE IS COMMITTED TO BRIDGING THE GAPS FOR UNDERREPRESENTED, DISADVANTAGED MINORITY (URM) GROUPS BY ESTABLISHING A DIVERSITY CENTER FOR GENOME RESEARCH (DCGR). THE DIVERSITY CENTER WILL NARROW INEQUITABLE REPRESENTATION GAPS FOR URM BY REALIZING OUR VISION TO PROMOTE AFRICAN ANCESTRY GENOMIC RESEARCH THROUGH INFRASTRUCTURE BUILDING AND THE FORMATION OF BASIC, CLINICAL, AND COMPUTATIONAL SCIENCE RESEARCH TEAMS THAT ARE INCLUSIVE, INTERDISCIPLINARY, AND COMMUNITY-ENGAGED. ALSO, THE PROPOSED DCGR WILL FACILITATE A SUSTAINABLE PARTNERSHIP AMONG HBCU INCLUDING MMC, FISK UNIVERSITY, AND TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY IN NASHVILLE. THE ESTABLISHMENT OF DCGR WILL COMPLEMENT MMC’S ONGOING GENOMICS CAPACITY-BUILDING INITIATIVES. MEHARRY DCGR RESEARCH THEME WILL FOCUS ON STUDYING THE GENETIC BASIS OF CHRONIC DISEASES PREVALENT IN AA. PROJECT 1 (BORZA) WILL STUDY THE LOSS-OF-FUNCTION VARIANT GENOME-PHENOME ASSOCIATION IN INFLAMMATORY DISEASES, SUCH AS DEMENTIA, CANCER, TUBERCULOSIS, AND SARCOIDOSIS (ALSO TERMED: BESNIER-BOECK-SCHAUMAN) THAT TYPICALLY PRESENTS IN LUNGS (SKIN OR LYMPH NODES) AS ABNORMAL COLLECTIONS OF INFLAMMATORY CELLS. PROJECT 2 (IVANOVA) AIMS TO CORRELATE THE GENETICS OF INFLAMMATORY/MITOCHONDRIAL RESPONSES TO IMMUNOPHENOTYPES TO IDENTIFY PROGNOSTIC INDICATORS OF HEALTH DISPARITIES. PROJECT 3 (SINGH) AIMS TO ADDRESS BARRIERS TO RECRUITMENT AND BUILD A BLOOD REPOSITORY OF AA PEOPLE TO EVALUATE DISEASE BIOMARKERS ASSOCIATED WITH HEALTH DISPARITIES. THE DCGR EFFORTS WILL BE SPEARHEADED BY THREE CORES. THE ADMINISTRATIVE CORE WILL MANAGE THE CENTER'S ADMINISTRATIVE, FISCAL, AND SCIENTIFIC ASPECTS, INCLUDING ACCREDITATION OF NEW GRADUATE PROGRAMS, OVERSIGHT OF CAREER ENHANCEMENT ACTIVITIES FOR STUDENTS, TRAINEES, AND FACULTY, AND FOSTERING SYNERGY WITH OTHER ONGOING GENOMIC TRAINING AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES. THE GENOMIC WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT CORE WILL INITIATE NEW ACADEMIC ACTIVITIES, INCLUDING NEW GRADUATE PROGRAMS IN GENOMICS AND GENETIC COUNSELING TRAINING TO EDUCATE AND TRAIN MINORITY STUDENTS AND RESEARCHERS IN GENOMIC SCIENCES FOR DIVERSIFYING THE URM GENOMICS RESEARCH WORKFORCE. THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT CORE WILL ENHANCE SUSTAINABLE PARTNERSHIPS WITH COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS AND THE AA COMMUNITY TO ADDRESS THEIR CONCERNS AND PROMOTE THEIR PARTICIPATION IN THE CENTER’S RESEARCH ACTIVITIES. THE CORES WILL FINALIZE, IMPLEMENT, AND OVERSEE A MANAGEMENT PLAN THAT STIMULATES, COORDINATES, INTEGRATES, AND MONITORS ACTIVITIES AND FUNCTIONS ACROSS ALL ELEMENTS OF THE CORES ADDRESSING: AIM 1. TRANSFORM THE ORGANIZATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE AND PROCESSES SUPPORTING ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE IN AFRICAN ANCESTRY GENOME RESEARCH AT MMC; AIM 2. PROMOTE SCHOLARSHIP WITHIN THE RESEARCH COLLABORATIONS AND MENTORSHIP NETWORKS TO ENRICH THE QUALITY OF GENOME RESEARCH AND PROVIDE A NEXUS FOR SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY BUILDING AMONG BASIC, CLINICAL, AND COMPUTATIONAL SCIENCE STAKEHOLDERS WITH SOCIAL AND ACADEMIC INTEGRATION; AIM 3. MAXIMIZE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF A FACULTY COHORT TO ADVANCE GENOME RESEARCH COMPETENCIES AND ATTAINMENT OF CAREER MILESTONES BY FOSTERING FACULTY DEVELOPMENT AND MAKING MMC A MAGNET THAT ATTRACTS OTHER URM GENOMICS SCHOLARS.

ENDOPLASMIC RETICULUM STRESS AND FOAM CELL FORMATION

MODELS OF RISK FOR PTSD

L-DOPA OVERLOAD: MECHANISMS FOR THE SIDE EFFECTS.

MEHARRY HEALTH SCIENCES LEADERSHIP ACADEMY

PERSONALIZED SMOKING RELAPSE PREVENTION DELIVERED IN REAL-TIME VIA JUST-IN-TIME ADAPTIVE INTERVENTIONS

THE FISK-MEHARRY-VANDERBILT BIOMEDICAL INFORMATICS ECOSYSTEM TO SUPPORT DIVERSE STUDENTS IN DATA SCIENCE - PROJECT SUMMARY (ABSTRACT) FISK UNIVERSITY, MEHARRY MEDICAL COLLEGE, AND VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER (VUMC) PROPOSE A NOVEL COLLABORATIVE PROGRAM TO ENGAGE DIVERSE UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE STUDENTS IN MEANINGFUL BIOMEDICAL INFORMATICS AND BIOMEDICAL DATA SCIENCE SUMMER RESEARCH EXPERIENCES. THE BIOMEDICAL INFORMATICS ECOSYSTEM TO SUPPORT TALENTED DIVERSE STUDENTS IN DATA SCIENCE (BEST-DS2) PROGRAM BUILDS ON A STRONG FOUNDATION OF COLLABORATION AMONG THREE POSTSECONDARY INSTITUTIONS IN NASHVILLE AND CONNECTS THREE STRONG DATA SCIENCE PROGRAMS: FISK’S COMPUTER AND DATA SCIENCE PROGRAM, MEHARRY’S SCHOOL OF APPLIED COMPUTATIONAL SCIENCES, AND VANDERBILT’S BIOMEDICAL INFORMATICS PROGRAM. THE BEST-DS2 SPECIFIC AIMS ARE TO: (1) ESTABLISH MEANINGFUL HIGH-QUALITY SHORT-TERM RESEARCH EXPERIENCES FOR TALENTED DIVERSE STUDENTS; (2) PREPARE THESE STUDENTS FOR FUTURE EDUCATIONAL AND CAREER OPPORTUNITIES IN BIOMEDICAL INFORMATICS AND BIOMEDICAL DATA SCIENCE; (3) PROVIDE A RIGOROUS EVALUATION OF THE PROGRAM; AND (4) BUILD A REGIONAL AND SUSTAINABLE ECOSYSTEM IN BIOMEDICAL INFORMATICS AND BIOMEDICAL DATA SCIENCE. BOTH FISK AND MEHARRY ARE HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES (HBCUS) WITH A HIGH PROPORTION OF STUDENTS FROM GROUPS UNDER-REPRESENTED IN BIOMEDICAL INFORMATICS AND BIOMEDICAL DATA SCIENCE; VUMC PROVIDES SUBSTANTIAL EXPERTISE IN SUCCESSFUL SUMMER RESEARCH EXPERIENCES THROUGH THE VANDERBILT BIOMEDICAL INFORMATICS SUMMER PROGRAM. EACH SUMMER, THREE UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS FROM FISK AND THREE GRADUATE STUDENTS FROM MEHARRY WILL JOIN THE 12-WEEK BEST-DS2 PROGRAM, FOR A TOTAL OF 30 STUDENTS OVER THE FIVE YEARS OF THE AWARD. AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SUMMER PROGRAM, A TWO-WEEK BOOTCAMP LED BY FISK, MEHARRY, AND VUMC FACULTY WILL COVER COMMON METHODS AND TOOLS USED IN BIOMEDICAL INFORMATICS AND BIOMEDICAL DATA SCIENCE. STUDENTS WILL RECEIVE INSTRUCTION ON RESPONSIBLE CONDUCT OF RESEARCH (RCR) AND ENGAGE IN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES (INCLUDING SOME BASED UPON THE ENTERING RESEARCH CURRICULUM FROM THE CENTER FOR IMPROVEMENT OF MENTORED EXPERIENCES IN RESEARCH). STUDENTS WILL ALSO PARTICIPATE IN A BIOMEDICAL INFORMATICS SUMMER SEMINAR SERIES TO EXPLORE CUTTING-EDGE TOPICS, CAREER PATHWAYS, AND TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES. THIS FIVE-YEAR PROGRAM WILL ALSO REACH AN ADDITIONAL 50 STUDENTS FROM HBCUS AS PART OF ONLINE BEST-DS2 OUTREACH ACTIVITIES. IN ADDITION TO PREPARING DIVERSE STUDENTS FOR THEIR FUTURE IN BIOMEDICAL INFORMATICS AND BIOMEDICAL DATA SCIENCE, THE BEST-DS2 PROGRAM WILL ENABLE FISK, MEHARRY, AND VUMC TO DEVELOP A SUSTAINABLE BIOMEDICAL INFORMATICS AND BIOMEDICAL DATA SCIENCE ECOSYSTEM, WHICH WILL SUPPORT EDUCATIONAL AND RESEARCH COLLABORATION AMONG TRAINEES AND FACULTY AT THE THREE INSTITUTIONS.

PATIENT NAVIGATION FOR ADDICTION TREATMENT AND HIV/HCV TREATMENT AND CARE - THE PATIENT NAVIGATION FOR ADDICTION TREATMENT AND HIV/HCV TREATMENT AND CARE (PATH) PROGRAM WILL PROVIDE HIVHCV TESTING WELL AS WARM HANDOFF REFERRALS TO HIV/HCV AND SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER TREATMENT AND PREVENTION (INCLUDING PREP) FOR BLACK MEN AND TRANSGENDER WOMEN THAT HAVE SEX WITH MEN. PATH IS A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THREE MEHARRY MEDICAL COLLEGE CLINICS. THESE CLINICS INCLUDE: (A) THE MEHARRY COMMUNITY WELLNESS CENTER (MCWC), MEHARRY’S RYAN WHITE FUNDED HIV CLINIC AND CENTER OF EXCELLENCE FOR INFECTIOUS DISEASE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT; (B) THE MEHARRY ADDICTION CLINIC (MAC), THE COLLEGE’S HARM REDUCTION CLINIC THAT OFFERS BOTH A STATIONARY AND MOBILE CLINIC; AND (C) THE ELAM MENTAL HEALTH CENTER (EMHC), WHICH OFFERS INPATIENT, INTENSIVE OUTPATIENT AND RESIDENTIAL CARE FOR SUBSTANCE USE AND CO-OCCURRING MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS. THESE THREE CLINICS ARE ALL PART OF MEHARRY MEDICAL COLLEGE, SHARE AN ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORD, AND HAVE SHARED PERSONNEL ACROSS CLINICS MAKING REFERRAL SEAMLESS. THE THREE CLINICS IN THE PATH PROJECT HAVE BEEN FUNDED BY THE TENNESSEE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH (TDH) THROUGH A PILOT PROJECT TO INCREASE INTEGRATION OF SERVICES FOR PEOPLE WHO USE DRUGS (PWUD) IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE STATE ENDING THE HIV EPIDEMIC PLAN, KNOWN AS ENDING THE SYNDEMIC OF DRUG USE, HIV, VIRAL HEPATITIS, AND SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED INFECTIONS. THIS PILOT FUNDING HAS ESTABLISHED A STRONG COLLABORATIVE FOUNDATION FOR THIS PROJECT LINKING THE THREE CLINICS THROUGH SHARED PROTOCOLS AND PERSONNEL. THE FUNDING FOR PATIENT NAVIGATORS REQUESTED HERE WILL BUILD ON THIS STRONG COLLABORATIVE NETWORK OF PARTNER CLINICS AND SUPPORT COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND LINKAGE TO CARE FOR ALL THREE TARGET CONDITIONS TO BE ADDRESSED THROUGH THIS COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT, SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER, HIV AND VIRAL HEPATITIS. THE PURPOSE OF THIS PROJECT IS TO INCREASE SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER, HIV AND VIRAL HEPATITIS PREVENTION AND CARE ENGAGEMENT AMONG AFRICAN AMERICAN MEN AND TRANSGENDER WOMEN THAT HAVE SEX WITH MEN IN NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE. WE WILL ACHIEVE THIS PURPOSE BY MEETING THE FOLLOWING GOALS: (A) INCREASING PUBLIC AWARENESS OF SUBSTANCE USE AND INFECTIOUS DISEASE (HIV AND VIRAL HEPATITIS); (B) INCREASING HIV AND VIRAL HEPATITIS TESTING; (C) INCREASING UPTAKE OF SUBSTANCE USE AND MENTAL HEALTH DISORDER TREATMENT; AND (D) INCREASING LINKAGE TO PREVENTION AND CARE FOR HCV AND HIV. THE SYSTEMS-LEVEL OBJECTIVE IS TO EXPAND EXISTING COLLABORATIONS TO IMPROVE THE TARGET POPULATION’S ACCESS TO SERVICES THAT REDUCE HEALTH DISPARITIES THAT AFFECT NASHVILLE’S MINORITY LGBTQ+ COMMUNITIES. CENTRAL TO THIS EFFORT IS MOBILIZING THE EXISTING SERVICES OFFERED AT THE MAC, MCWC, AND EMHC CLINICS, TO THE END OF REDUCING HIV, VIRAL HEPATITIS, AND SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER AMONG BLACK MSM AND TRANSGENDER PEOPLE. OF NOTE, MEHARRY IS ALREADY IN POSSESSION OF THE ACTUAL MOBILE CLINIC, THIS FUNDING WILL PROVIDE ADDITIONAL STAFFING TO EXPAND SERVICES TO THE TARGET POPULATION. ADDITIONALLY, WE RECENTLY ESTABLISHED THE “HARM REDUCTION ADVISORY COUNCIL” THAT MEETS REGULARLY TO IMPROVE INTERAGENCY SERVICE COORDINATION, DEVISE MECHANISMS FOR IDENTIFYING AND RESPONDING TO EMERGING SERVICE GAPS, IDENTIFY NEW ORGANIZATIONS TO FILL SUCH GAPS, AND PROVIDE OTHER ENHANCEMENTS AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENTS TO THE SYSTEM OF CARE TO ENSURE A SMOOTHER TRANSITION TO A RANGE OF SERVICES FOR PWUD.

ROLE OF NUCLEIC ACID STRUCTURE IN HIV-1 REPLICATION

SHAW-JOHNS HOPKINS CENTER FOR PROSTATE CANCER RESEARCH

MMC AND VICC: PARTNERSHIP FOR SURVIVORSHIP (1 OF 2)

THIS RESEARCH STUDIES THE IMPORTANCE OF ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS SUCH AS GEOGRAPHICAL HEAT INDEX, PERSONAL LIFESTYLES/ACTIVITIES/GENETICS, SOCIETAL BEHAVIORS, AND PUBLIC INTERACTIONS ON THE POTENTIAL LINK BETWEEN ADULTHOOD CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE (CVD) AND PM2.5. INCREASING AWARENESS OF ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE CVD FROM PM2.5 EXPOSURES ENABLE STATE AND LOCAL DECISION MAKERS AND HEALTH EXPERTS TO IMPLEMENT CORRECT AND EFFECTIVE PREVENTIVE MEASURES TO ACHIEVE THE OPTIMAL PUBLIC HEALTH OUTCOMES.

LOW VERSUS HIGH RESOURCE MAT EQUIVALENCY STUDY AMONG PERSONS WITH OPIOID USE DISORDERS

GERIATRIC EDUCATION CENTERS

COMMUNITY-BASED INTERVENTION TO INCREASE SEAT BELT USE AMONG TEENS IN JACKSON, MS

MEHARRY SUMMER UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH EXPERIENCES IN CANCER PROGRAM

RURAL RESIDENCY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

THE PURPOSE OF THE PROPOSED PROJECT IS TO ESTABLISH A SCIENCE CONSORTIUM OF MINORITY SCHOOLS (SCMS) TO PROVIDE TECHNICAL SUPPORT AND SERVICES TO STEM PROGRAMS IN SELECTED HBCUS.

PREDOCTORAL TRAINING IN GENERAL, PEDIATRIC, AND PUBLIC HEALTH DENTISTRY AND DENTAL HYGIENE

THE MEHARRY CANCER SUMMER RESEARCH PROGRAM (SURP) - PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT MEHARRY MEDICAL COLLEGE SEEKS FUNDING TO SUPPORT THE CONTINUATION AND EXPANSION OF THE MEHARRY CANCER SUMMER RESEARCH PROGRAM (SURP), A RESEARCH EXPERIENCES PROGRAM THAT HAS TRAINED SEVERAL STUDENTS FROM RACIAL AND ETHNIC GROUPS THAT ARE TRADITIONALLY UNDERREPRESENTED IN HEALTH RELATED SCIENCES. THIS PROGRAM WILL ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF CANCER HEALTH DISPARITIES BY INCREASING STUDENT AWARENESS OF THIS ISSUE AND IMPLEMENTING STRATEGIES DESIGNED TO INCREASE THE DIVERSITY OF THE ONCOLOGY AND CANCER RESEARCH WORKFORCE. MEHARRY MEDICAL COLLEGE IS ONE OF THE LARGEST HISTORICALLY BLACK ACADEMIC HEALTH SCIENCE CENTERS IN THE UNITED STATES. IT HAS A PROVEN COMMITMENT TO TRAINING MINORITY PHYSICIANS, DENTISTS AND SCIENTISTS, AND IS A LEADING PRODUCER OF AFRICAN AMERICANS WITH PHDS IN BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES. THE PROPOSED SUMMER PROGRAM WILL PROVIDE AN INTENSIVE, HANDS-ON CANCER FOCUSED RESEARCH EXPERIENCE FOR UNDERGRADUATE AND MEDICAL STUDENTS THROUGH THE LENS OF CANCER HEALTH DISPARITIES. A DIVERSE FACULTY OF EXPERIENCED CANCER INVESTIGATORS FROM MEHARRY MEDICAL COLLEGE AND VANDERBILT INGRAM CANCER CENTER WILL SERVE AS RESEARCH MENTORS FOR THE PROGRAM. A NATIONWIDE SEARCH WILL BE CONDUCTED TO IDENTIFY AND SELECT 10 UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS AND 5 RISING SECOND YEAR MEDICAL STUDENTS PER YEAR WHO ARE INTERESTED IN CAREERS IN MEDICINE AND BIOMEDICAL SCIENCE. STUDENTS WILL COMPLETE SHORT-TERM 9-WEEK (MEDICAL) OR 10-WEEK (UNDERGRADUATE) RESEARCH PROJECTS THAT FOCUS ON CANCERS WHICH DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECT RACIAL AND ETHNIC MINORITIES. PROJECTS WILL INCLUDE MULTIPLE TYPES OF CANCER RESEARCH, SUCH AS BASIC SCIENCE RESEARCH, TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH, BIOINFORMATICS, EPIDEMIOLOGICAL AND COMMUNITY BASED STUDIES. ADDITIONAL PROGRAM ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES WILL INCLUDE A CANCER BIOLOGY MINI-COURSE TO TEACH PARTICIPANTS FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPTS COMMON TO ALL CANCERS. STUDENTS WILL GAIN EXPOSURE TO CLINICAL CANCER RESEARCH VIA MOLECULAR TUMOR BOARDS AND SIMULATION- BASED EDUCATION. A WEEKLY CANCER HEALTH DISPARITIES RESEARCH SEMINAR WILL ALLOW STUDENTS TO INTERACT WITH ONCOLOGISTS AND CANCER RESEARCHERS FROM GROUPS TRADITIONALLY UNDERREPRESENTED IN BIOMEDICAL SCIENCE AND LEARN ABOUT CAREER OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN THE AREAS OF CANCER RESEARCH, ONCOLOGY AND CANCER HEALTH DISPARITIES. SESSIONS ON THE RESPONSIBLE CONDUCT OF RESEARCH WILL BE HELD ON A WEEKLY BASIS. STUDENTS WILL ALSO PARTICIPATE IN CAREER AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOPS THAT WILL 1) ALLOW UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS TO EXPLORE CAREER OPTIONS AND OBTAIN INFORMATION NEEDED TO APPLY AND SUCCESSFULLY GAIN ENTRANCE INTO M.D. AND PH.D. TRAINING PROGRAMS AND 2) ALLOW MEDICAL STUDENTS TO SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETE MEDICAL TRAINING AND APPLY FOR RESIDENCY PROGRAMS. AT THE END OF THE SUMMER, PARTICIPANTS WILL SHARE THEIR RESEARCH FINDINGS THROUGH ORAL AND POSTER PRESENTATIONS. PROGRAM DIRECTORS AND STAFF WILL TRACK PARTICIPANTS THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THEIR UNDERGRADUATE/MEDICAL TRAINING AND POST GRADUATE EXPERIENCES TO EVALUATE WHETHER PROGRAM GOALS WERE MET, AND IDENTIFY AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT. DATA FROM PARTICIPANT AND RESEARCH MENTORS WILL ALSO BE USED TO EVALUATE AND ENHANCE THE PROGRAM.

RESIDENCY TRAINING IN GENERAL AND PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY

BRE-SPAD AT MEHARRY - PROJECT SUMMARY/ ABSTRACT THE GOAL OF THE BRE-SPAD INITIATIVE AT MEHARRY MEDICAL COLLEGE IS TO IMPLEMENT INNOVATIVE TRAINING AND FUNDING PROGRAMS TO ENHANCE RESEARCH CAPACITY AND EXPAND MEHARRY’S NATIONAL PRESENCE IN BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH. WE HYPOTHESIZE THAT A COMPREHENSIVE SUPPORT PROGRAM, COMPRISING ADVANCED PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND GRANT TRAINING, INCREASED TECHNICAL SUPPORT, AND TARGETED PILOT FUNDING AND RESEARCH INCENTIVES, WILL SIGNIFICANTLY BOOST STUDENT TRAINING, RESEARCH PRODUCTIVITY AND OVERALL SUCCESS AT MEHARRY. TO ADDRESS THIS HYPOTHESIS, WE HAVE ESTABLISHED THREE SPECIFIC AIMS. AIM 1 WILL PROVIDE ADVANCED PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND RESEARCH TRAINING TO BREAK DOWN PSYCHOLOGICAL BARRIERS, INCREASE CONFIDENCE AND COMPETENCE IN EXTRAMURAL PURSUITS, IMPROVING FUNDING SUCCESS AT ALL LEVELS. AIM 2 WILL INCREASE TECHNICAL SUPPORT, AND PROTECTED TIME AND INCENTIVES FOR RESEARCH ACTIVITIES. AIM 3 WILL PROVIDE DEDICATED SEED FUNDING FOR RESEARCH PROJECTS, PRIORITIZING PROJECTS WITH HIGH TRANSLATIONAL POTENTIAL AND THOSE STEMMING FROM CROSS-DISCIPLINARY COLLABORATIONS, SUPPORTED BY GRANT REVIEW COMMITTEES TO GUIDE IMPROVEMENT. ACCOMPLISHING THESE AIMS WILL ENHANCE MEHARRY’S COMPETITIVENESS IN THE BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH ENTERPRISE, FOSTERING A SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENT CONDUCIVE TO THE DEVELOPMENT AND ADVANCEMENT OF FACULTY AND TRAINEE RESEARCH CAREERS IN BIOMEDICAL SCIENCE.

MRI: ACQUISITION OF A HIGH-PERFORMANCE COMPUTER SYSTEM TO SUPPORT RESEARCH AND TRAINING IN COMPUTATIONAL BIOLOGY AND DATA SCIENCE AT MEHARRY MEDICAL COLLEGE

SCHOLARSHIPS FOR DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS

SCHOLARSHIPS FOR DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS

RESILIENSEED: A MINORITY BUSINESS INCUBATOR RAPIDLY ADDRESSING WORKFORCE DIVERSITY, ECONOMIC INEQUITY AND RECOVERY

TREATMENT PREDICTION IN ADOLESCENT AND ADULT DEPRESSION

HOST RESTRICTION OF IMMUNE ESCAPE HIV-1 MUTANTS - PROJECT SUMMARY NEITHER A VACCINE NOR A SCALABLE CURE IS AVAILABLE TO END THE HIV/AIDS PANDEMIC. A FEASIBLE “FUNCTIONAL CURE” APPROACH ENTAILS DURABLE ANTIRETROVIRAL THERAPY-FREE CONTROL OF HIV, A CHARACTERISTIC EXHIBITED BY HIV ELITE CONTROLLERS (ECS). IN CERTAIN ECS CARRYING HUMAN LEUKOCYTE ANTIGEN B27, POTENT CD8+ CYTOTOXIC T-LYMPHOCYTE (CTL) RESPONSE TARGETING THE HIV-1 CAPSID PROTEIN (CA) EPITOPE KK-10 ESTABLISHES A FUNCTIONAL CURE-LIKE STATUS. THE SELECTION OF CTL ESCAPE CA MUTATION R264K SIGNIFICANTLY DIMINISHES VIRUS REPLICATION, WHICH INTRIGUINGLY IS CONTINGENT ON TWO CRITICAL CA-BINDING HOST DEPENDENCY FACTORS—CYCLOPHILIN A (CYPA) AND CLEAVAGE AND POLYADENYLATION SPECIFICITY FACTOR SUBUNIT 6 (CPSF6). EVENTUALLY, SELECTION OF COMPENSATORY CA MUTATION S173A RESTORES R264K-HARBORING VIRUS REPLICATION TO WT LEVELS IN THESE ECS. THE UNDERLYING VIRUS- HOST CELL DYNAMICS REMAINS LARGELY UNDETERMINED. OUR LONG-TERM GOAL IS TO UNDERSTAND THE MOLECULAR MECHANISMS THAT IMPOSE IMMUNE CONTROL OF HIV-1 AND THAT ENABLE HIV-1’S COUNTER RESPONSE AND IMMUNE ESCAPE. OUR PREVIOUS WORK DEMONSTRATED THAT R264K-LINKED INFECTIVITY DEFECT RESULTS FROM CYPA-DEPENDENT IMPAIRMENT OF VIRAL DNA INTEGRATION BUT IS RESTORED BY THE PRESENCE OF CA MUTATION S173A OR THE ABSENCE OF CYPA. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS PROPOSAL IS TO DETERMINE THE MECHANISTIC BASIS OF THE NOVEL HOST DEPENDENCY FACTOR-DICTATED R264K-IMPOSED VIRUS INTEGRATION BLOCK AND THE S173A-ASSOCIATED RESTORATION OF VIRAL INTEGRATION. OUR CENTRAL HYPOTHESIS IS THAT THE R264K-HARBORING VIRUS INTEGRATION IMPAIRMENT IS IMPOSED BY THE HUMAN ANTI-HIV RESTRICTION PROTEIN TRIM5ΑHU IN A CYPA- OR CPSF6-DEPENDENT MANNER AND THAT THE COMPENSATORY CA MUTATION S173A RESTORES VIRAL INTEGRATION BY ALTERING R264K CAPSID CONFORMATION THAT RENDERS IT INACCESSIBLE TO TRIM5ΑHU RESTRICTION. THE RATIONALE IS BASED ON OUR PUBLISHED DATA DEMONSTRATING DIRECT FUNCTIONAL ROLE FOR CA, CYPA, AND CPSF6 IN HIV-1 INTEGRATION AS WELL AS PUBLISHED FINDINGS BY OTHER RESEARCH GROUPS. OUR WORK IS INNOVATIVE AS IT PROBES A HOST DEPENDENCY FACTOR-GUIDED HIV RESTRICTION BY NUCLEAR-LOCALIZED TRIM5ΑHU. IN THE PROPOSED PROJECT, WE WILL STUDY THE EFFECT OF HIV-1 NUCLEAR PIC-ASSOCIATED CYPA OR CPSF6 ON R264K-IMPOSED IMPAIRMENT OF VIRAL INTEGRATION (AIM 1), THE PROPOSED ROLE OF NUCLEAR TRIM5ΑHU IN R264K- IMPOSED VIRUS INTEGRATION BLOCK (AIM 2), AND THE PREDICTED CONSEQUENCE OF S173A-ASSOCIATED CAPSID CORE CONFORMATIONAL CHANGES ON TRIM5ΑHU RESTRICTION AND THE RESTORATION OF R264K-HARBORING VIRUS INTEGRATION (AIM 3). THE PROPOSED RESEARCH IS SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE OF ITS POTENTIAL TO YIELD FUNDAMENTAL INSIGHTS INTO NOVEL MECHANISMS OF VIRUS/HOST CELL DYNAMICS GOVERNING THE REPLICATION OUTCOMES OF CLINICALLY SIGNIFICANT IMMUNE ESCAPE HIV-1 MUTANTS AND WILL BROADLY IMPACT THE FIELD BY SUPPORTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF INNOVATIVE CURE AND TREATMENT STRATEGIES FOR CONTROLLING THE HIV/AIDS PANDEMIC. 1

EXCELLENCE IN RESEARCH: A TRUSTWORTHY AND PRIVACY-PRESERVING FRAMEWORK FOR LATENCY-SENSITIVE VIDEO-ENABLED HEALTH INCIDENT-RESPONSE APPLICATIONS -A TRUSTWORTHY ALERT SYSTEM THAT UTILIZES ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE ON REAL-TIME VIDEO CAN SIGNIFICANTLY ENHANCE RESPONSE TIMES TO EMERGENCIES SUCH AS HEART ATTACKS OR SUDDEN FALLS. THIS TECHNOLOGY NECESSITATES TRUSTWORTHY AND ACCURATE INFERENCES OF CONTINUOUS STREAMS OF HIGH-RESOLUTION VIDEO FROM MULTIPLE CAMERAS. THIS PROJECT ENTAILS OVERCOMING THREE CHALLENGES: 1) TRAINING AI MODELS ON POTENTIALLY BIASED DATASETS THAT MAY LEAD TO INACCURATE DETECTIONS; 2) MAINTAINING HIPAA-COMPLIANT PRIVACY WHILE AVOIDING UNINTELLIGENT IMAGE DISTORTIONS THAT CAN IMPACT INFERENCE ACCURACY AND PROCESSING TIME; AND 3) ADDRESSING THE TRADE-OFF BETWEEN LATENCY IMPROVEMENT AND INFERENCE ACCURACY WHEN REDUCING IMAGE QUALITY TO OPTIMIZE PROCESSING TIME FOR DEEP NEURAL NETWORKS. THIS PROJECT, A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE SCHOOL OF APPLIED COMPUTATIONAL SCIENCES, MEHARRY MEDICAL COLLEGE, AND HUNTER COLLEGE, CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK, ADDRESSES THOSE CHALLENGES THROUGH A TRUSTWORTHY, PRIVACY-PRESERVING EDGE-NATIVE FRAMEWORK THAT SUPPORTS A LATENCY-SENSITIVE HEALTHCARE RESPONSE APPLICATION FOR VIDEO. ITS AIM IS TO DEVELOP A NOVEL SEMANTIC-EXPRESSION-BASED INCIDENT DETECTION APPROACH THAT IDENTIFIES AND ISOLATES PRIVACY-SENSITIVE SCENES WITHIN THE VIDEO FRAMES. AN IMPORTANT FOCUS IS TO DESIGN AND DEVELOP A DEEP NEURAL NETWORK PARTITIONING APPROACH TO REAL-TIME VIDEO ANALYSIS THAT IS LATENCY AWARE AND OPTIMIZED FOR DATA PRIVACY. THIS TECHNOLOGY WILL GENERATE A TRUSTWORTHY EMERGENCY ALERT AND A REPORT, EXPLAINING THE HUMAN ACTION THAT PROMPTED THE ALERT, THAT CAN BE UNDERSTOOD BY BOTH THE HEALTHCARE PROVIDER AND THE PATIENT. DISCOVERIES WILL FOSTER NEW RESEARCH PATHWAYS THAT LEAD TO FUNDAMENTAL ADVANCES IN TRUSTWORTHY AI, PRIVACY-PRESERVING VIDEO, AND IMAGE PROCESSING IN THE HEALTHCARE DOMAIN. MOREOVER, THIS PROJECT INCLUDES OUTREACH ACTIVITIES SUCH AS ORGANIZING SPECIAL SESSIONS AND WORKSHOPS AT TOP-TIER CONFERENCES, DESIGNING NEW COURSES AND MODULES, AND PROVIDING RESEARCH EXPERIENCES TO STUDENTS FROM UNDERREPRESENTED COMMUNITIES. THIS AWARD REFLECTS NSF'S STATUTORY MISSION AND HAS BEEN DEEMED WORTHY OF SUPPORT THROUGH EVALUATION USING THE FOUNDATION'S INTELLECTUAL MERIT AND BROADER IMPACTS REVIEW CRITERIA.- SUBAWARDS ARE PLANNED FOR THIS AWARD.

ADOLESCENT AND FAMILY TREATMENT (AFT)

EXCELLENCE IN RESEARCH: HARNESSING BIG DATA AND DOMAIN KNOWLEDGE TO ADVANCE DEEP LEARNING FOR INTERPRETABLE CELL QUANTITATION -ACCURATE, RELIABLE, AND INTERPRETABLE PANCREATIC CELL RECOGNITION AND EVALUATION ALLOW BETTER ANTICIPATION OF CHANGES IN BODY RESPONSE TO DISEASE OR TREATMENT. THUS, IT IS HIGHLY VALUABLE TO PATHOLOGISTS AND SCIENTISTS IN CLINICAL PRACTICE AND LABORATORY WORK, WHO CARE FOR PATIENTS, ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE WITH COMMODITIES LIKE OBESITY OR DIABETES. THIS PROJECT DESIGNS AND DEVELOPS NOVEL DEEP LEARNING, TRANSFER LEARNING, AND INTERPRETABLE METHODS INTEGRATED WITH DOMAIN-EXPERT KNOWLEDGE FOR RELIABLE, INTERPRETABLE, AND ACCURATE PANCREATIC CELL QUANTITATION BY HARNESSING AND EXPLOITING THE ABUNDANCE OF BIG DATA. EXISTING METHODS DO EITHER MANUAL RECOGNITION OR REQUIRE UNDERSTANDING OF A HUGE NUMBER OF PARAMETERS SETTING FOR AUTOMATION. ADDITIONALLY, THESE TECHNIQUES DO NOT IMPOSE INTERPRETABILITY AND DISREGARD DOMAIN-EXPERT KNOWLEDGE. THE PROJECT TACKLES THESE ISSUES BY INCORPORATING DOMAIN EXPERT KNOWLEDGE, TRANSFERRING KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE FROM OTHER IMAGE PROCESSING AND SEGMENTATION PROBLEMS ADAPTING FOR CELL QUANTITATION. THE PROJECT OUTCOMES WOULD BENEFIT RESEARCHERS IN BIOMEDICAL IMAGING, TRANSFER LEARNING, HUMAN-MACHINE INTERACTION IN ADDITION TO PROVIDING PRACTICAL STUDYING MATERIALS IN AREAS SUCH AS DEEP LEARNING, IMAGE PROCESSING, AND INTERPRETABLE METHODS FOR STUDENTS. MOREOVER, THE PROJECT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO INCREASES RESEARCH CAPACITY AND COLLABORATIONS TO GENERATE NEW RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS FROM UNDERREPRESENTED COMMUNITIES TO PURSUE ADVANCED DEGREES IN STEM. THE PROJECT DEVELOPS DATA-DRIVEN ALGORITHMS ADDRESSING INTERPRETABLE CELL QUANTITATION PROBLEM. FACILITATED BY NOVEL DEEP LEARNING ALGORITHMS, THE PROJECT HARNESSES THE POTENTIAL OF BIG DATA TO DERIVE RELIABLE, INTERPRETABLE, AND ACCURATE EVALUATION. IN ADDITION, THE PROJECT EXPLORES A GENERALIZED FRAMEWORK FOR EXTENDING EXISTING FINDINGS AND INCORPORATING DOMAIN-EXPERT KNOWLEDGE TO COMPLEMENT THE MODELING AND LEARNING PROCESS. SPECIFICALLY, THIS RESEARCH USES MICROSCOPY IMAGES, MACHINE LEARNING, TRANSFER LEARNING, AND DOMAIN KNOWLEDGE IN THREE THRUSTS: (1) A DEEP LEARNING BASED CELL QUANTITATION ALGORITHM. THE ALGORITHM IS FEATURED WITH INTERPRETABILITY, GUIDED BY DOMAIN-EXPERT KNOWLEDGE FOR TRUST, RELIABLE, AND ACCURATE PERFORMANCE. (2) ENHANCING DATA-DRIVEN TECHNIQUES IN THE AREA OF TRANSFER LEARNING TO FILL IMPORTANT KNOWLEDGE GAPS AT THE INTERSECTION OF THE DEEP LEARNING AND BIOMEDICAL IMAGING. (3) ADVANCING DOMAIN KNOWLEDGE INCORPORATION AND HUMAN INTERVENTION METHODS FOR DEVELOPING AND OPERATING DEEP LEARNING BASED SYSTEM FOR BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH AND HEALTHCARE. ALL THE RESEARCH OUTCOMES ARE MADE PUBLICLY AVAILABLE TO FACILITATE EXTENDING AND ACCELERATING VARIED APPLICATION DEVELOPMENT FROM DIVERSE COMMUNITIES OF RESEARCHERS AND STUDENTS. THIS AWARD REFLECTS NSF'S STATUTORY MISSION AND HAS BEEN DEEMED WORTHY OF SUPPORT THROUGH EVALUATION USING THE FOUNDATION'S INTELLECTUAL MERIT AND BROADER IMPACTS REVIEW CRITERIA.

DEVELOPMENT AND CHARACTERIZATION OF ANTI-P. GINGIVALIS PEPTIDES - PERIODONTITIS IS THE 6TH MOST COMMON INFECTION WORLDWIDE AND AN ESTIMATED 5 – 20% OF THE POPULATION SUFFER FROM GENERALIZED CHRONIC PERIODONTITIS. STUDIES BASED ON THE NATIONAL HEALTH AND NUTRITION EXAMINATION SURVEY (2009-2010) DATA DEMONSTRATED THAT THE INCIDENCE OF PERIODONTITIS IS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER IN AFRICAN AMERICANS (AAS, 58.6%) AND HISPANIC AMERICANS (HAS, 59.7%) COMPARED TO CAUCASIAN AMERICANS (CAS, 42.6%). PERIODONTITIS MAY ALSO HAVE SYSTEMIC HEALTH CONSEQUENCES LEADING TO CONDITIONS SUCH AS CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE, DIABETES, AND PRETERM BIRTH, ALL OF WHICH ARE ALSO CONSIDERED DISPROPORTIONALLY AFFECT AAS AND HAS. MICROBIOME IS RECENTLY CONSIDERED TO BE AN IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTOR TO THESE HEALTH DISPARITY DISEASES AND CONDITIONS. PORPHYROMONAS GINGIVALIS, A GRAM-NEGATIVE BACTERIUM, HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED TO PLAY A VITAL ROLE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF DYSBIOTIC MICROBIAL COMMUNITIES AND IS CAPABLE OF DISRUPTING HOST-MICROBIAL HOMEOSTASIS AND INDUCING INFLAMMATORY RESPONSES IN PERIODONTAL TISSUES FACILITATED BY POLY-MICROBES ACTING IN CONCERT. WE RECENTLY IDENTIFIED A POTENTIAL FUNCTIONAL MOTIF (SAPP), LOCATED AT THE C-TERMINAL PORTION OF S. CRISTATUS ARCA, WHICH CAN BIND TO SURFACE PROTEINS OF P. GINGIVALIS AND REPRESS THE EXPRESSION OF FIMA, MFA1 AND RGPS IN P. GINGIVALIS. THESE EXCITING FINDINGS PROVIDE THE FOUNDATION FOR THE PROPOSED STUDIES. OUR OVERALL HYPOTHESIS IS THAT THE COMPONENTS OF THE ANTAGONISTIC COMMUNICATION SYSTEM BETWEEN S. CRISTATUS AND P. GINGIVALIS CAN BE DEVELOPED TO IDENTIFY COMPOUNDS THAT REPRESS VIRULENCE FACTOR EXPRESSION AND PATHOGENICITY OF P. GINGIVALIS. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS PROPOSAL IS TO DISSECT SAPP AND IDENTIFY THE COGNATE P. GINGIVALIS RECEPTORS. THEREFORE WE WILL FIRST CHARACTERIZE AND DESIGN SMALL PEPTIDES DERIVED FROM SAPP THAT REPRESS EXPRESSION OF VIRULENCE- ASSOCIATED GENES IN P. GINGIVALIS. THE RECEPTOR(S) OF P. GINGIVALIS THAT SENSES SAPP WILL THEN BE IDENTIFIED AND CHARACTERIZED. SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF THE PROPOSED STUDIES WILL PROVIDE FUNDAMENTAL NOVEL INFORMATION REGARDING INTERSPECIES ANTAGONISM, AND COULD HAVE FAR-REACHING CONSEQUENCES ON PERIODONTAL HEALTH BY LEADING TO DISCOVERY OF POTENTIAL PHARMACEUTICAL AGENTS TO INHIBIT P. GINGIVALIS COLONIZATION AND PATHOGENESIS.

PREDOCTORAL TRAINING IN GENERAL, PEDIATRIC, AND PUBLIC HEALTH DENTISTRY AND DENTAL HYGIENE

CARES ACT HIGHER EDUCATION EMERGENCY RELIEF FUND-INSTITUTIONS

ROOTED AND REROUTED - THE ROOTED AND REROUTED PROJECT WILL FOCUS ON THE ZIP CODE WITH THE HIGHEST INCARCERATION RATE IN THE NATION (37208) WHERE 14% OF THE POPULATION, AND A THIRD OF AFRICAN AMERICAN MEN, ARE CURRENTLY INCARCERATED; AND ARE RETURNING TO A COMMUNITY RAVAGED BY OPIATE OVERDOSE. THE PROJECT WILL EXPAND AND ENHANCE SERVICE CAPACITY THROUGH A UNIQUE COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE TREATMENT CAPACITY OF MEHARRY MEDICAL COLLEGE, THE NATION'S OLDEST HBCU MEDICAL SCHOOL WITH THE DAVIDSON COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE THAT OVERSEES THE DAVIDSON COUNTY CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES AND JUDICIAL SUPERVISION, ALONG WITH THE GRASSROOTS CAPACITIES OF THE TENNESSEE PRISON OUTREACH MINISTRY, A CHURCH-BASED TRAUMA PROGRAM--HEALING MINDS AND SOULS, A RECOVERY HOUSING PROGRAM--CUPID TRANSITIONAL SERVICES, AND THE BLACK MENTAL HEALTH ALLIANCE OF NASHVILLE. THE PROJECT PURPOSE IS TO INCREASE ENGAGEMENT WITH SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER TREATMENT AND RECOVERY SUPPORT SERVICES TO FORMERLY INCARCERATED AFRICAN AMERICAN INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE EXPERIENCING THE DISPROPORTIONATE IMPACT OF ADDICTION IN NASHVILLE. WE WILL SERVE SIXTY PARTICIPANTS A YEAR, AT LEAST 300 OVER THE LIFE OF THE GRANT, WITH A FULL CONTINUUM OF EVIDENCE-BASED TREATMENT AND RECOVERY SUPPORT SERVICES.

REGULATION OF PROSTATE CANCER GROWTH BY PPARG LIGANDS

ENHANCEMENT OF THE EFFICACY OF CONVENTIONAL ANTICANCER COMPOUNDS THROUGH THE REPRESSION OF SNAI PROTEINS IN AGGRESSIVE BREAST CANCER CELLS

EXCELLENCE IN RESEARCH: DEVELOPING A KNOWLEDGE GRAPH DRIVEN INTEGRATIVE FRAMEWORK FOR EXPLAINABLE PROTEIN FUNCTION PREDICTION VIA GENERATIVE DEEP LEARNING -PROTEINS ARE THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF LIFE PERFORMING MULTITUDES OF FUNCTIONS THAT INCLUDE BUT NOT LIMITED TO CATALYZING REACTIONS AS ENZYMES, PARTICIPATING IN THE BODY?S DEFENSE MECHANISM AS ANTIBODIES, FORMING STRUCTURES AND TRANSPORTING IMPORTANT CHEMICALS. THE INTERACTIONS AMONG PROTEINS DESCRIBE THE MOLECULAR MECHANISM OF DISEASES, AND CONVEY POTENTIALLY IMPORTANT INSIGHTS ABOUT THE DISEASE PREVENTION, DIAGNOSIS, AND TREATMENTS. THEREFORE, FUNCTIONAL CHARACTERIZATION OF PROTEINS IS CRUCIAL TO HELPING UNDERSTAND LIFE, DISEASES, AND DEVELOPING NOVEL TREATMENTS FOR LIFE THREATENING ILLNESS. DESPITE RECENT ADVANCEMENTS, PREDICTING PROTEIN FUNCTION REMAINS AN OPEN PROBLEM DUE TO LOW PERFORMANCE, LACK OF EXPLAINABLE OUTCOMES, AND IRREPRODUCIBLE RESEARCH DISSEMINATION HIGHLIGHTING THE NEED FOR IMPROVED METHODOLOGIES LEVERAGING THE RECENT PROLIFERATION OF BIOMEDICAL DATA ABOUT PROTEINS. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS RESEARCH IS TO DESIGN, IMPLEMENT, AND EVALUATE A PROTEIN FUNCTION PREDICTION PIPELINE USING A NOVEL GENERATIVE DEEP LEARNING APPROACH POWERED BY HETEROGENEOUS KNOWLEDGE GRAPH TO ADDRESS THE CHALLENGE OF MULTI-OMICS DATA INTEGRATION, EXPLAINABLE FUNCTION PREDICTION, AND REPRODUCIBILITY. THE RESEARCH WILL BE CARRIED OUT THROUGH THREE INTERRELATED TASKS: 1) INVESTIGATION OF A NOVEL GENERATIVE DEEP LEARNING MODEL ON KNOWLEDGE GRAPH; 2) INTEGRATION OF MULTI-OMICS FEATURES THROUGH LARGE LANGUAGE MODEL; AND, 3) DEVELOPMENT OF REPRODUCIBLE SOFTWARE. SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF THIS PROJECT WILL LEAD TO A ROBUST, MORE ACCURATE, REPRODUCIBLE AND EXPLAINABLE PROTEIN FUNCTION PREDICTION PIPELINE. THE PROJECT WILL CREATE NEW EDUCATION AND OUTREACH OPPORTUNITIES TO GREATLY STRENGTHEN THE TRAINING AND RESEARCH ACTIVITIES IN COMPUTATIONAL BIOLOGY LEVERAGING MODERN AI TECHNOLOGIES AT MEHARRY MEDICAL COLLEGE, A LEADING HBCU. MEHARRY DOMINANTLY ENROLLS AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDENTS. MORE THAN 90% DATA SCIENCE STUDENTS AT MEHARRY ARE AFRICAN AMERICANS AND MAJORITY ARE WOMEN. THIS PROJECT WILL INCREASE STEM EDUCATION AWARENESS, IMPACT, AND OPPORTUNITY TO THE WOMEN AND MINORITY STUDENTS AT MEHARRY TO EXCEL IN AI/ML, QUANTITATIVE GENOMICS AND DATA SCIENCE RESEARCH. THE REPRODUCIBLE OPEN-SOURCE SOFTWARE WILL GREATLY FACILITATE BROADER SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY WORKING TO IMPROVE PROTEIN FUNCTION PREDICTION. THIS AWARD REFLECTS NSF'S STATUTORY MISSION AND HAS BEEN DEEMED WORTHY OF SUPPORT THROUGH EVALUATION USING THE FOUNDATION'S INTELLECTUAL MERIT AND BROADER IMPACTS REVIEW CRITERIA.

MEHARRY HEALTH SCIENCES LEADERSHIP ACADEMY

EDUCATION IN MEDICAL AND PHARMACOLOGICAL ADDICTION TREATMENTS - THE EDUCATION IN MEDICAL AND PHARMACOLOGICAL ADDICTION TREATMENTS (EMPAT) PROGRAM IS AN EFFORT TO MAKE TRAINING IN SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER A ROUTINE PART OF MEDICAL EDUCATION AT MEHARRY MEDICAL COLLEGE. WE PROPOSE TO DEVELOP AN EIGHT HOUR DATA WAIVER TRAINING AS WELL AS ADDITIONAL SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER TRAINING COURSES FOR STUDENTS AND RESIDENTS. WE WILL ALSO CREATE STUDENT AND RESIDENT ROTATIONS IN A PRIMARY CARE AND MEDICATION FOR OPIOID USE DISORDER (MOUD) CLINIC AS WELL AS A SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER TREATMENT CLINIC. THIS EFFORT IS A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN MEHARRY'S DEPARTMENTS OF FAMILY AND COMMUNITY MEDICINE AND PSYCHIATRY, AND JBS INTERNATIONAL AND IS DESIGNED TO PROVIDE TRAINING IN SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER AND MOUD TREATMENT DELIVERY TO PHYSICIANS THAT WILL SERVE VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

MEHARRY OCCUPATIONAL MEDICINE RESIDENCY TRAINING PROGRAM

NITRIC OXIDE AND GASTRIC MOTILITY IN FEMALE DIABETICS

MEN'S ACCESS TO TREATMENT (MATT)

DEVELOPING AND IMPROVING THE INSTITUTIONAL ANIMAL CARE FACILITY

EMERGENCY FUNDS SET ASIDE BY USDE FOR COLLEGES TO AWARD GRANT AID TO AFFECTED STUDENTS OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.

THE ROLE OF PROTEASE-ACTIVATED RECEPTORS IN THE REGULATION OF ENOS

SCHOLARSHIPS FOR DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS

NASHVILLE REACH 2020

IMPLEMENTATION OF TRAUMA INFORMED CARE FOR YOUTH LIVING WITH HIV IN MEMPHIS, TN. - PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT WE WILL ACCELERATE HEALTH EQUITY AMONG UNDERSERVED BLACK YOUTH IN A REGION WITH THE FOURTH HIGHEST HIV INCIDENCE NATIONALLY. SHELBY COUNTY, TENNESSEE (TN; MEMPHIS) IS A PHASE I PRIORITY JURISDICTION FOR THE U.S. ENDING THE HIV EPIDEMIC (EHE) INITIATIVE, WHERE BLACK YOUTH WITH HIV (BYWH) SUFFER COMPARATIVELY WORSE HIV OUTCOMES: HALF OF ALL BYWH IN MEMPHIS ARE APPOINTMENT NON-ADHERENT, REPRESENTING A MAJOR THREAT TO HIV VIRAL SUPPRESSION, MORBIDITY, AND DISEASE TRANSMISSION. PSYCHOLOGICAL TRAUMA, INCLUDING RACIAL TRAUMA, IS A CRITICAL AND UNDERSTUDIED MECHANISM DRIVING A MULTITUDE OF HIV-RELATED DISPARITIES THAT WILL ONLY BE ELIMINATED THROUGH MULTI-LEVEL SOLUTIONS. AT THE PATIENT-LEVEL, YWH ENDURE HIGH LEVELS OF POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (47%), WITH RACIAL TRAUMA INTENSIFYING EXPERIENCES AMONG BLACK YOUTH; AT THE PERSONNEL-LEVEL, REPEATED TRAUMA EXPOSURES ASSOCIATED WITH HIV CARE PROVISION CONTRIBUTE TO VICARIOUS TRAUMA AND DEGRADES PROFESSIONAL QUALITY OF LIFE. AT THE CLINIC-LEVEL, TRAUMA SEQUALAE THWART PATIENT-PROVIDER RELATIONSHIPS AND TRUST, WHICH CONTRIBUTES TO TREATMENT FATIGUE, DISENGAGEMENT, AND VIRAL FAILURE. TRAUMA-INFORMED HIV CARE (TIHC) IS AN EVIDENCE-BASED INTERVENTION (EBI) THAT IMPROVES MULTI-LEVEL OUTCOMES (E.G., PATIENT APPOINTMENT ADHERENCE AND PERSONNEL PROFESSIONAL QUALITY OF LIFE) BY ENSURING INSTITUTIONAL HEALTH PRACTICES ADEQUATELY RECOGNIZE AND RESPOND TO TRAUMA AND RESIST RE- TRAUMATIZATION FOR ALL. THOUGH THE MEMPHIS EHE PLAN CITES TIHC IMPLEMENTATION AS CRITICAL TO ADVANCING LOCAL GOALS, ST. JUDE CHILDREN’S RESEARCH HOSPITAL’S HIV CLINIC, PRIMARY CARE PROVIDER FOR BYWH IN THE AREA, HAS NOT IMPLEMENTED TIHC. WE HAVE DEVELOPED THIS PROPOSAL WITH ST. JUDE TO SUPPORT ENHANCED TIHC FOR YOUTH (TIHC- Y) IMPLEMENTATION IN THEIR HIV CARE SYSTEM. WE WILL CONDUCT AN EXPLORATORY, SEQUENTIAL MIXED METHODS STUDY THROUGH THE FOLLOWING THREE AIMS: 1) ADAPT OUR TIHC-Y TO ENHANCE ACCESS TO CARE FOR BYWH AND PROFESSIONAL QUALITY OF LIFE FOR HIV CARE PROVIDERS; 2) IMPLEMENT AND EVALUATE ADAPTED TIHC-Y WITH HIV CLINIC PERSONNEL; AND 3) CONDUCT A PILOT TRIAL OF ADAPTED TIHC-Y WITH ST. JUDE PATIENTS. THIS INNOVATIVE AND HIGHLY SIGNIFICANT RESEARCH IS WHOLLY CONSISTENT WITH NIH HIGH PRIORITY AREAS OF RESEARCH TO REDUCE HEALTH DISPARITIES IN TREATMENT OUTCOMES OF THOSE LIVING WITH HIV AND TRAINING OF WORKFORCE CONDUCTING HIGH PRIORITY HIV-RELATED RESEARCH. BY THE END OF THE 5-YEAR GRANT PERIOD, K01 CANDIDATE WILL HAVE RECEIVED EXTENSIVE CAREER DEVELOPMENT IN THE AREAS OF IMPLEMENTATION SCIENCE, MIXED METHODS DESIGN, ANTIRACIST INTERVENTIONS, AND HEALTH EQUITY RESEARCH, ENABLING THE DEVELOPMENT OF A PROGRAMMATIC LINE OF RESEARCH TO ADVANCE EHE GOALS AND RESULTING IN AT LEAST 10 FIRST- AUTHORED PUBLICATIONS. WE WILL HAVE ALSO SUBMITTED AN R-LEVEL GRANT TO SUPPORT THE SCALE OUT OF THE MULTI-LEVEL AND CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE TIHC-Y INTERVENTION. THERE IS STRONG RATIONALE TO SUPPORT THE CURRENT TIHC-Y INTERVENTION AND PROPOSED RESEARCH METHODS AS MEANINGFUL APPROACHES TO ADDRESSING DISPARITIES ACROSS A WIDE RANGE OF AREAS, INCLUDING CHRONIC DISEASES.

ROLE OF BRCA2 IN THE EXPRESSION OF 1RF9-REGULATED GENES IN HUMAN BREAST CELLS

ROLE OF ORAL MICROBIOTA ON VASCULAR FUNCTION - DIABETES MELLITUS (DM) AND PERIODONTAL DISEASES (PD) ARE COMPLEX CHRONIC DISEASES WITH AN ESTABLISHED BIDIRECTIONAL RELATIONSHIP. PEOPLE WITH PD HAVE TWO TO THREE TIMES THE RISK OF HAVING A HEART ATTACK, STROKE, OR SERIOUS CARDIOVASCULAR COMPLICATIONS. PD IN INDIVIDUALS WITH DIABETES CONTRIBUTES TO AGGRAVATED INFLAMMATORY RESPONSE LEADING TO VASCULAR DISEASE (VD). OUR GROUP HAS PREVIOUSLY SHOWN THAT PD INCREASES CORONARY HEART DISEASE IN DIABETIC PATIENTS. NITRIC OXIDE (NO) MEDIATED ENDOTHELIAL DYSFUNCTION IS THE INITIAL STEP IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF VD. REDUCED NO BIOAVAILABILITY DUE TO THE LACK OF TETRAHYDROBIOPTERIN [BH4, A COFACTOR FOR ENDOTHELIAL NITRIC OXIDE SYNTHASE (ENOS)], RESULTING IN ENOS UNCOUPLING, INCREASES OXIDATIVE STRESS/INFLAMMATION, IMPAIRED VASCULAR SMOOTH MUSCLE RELAXATION AND CONTRIBUTES TO CV PATHOLOGIES IN DIABETIC PATIENTS AND RODENT MODELS OF DIABETES. OUR PREVIOUS STUDIES DEMONSTRATED THAT CHRONIC PERIODONTAL INFECTION REDUCED CIRCULATORY BH4 AND NO LEVELS AND THIS REDUCTION CORRELATED WITH IMPAIRED IMMUNE SIGNALING. IN ADDITION, DECREASED LEVELS OF NUCLEAR FACTOR (ERYTHROID-DERIVED-2)-LIKE 2 (NRF2)-DEPENDENT ANTIOXIDANTS AND INCREASED LEVELS OF REACTIVE OXYGEN SPECIES (ROS) ALSO PLAY A CRITICAL ROLE IN HYPERTENSION AND VASCULAR FUNCTION. WE RECENTLY REPORTED THAT PRIMARY HUMAN AORTIC ENDOTHELIAL CELLS (PHAECS) INFECTED WITH PORPHYROMONAS GINGIVALIS (PG, A MAJOR PERIODONTAL PATHOGEN), EXHIBITED REDUCED CELL VIABILITY, ELEVATED PRO-INFLAMMATORY CYTOKINES, REDUCED NRF2/ENOS AND BH4 BIOSYNTHESIS. IN ADDITION, OUR IN-VIVO RODENT STUDIES DEMONSTRATE THAT CHRONIC POLYBACTERIAL PERIODONTAL INFECTION [PG, TREPONEMA DENTICOLA (TD), AND FUSOBACTERIUM NUCLEATUM (FN), A MODEL OF PD IN HUMANS] REDUCED THE PROTEIN EXPRESSION OF NRF2/BH4/NNOS IN RESISTANCE BLOOD VESSELS OF THE INFECTED MICE. HOWEVER, THE SPECIFIC MECHANISMS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO AGGRAVATED INFLAMMATION AND OXIDATIVE STRESS DURING PD AND DIABETES LEADING TO ENDOTHELIAL DYSFUNCTION IS COMPLETELY UNKNOWN. OUR CENTRAL HYPOTHESIS IS THAT BH4 REGULATES NO-MEDIATED VASCULAR FUNCTION, WHICH IS GREATLY IMPAIRED IN DIABETIC PD COMPARED TO DIABETES OR PD ALONE. THE SPECIFIC AIMS ARE,1: TO DETERMINE WHETHER HYPERGLYCEMIA (HG) AGGRAVATES PD-INDUCED IMPAIRMENT IN BH4/NOS AND NO DOWNSTREAM SIGNALING IN PHAECS. 2: TO INVESTIGATE WHETHER INCREASED ENDOGENOUS BH4 BIOSYNTHESIS SUPPRESSES PD/T2DM INDUCED INFLAMMATION, OXIDATIVE STRESS AND RESTORES ENOS ACTIVITY, NO SYNTHESIS, AND NO MEDIATED VASCULAR RELAXATION. THE PROPOSED STUDIES WILL BE THE FIRST TO DETERMINE THE ROLE OF PERIODONTAL PATHOGENS IN NO-MEDIATED VASCULAR FUNCTION IN T2DM ANIMAL MODELS. THE RESEARCH OUTLINED IN THESE AIMS HAS TRANSLATIONAL RELEVANCE, AS IT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO IDENTIFY NOVEL TREATMENT; OPTIONS FOR PD/T2DM INDUCED VD.

ACADEMIC ADMINISTRATIVE UNITS IN PRIMARY CARE

NOVEL TRYPANOSOME RECEPTOR FOR THROMBOSPONDIN-1

ELUCIDATING BINDING MODES OF BRCT-MODULES

EDUCATION IN MEDICAL AND PHARMACOLOGICAL ADDICTION TREATMENTS

SCHOLARSHIPS FOR DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS

IDENTIFICATION OF A NOVEL SIGNALING NETWORK IN PORPHYROMONAS GINGIVALIS

THE ROLE OF ANNEXIN A6 IN BREAST CANCER METASTASIS

LIVE CELL IMAGING CONFOCAL MICROSCOPE SYSTEM

CENTER FOR CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH DISPARITIES RESEARCH AT MEHARRY MEDICAL COLLEGE

DIFFERENTIATING ULCERATIVE COLITIS AND CROHNS COLITIS THROUGH PROTEOMIC PATTERNS

DISTRIBUTION CORRELATION OF P. GINGIVALIS AND S. CRISTATUS IN DENTAL PLAQUE

CONTRIBUTION OF NEURONAL MITOCHONDRIAL DYSFUNCTION AND MICROGLIAL HIV RESERVOIRS TO NEUROCOGNITIVE AGING IN AFRICAN AMERICANS WITH NICOTINE ADDICTION AND VIRAL SUPPRESSION. - PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT AFRICAN AMERICANS LIVING WITH HIV EXPERIENCE ACCELERATED NEUROCOGNITIVE AGING DESPITE EFFECTIVE ANTIRETROVIRAL THERAPY (ART). THIS PROJECT, CONTRIBUTION OF NEURONAL MITOCHONDRIAL DYSFUNCTION AND MICROGLIAL HIV RESERVOIRS TO NEUROCOGNITIVE AGING IN AFRICAN AMERICANS WITH NICOTINE ADDICTION AND VIRAL SUPPRESSION, INVESTIGATES HOW PERSISTENT MICROGLIAL HIV RESERVOIRS, EXACERBATED BY NICOTINE EXPOSURE, DISRUPT NEURONAL MITOCHONDRIA AND ACCELERATE COGNITIVE DECLINE. SMOKING INCREASES OXIDATIVE STRESS AND INFLAMMATION, COMPOUNDING MITOCHONDRIAL DYSFUNCTION AND NEUROINFLAMMATION, LEADING TO GREATER NEURONAL INJURY. MICROGLIA SUSTAIN THESE PATHOLOGICAL PROCESSES DESPITE SYSTEMIC VIRAL SUPPRESSION, CONTRIBUTING TO HIV-ASSOCIATED NEUROCOGNITIVE DISORDERS (HAND). OUR LONG-TERM GOAL IS TO MITIGATE HAND BY TARGETING THE CORE DRIVERS OF NEUROCOGNITIVE DECLINE—NEURONAL MITOCHONDRIAL DYSFUNCTION AND PERSISTENT MICROGLIAL HIV RESERVOIRS—PARTICULARLY IN AFRICAN AMERICANS WITH NICOTINE ADDICTION. WE HYPOTHESIZE THAT CHRONIC MICROGLIAL HIV RESERVOIR ACTIVITY ACCELERATES NEURONAL MITOCHONDRIAL DYSFUNCTION AND THAT NICOTINE AMPLIFIES THESE EFFECTS, LEADING TO EARLIER AND MORE SEVERE NEUROCOGNITIVE DEFICITS. TO TEST THIS HYPOTHESIS, WE PROPOSE THE FOLLOWING SPECIFIC AIMS: AIM 1: QUANTIFY MITOCHONDRIAL DNA (MTDNA) IN NEURON-DERIVED EXTRACELLULAR VESICLES (NEVS) FROM BLOOD PLASMA TO ASSESS NEURONAL MITOCHONDRIAL DYSFUNCTION AND ITS LINK TO NEUROCOGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT IN AFRICAN AMERICANS WITH NICOTINE ADDICTION AND VIRAL SUPPRESSION. AIM 2: MEASURE HIV RNA IN MICROGLIA-DERIVED EXTRACELLULAR VESICLES (MEVS) FROM BLOOD PLASMA TO ASSESS MICROGLIAL RESERVOIR ACTIVITY AND ITS CONTRIBUTION TO NEUROCOGNITIVE AGING IN AFRICAN AMERICANS WITH NICOTINE ADDICTION AND VIRAL SUPPRESSION. WE WILL RECRUIT AFRICAN AMERICAN PARTICIPANTS STRATIFIED BY HIV STATUS, SMOKING BEHAVIOR, AGE, AND SEX. NEVS AND MEVS WILL BE ISOLATED FROM BLOOD PLASMA USING NEURON- AND MICROGLIA-SPECIFIC ANTIBODIES. BIOMARKERS— MTDNA (NEURONAL MITOCHONDRIAL DYSFUNCTION) AND HIV RNA (MICROGLIAL RESERVOIRS)—WILL BE QUANTIFIED USING DROPLET DIGITAL PCR (DDPCR) FOR MTDNA AND REVERSE TRANSCRIPTION-DDPCR (RT-DDPCR) FOR HIV RNA. NEUROCOGNITIVE FUNCTION WILL BE ASSESSED WITH STANDARDIZED TESTS, AND STATISTICAL ANALYSES WILL CORRELATE BIOMARKER LEVELS WITH DEMOGRAPHIC VARIABLES AND COGNITIVE OUTCOMES. OUR PRELIMINARY FINDINGS INDICATE INCREASED MTDNA IN NEVS AND DETECTABLE HIV RNA IN MEVS AMONG AFRICAN AMERICAN MEN WITH HIV WHO SMOKE, SUPPORTING THE STUDY’S HYPOTHESIS. BY INTEGRATING BIOMARKER ASSAYS WITH NEUROCOGNITIVE TESTING, THIS PROJECT WILL ELUCIDATE HOW MICROGLIAL HIV RESERVOIRS AND NICOTINE DISRUPT NEURONAL MITOCHONDRIAL INTEGRITY AND CONTRIBUTE TO COGNITIVE DECLINE. FINDINGS WILL INFORM PRECISION-MEDICINE STRATEGIES TO REDUCE HAND-RELATED HEALTH DISPARITIES IN AFRICAN AMERICANS LIVING WITH HIV AND NICOTINE ADDICTION.

MODELING ALS-PDC: ALIGNING BMAA TOXICITY WITH THE BIRTH OF NEURONS INVOLVED IN ALS-PDC AND WITH AGING

MITOCHONDRIAL DNA CONTENT IN BLOOD EXTRACELLULAR VESICLES AS A BIOMARKER OF NEURONAL MITOCHONDRIAL DNA DAMAGE INDUCED BY CIGARETTE SMOKING IN VIRALLY SUPPRESSED, HIV-POSITIVE AFRICAN AMERICANS - PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT ANTIRETROVIRAL THERAPY (ART) DRASTICALLY REDUCES THE INCIDENCE OF OPPORTUNISTIC INFECTIONS AND IMPROVES LIFE EXPECTANCY AMONG HIV-INFECTED INDIVIDUALS. HIV-ASSOCIATED NEUROCOGNITIVE DISORDERS (HAND) RELATED TO THE USE OF ART REMAIN HIGHLY PREVALENT (15–50%). MEANWHILE, THE DIAGNOSIS OF HAND IS OFTEN CHALLENGING. MOREOVER, THERE ARE NO VALIDATED SURROGATE MARKERS AND DEFINITIVE ADJUNCTIVE TREATMENT FOR HAND. SINCE THE PREVALENCE OF SMOKING IS THREE- TO FOUR-FOLD HIGHER AMONG HIV-INFECTED INDIVIDUALS THAN IN THE GENERAL POPULATION, AND THAT HIV-INFECTED AFRICAN AMERICANS (AAS) REPRESENT 42% OF INDIVIDUALS LIVING WITH HIV IN THE U.S., THERE IS AN URGENT NEED TO ADDRESS THE EFFECT OF SMOKING ON NEURONAL DYSFUNCTION IN AAS LIVING WITH HIV. MITOCHONDRIAL DYSFUNCTION IS A HALLMARK OF VARIOUS NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS. MITOCHONDRIAL DAMAGE AND MITOCHONDRIAL DNA (MTDNA) CONTENT REDUCTION OFTEN OCCUR PRIOR TO NEURONAL DEGENERATION. OUR LONG-TERM GOAL IS TO DEVELOP A CLINICALLY APPLICABLE, NON-INVASIVE TEST TO MONITOR THE EFFECTS OF CIGARETTE SMOKING ON NEURONAL MTDNA CONTENT IN HIV-POSITIVE INDIVIDUALS. THIS TEST WILL ALLOW CLINICIANS TO MONITOR CHANGES IN NEURONAL MTDNA CONTENT IN HIV-INFECTED CIGARETTE SMOKERS ON ART IN ORDER TO FACILITATE EARLY MEDICAL INTERVENTION. OUR OVERALL OBJECTIVE IS TO DETERMINE THE EFFECT OF CIGARETTE SMOKING ON MTDNA CONTENT IN NEURON-DERIVED EXTRACELLULAR VESICLES (NEVS) ISOLATED FROM THE PERIPHERAL BLOOD OF AAS, ACCORDING TO SMOKING AND HIV STATUS. OUR CENTRAL HYPOTHESIS IS THAT CIGARETTE SMOKING EXACERBATES NEURONAL MTDNA DAMAGE IN VIRALLY SUPPRESSED HIV-POSITIVE AAS, LEADING TO INCREASED RELEASE OF MTDNA IN PERIPHERAL BLOOD NEVS. OUR RATIONALE IS THAT MTDNA CONTENT IN NEVS IS A NOVEL AND NON-INVASIVE BIOMARKER FOR EARLY DETECTION OF MTDNA DAMAGE IN NEURONS. OUR SPECIFIC AIMS ARE: 1) TO QUANTIFY MTDNA CONTENT IN NEVS ISOLATED FROM THE PERIPHERAL BLOOD OF AA NON-SMOKERS, INCLUDING VIRALLY SUPPRESSED HIV-POSITIVE AND HIV-NEGATIVE SUBJECTS; AND 2) TO COMPARE THE MTDNA CONTENT IN NEVS ISOLATED FROM THE PERIPHERAL BLOOD OF VIRALLY SUPPRESSED HIV-POSITIVE AA SMOKERS WITH THE MTDNA CONTENT IN NEVS ISOLATED FROM VIRALLY SUPPRESSED HIV-POSITIVE NON-SMOKERS, AS WELL AS HIV-NEGATIVE SMOKERS AND NON-SMOKERS. IN AIM #1, WE WILL MEASURE MTDNA CONTENT IN NEVS ISOLATED FROM THE PERIPHERAL BLOOD OF HIV-NEGATIVE AND HIV-POSITIVE NON-SMOKERS BY REAL-TIME QUANTITATIVE PCR (QPCR) USING INTRAVESICULAR DNA EXTRACTED FROM NEVS. IN AIM #2, WE WILL ANALYZE QUANTITATIVE CHANGES IN MTDNA CONTENT IN NEVS THAT MAY REFLECT MTDNA DAMAGE ASSOCIATED WITH CIGARETTE SMOKING AND ART. OUR PROPOSAL IS INNOVATIVE BECAUSE IT PROPOSES USING MTDNA CONTENT IN PERIPHERAL BLOOD NEVS AS A NOVEL SURROGATE BIOMARKER FOR MONITORING NEURONAL MTDNA DAMAGE. OUR FINDINGS FROM THIS PROPOSED STUDY WILL BE SIGNIFICANT THEY WILL ESTABLISH MTDNA CONTENT IN NEVS AS A NOVEL, NON-INVASIVE BIOMARKER FOR REAL-TIME MONITORING OF NEURONAL DYSFUNCTION ASSOCIATED WITH MTDNA DAMAGE IN HIV-POSITIVE INDIVIDUALS ON ART AND CIGARETTE SMOKERS.

ELUCIDATING NOVEL MECHANISM OF HIV-1 EVADING APOBEC3G ANTIVIRAL FUNCTION THROUGH SELECTIVE VIRAL RNA PACKAGING - HIV-1/AIDS CAN BE MANAGED WITH ANTIRETROVIRAL DRUGS, BUT TREATMENT IS LIFELONG, AND INTERRUPTION LEADS TO VIRAL REBOUND. SIDE EFFECTS, PATIENT COMPLIANCE, AND VIRAL RESISTANCE LIMIT CURRENT THERAPY'S EFFECTIVENESS. TO COMBAT THE RISE OF MULTIDRUG-RESISTANT HIV-1, DEVELOPING DRUGS TARGETING NOVEL VIRAL MECHANISMS IS CRUCIAL. APOBEC3G (A3G) RESTRICTS HIV-1 REPLICATION BY INHIBITING VIRAL CDNA PRODUCTION AND INDUCING G-TO-A HYPERMUTATIONS IN THE VIRAL GENOME. WHILE HIV-1 USES VIF TO COUNTERACT A3G, EVIDENCE SHOWS THAT A3G ACTIVITY REMAINS DETECTABLE IN WILD-TYPE VIRUSES. OUR RECENT PUBLICATION REVEALED THAT HIV-1 SELECTIVELY PACKAGES VIRAL GENOMIC RNA WITH A LOWER A3G-RELATED G TO A MUTATION RATE, SUGGESTING A NOVEL MECHANISM OF HIV EVADES A3G ANTIVIRAL FUNCTION. IN THIS APPLICATION, WE PROPOSE TO TACKLE THE NOVEL MECHANISM OF HOW HIV EVADES A3G ANTIVIRAL FUNCTION BY PREFERENTIAL PACKAGING UNMUTATED OR LESS-MUTATED GENOMES TO ITS PARTICLES. WE HYPOTHESIZE THAT HIV SELECTIVELY PACKAGES VIRAL RNA WITH LOWER A3G-RELATED G-TO-A MUTATION RATES BY AVOIDING PACKAGING VIRAL RNA WITH MUTATIONS IN CRUCIAL PACKAGING ELEMENTS LIKE THE [UUUU]:[GGAG] HELICAL ELEMENT AND GGG TRACT. THE STUDY AIMS TO: 1) COMPARE A3G-RELATED G-TO-A MUTATION PROFILES IN INFECTED CELLS AND RELEASED VIRIONS, FOCUSING ON KEY PACKAGING ELEMENTS, AND 2) INVESTIGATE THE IMPACT OF G-TO-A MUTATIONS IN THESE REGIONS ON VIRAL RNA PACKAGING EFFICIENCY USING MUTAGENESIS METHODS. THE NOVELTY OF THIS RESEARCH LIES IN EXPLORING AN UNEXPLORED RNA-LEVEL MECHANISM OF HIV EVASION. UNDERSTANDING THIS MECHANISM COULD SIGNIFICANTLY ADVANCE OUR KNOWLEDGE OF HIV PATHOGENESIS, POTENTIALLY LEADING TO NEW ANTIRETROVIRAL THERAPIES TARGETING THE VIRAL RNA PACKAGING PROCESS AND IMPROVING GENE DELIVERY VECTOR DEVELOPMENT.

CAP: CAPACITY BUILDING FOR TRUSTWORTHY AI IN MEDICAL SYSTEMS (TAIMS) -THIS PROJECT IS AN EXPANDAI CAPACITY BUILDING PILOT (CAP), WHICH FOCUSES ON ESTABLISHING AND GROWING AI RELATED ACTIVITIES AT MEHARRY MEDICAL COLLEGE BY CONDUCTING IMPORTANT USE-INSPIRED RESEARCH IN TRUSTWORTHY, ETHICAL, EXPLAINABLE AND RESPONSIBLE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) FOR THE MITIGATION OF THE PROBLEM OF ALGORITHMIC BIAS IN AI-POWERED MEDICAL SYSTEMS. EXISTING CLINICAL AI METHODS ARE LIMITED BY ATTENDANT ALGORITHMIC AND SOCIETAL BIASES DURING SYSTEMS DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT RESULTING IN MISDIAGNOSIS AND ULTIMATELY POOR TREATMENT AND HEALTH DISPARITIES. THROUGH ENHANCED UNDERSTANDING OF THE NATURE OF ?BLACK BOX? AI ALGORITHMS, RESEARCHERS AT MEHARRY MEDICAL COLLEGE (MMC) WILL DEVELOP INTERPRETABLE METHODS AND TOOLS FOR SECURE, PRIVATE AND RELIABLE BIAS-FREE CLINICAL DECISIONS. THE PROJECT IS A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT BETWEEN MEHARRY?S SCHOOL OF DENTISTRY, SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES, AND SCHOOL OF APPLIED COMPUTATIONAL SCIENCES (SACS) TO PROVIDE AMERICAN GRADUATE STUDENTS AND MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS, WITH ADVANCED TRAINING IN AI AND MACHINE LEARNING (ML) TECHNIQUES TO PREPARE THEM WITH SKILLS FOR FUTURE AI-POWERED CAREER PATHWAYS. RESEARCH CAPACITY BUILDING PLANS INCLUDE TRAINING OF DIVERSE FACULTY IN THE USE OF CUTTING-EDGE AI/ML TECHNIQUES. ON THE EDUCATIONAL SIDE, SHORT COURSES, SUMMER SCHOOL AND TUTORIAL SERIES WILL BE ESTABLISHED TO COVER IMPORTANT TOPICS SUCH AS OVERVIEW OF ETHICS IN AI/ML, EXPLAINABLE AI METHODS, ALGORITHMIC BIAS AND MITIGATION STRATEGIES AND DATA PRIVACY. SEVERAL RESEARCH THEMES WERE IDENTIFIED AS POTENTIAL GROWTH AREAS FOR AI TECHNOLOGIES ACROSS THE MEHARRY CAMPUS INCLUDING (I) EXPLAINABLE AI IN MEDICAL SYSTEMS, (II) ETHICAL AND RESPONSIBLE AI FOR MEDICAL SYSTEMS. FOR EXAMPLE, EXPLAINABLE AI SYSTEMS ARE ONES IN WHICH HUMANS BETTER UNDERSTAND THE REASONING BEHIND DECISIONS MADE BY AI SYSTEMS OTHER THAN PREDICTIVE ACCURACY AND STATISTICAL PERFORMANCE. MANY PRACTITIONERS, CLINICIANS, RESEARCHERS, AND PATIENTS ARE RELUCTANT TO USE AI UNLESS IT IS EXPLAINABLE, VERIFIABLE, AND TRUSTABLE. ETHICAL AND RESPONSIBLE AI DEALS WITH ESTABLISHMENT OF WELL-DEFINED GUIDELINES AND LEGAL REGULATIONS FOR ETHICAL USE OF AI TOOLS AND TECHNOLOGIES. THE ETHICAL USE OF AI TOOLS IS CRITICAL FOR PRESERVATION OF FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN RIGHTS, HEALTH AND PUBLIC SAFETY. EDUCATIONAL CAPACITY BUILDING IS PLANNED THROUGH SEVERAL INITIATIVES INCLUDING (I) TRAINING ACTIVITIES TO DISSEMINATE AWARENESS AMONG MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS, GRADUATE STUDENTS, STAFF, AND FACULTY; (II) SHORT COURSE AND TUTORIAL SERIES TO COVER TOPICS SUCH AS OVERVIEW OF ETHICS IN AI/ML, EXPLAINABLE AI METHODS, ALGORITHMIC BIAS AND MITIGATION; (III) NEW COURSE FOCUSING ON TRUSTWORTHY AI IN MEDICAL SYSTEMS FOR THE GRADUATE PROGRAMS; (IV) OUTREACH TO HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATORS AND SUMMER ACADEMIES FOR K-12 STUDENTS. BY PROVIDING A BROAD SWATH OF DIVERSE FACULTY, PROFESSIONALS, EDUCATORS AND STUDENTS WITH AI KNOWLEDGE AND IMMERSIVE LEARNING EXPERIENCES, AI LITERACY AND SKILL DEVELOPMENT, WILL BE SIGNIFICANTLY ENHANCED. THE EXPANDAI PROGRAM SUPPORTS AI-POWERED EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, INFRASTRUCTURE AND RESEARCH AT MINORITY SERVING INSTITUTIONS TO STRENGTHEN AND DIVERSIFY U.S. RESEARCH AND EDUCATION PATHWAYS AND PROVIDE HISTORICALLY MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES WITH NEW OPPORTUNITIES IN STEM CAREERS. THIS AWARD REFLECTS NSF'S STATUTORY MISSION AND HAS BEEN DEEMED WORTHY OF SUPPORT THROUGH EVALUATION USING THE FOUNDATION'S INTELLECTUAL MERIT AND BROADER IMPACTS REVIEW CRITERIA.- SUBAWARDS ARE NOT PLANNED FOR THIS AWARD.

ROLE OF APOL1 IN HIVAN PATHOGENESIS

SRP RNA LEVEL AS A DETERMINANT OF LEISHMANIAL PARASITISM OF MACROPHAGES

NOVEL TARGETS FOR DISCOVERING PEPTIDE INHIBITORS OF HIV-1 REPLICATION

THE MEHARRY MEDICAL COLLEGE MEDICAL SCIENTIST TRAINING PROGRAM (MMC-MSTP) - MEHARRY MEDICAL COLLEGE (MMC) HAS LONG BEEN RECOGNIZED FOR ITS OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTIONS TO INCREASING THE POOL OF BIOMEDICAL SCIENTISTS AND HEALTH PROFESSIONALS. MMC HAS A STRONG HISTORY OF TRAINING PHYSICIANS THAT PURSUE CAREERS IN PRIMARY CARE AND PHDS IN BIOLOGICAL/BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES. MMC HAS A SMALL YET DISTINGUISHED MD/PHD PROGRAM, WHICH WAS FORMALLY ESTABLISHED IN 1982. WE SEEK TO EXPAND OUR MD/PHD PROGRAM BY CREATING THE MMC MEDICAL SCIENTIST TRAINING PROGRAM (MMC-MSTP). THE PRIMARY OBJECTIVE OF THE MMC-MSTP IS TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF HIGHLY COMPETENT AND COMMITTED PHYSICIAN-SCIENTISTS WHO WILL BE LEADERS WHO MAKE AN IMPACT ON THE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM AND BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH. TO ACCOMPLISH THIS, WE HAVE DESIGNED A TRAINING PROGRAM TO PROVIDE AN INTEGRATED TRAINING EXPERIENCE THAT ALLOWS STUDENTS TO EXCEL IN BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH AND INSTILLS THE VALUES, KNOWLEDGE, AND ART OF CLINICAL MEDICINE. IN ADDITION, THE STUDENTS WILL DEVELOP SKILLS FOR EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP, COMMUNICATION, MENTORING, AND TEAMWORK. THEY WILL ALSO MASTER RESEARCH INDEPENDENCE, INCLUDING THE DEVELOPMENT OF GRANT WRITING SKILLS AND MASTERY OF THE RESPONSIBLE CONDUCT FOR RESEARCH (RCR) AND PRINCIPLES OF RIGOR AND REPRODUCIBILITY. STUDENTS WILL BE ENCOURAGED TO MAINTAIN A BROAD VIEW OF BIOMEDICAL SCIENCE BY READING THE GENERAL SCIENTIFIC AND CLINICAL LITERATURE AND BY ATTENDING VARIOUS SEMINARS AND NATIONAL CONFERENCES. TRAINEES WILL ALSO DEVELOP AND MAINTAIN CLINICAL SKILLS THROUGH CONTINUITY CLINICS AND CLINICAL REFRESHER ACTIVITIES. WE ARE COMMITTED TO PROVIDING A SUPPORTIVE MENTORING STRUCTURE AND TRAINING ENVIRONMENT THAT USES EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICES TO ENSURE THE SUCCESS AND RETENTION OF ALL STUDENTS. WE WILL WORK CLOSELY WITH OUR STUDENT LEADERSHIP TEAM AND PARTNER WITH THE SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES (SOGS) AND THE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE (SOM) ON MSTP-SPECIFIC EFFORTS TO MAKE OUR PROGRAM ATTRACTIVE TO PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS AND TO MAINTAIN AN ENVIRONMENT THAT ALLOWS ALL OF OUR STUDENTS TO REACH THEIR FULL POTENTIAL. WE WILL ALSO PROVIDE A SUPPORTIVE TRAINING ENVIRONMENT THAT PROMOTES STUDENT WELLNESS AND ALLOWS COMPLETION OF THE DUAL-DEGREE TRAINING ON AN APPROPRIATE TIMELINE. THE MMC-MSTP WILL SUPPORT THE TRAINING OF MD/PHD STUDENTS AT MEHARRY BY PROVIDING 2 TRAINING SLOTS DURING YEARS 1-2 AND 3 TRAINING SLOTS IN YEARS 3-5 OF THE PROGRAM. STUDENT TRAINEES WILL BE SUPPORTED BY THE MSTP T32 DURING THEIR SECOND YEAR OF MEDICAL SCHOOL AND THE FIRST TWO YEARS OF PHD GRADUATE TRAINING. ENDOWMENT FUNDS WILL SUPPORT THEM FOR THE REMAINING TRAINING PERIOD. THE MMC-MSTP WILL HELP US ACHIEVE OUR LONG-TERM GOAL TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF PHYSICIAN-SCIENTIST LEADERS AVAILABLE TO MEET THE NATION’S BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH NEEDS.

ADAPTING A WEB-BASED PARENT TRAINING TO REDUCE CHILD MALTREATMENT - PROJECT SUMMARY THE GOAL OF THIS CAREER DEVELOPMENT AWARD IS TO SUPPORT DR. WHITNEY BARNETT IN DEVELOPING AN INDEPENDENT RESEARCH PROGRAM FOCUSED ON PUBLIC HEALTH INTERVENTIONS TO PREVENT CHILD MALTREATMENT (CM). GIVEN THE SIGNIFICANT IMPACT OF CM ON BOTH SHORT AND LONG-TERM HEALTH, IT IS CRITICAL TO INTERVENE TO PREVENT AND REDUCE CM. PARENT-FOCUSED EDUCATIONAL INTERVENTIONS HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO BE EFFECTIVE AT PREVENTING AND REDUCING CM. HOWEVER, THERE ARE LIMITATIONS TO EXISTING PARENTING PROGRAMS. SPECIFICALLY, 1) THEY OFTEN RELY ON TRAINED PROFESSIONALS FOR DELIVERY, REQUIRING SIGNIFICANT COST TO IMPLEMENT; 2) FEW ARE RIGOROUSLY TESTED FOR IMPLEMENTATION SUCCESS, THOUGH THIS IS CRITICAL TO ACHIEVE TRAINING GOALS; AND 3) FEW DIRECTLY ADDRESS CM BY PROVIDING PARENTS WITH STRATEGIES TO REDUCE THEIR CHILD’S RISK OF ABUSE FROM OTHER ADULTS OR WITH SKILLS TO REDUCE RISK OF PERPETRATING ABUSE (E.G., MANAGING DIFFICULT CHILD BEHAVIOR). THIS PROJECT AIMS TO ADAPT AN ONLINE INTERVENTION FOR USE WITH PARENTS TO EQUIP THEM WITH KNOWLEDGE OF WHAT CONSTITUTES CM, STRATEGIES TO MITIGATE THEIR CHILD’S RISK OF MALTREATMENT BY OTHER ADULTS, AND SKILLS TO MANAGE DIFFICULT CHILD BEHAVIOR, TO ULTIMATELY PREVENT CM. THE CURRENT PROJECT WILL: 1) USE A MIXED METHODS APPROACH TO DETERMINE NEEDS AND PREFERENCES OF PARENTS OF CHILDREN ENROLLED IN HEAD START (N=30) TO INFORM INTERVENTION CONTENT AND DESIGN; 2) ADAPT EXISTING CONTENT AND UTILIZE NOVEL APPROACHES FROM AN EVIDENCE-BASED TRAINING FOR EARLY CHILDCARE PROFESSIONALS (ILOOKOUT) AND PILOT (N=15) THE ADAPTED INTERVENTION TO TEST FUNCTIONALITY AND USER SATISFACTION; AND 3) IMPLEMENT THIS INTERVENTION (N=100) TO TEST THE PRELIMINARY EFFICACY AND IMPLEMENTATION (ACCEPTABILITY AND APPROPRIATENESS) OF THE INTERVENTION. THIS RESEARCH PLAN FORMS THE BASIS OF A 5-YEAR CAREER DEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR DR. BARNETT UNDER THE MENTORSHIP OF DR. BENJAMIN LEVI (WEB-BASED INTERVENTIONS ADDRESSING CM), DR. KATHRYN HUMPHREYS (CM, PARENTING BEHAVIOR INTERVENTIONS), DR. MARY LOUISE HEMMETER (INTERVENTIONS ADDRESSING DIFFICULT CHILD BEHAVIOR), DR. CAROLYN AUDET (IMPLEMENTATION SCIENCE), AND DR. VAN SCOY (MIXED METHODS RESEARCH). THIS INTERDISCIPLINARY TEAM HAS DEVELOPED A CAREER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM FOR DR. BARNETT THAT INCLUDES: 1) ADVANCED TRAINING IN MIXED METHODS RESEARCH DESIGN AND ANALYSIS TO INFORM INTERVENTION ADAPTATION AND REFINEMENT; 2) CULTIVATING EXPERTISE IN MODIFIABLE DETERMINANTS OF PARENTING BEHAVIOR AND EVIDENCE-BASED PARENTING INTERVENTIONS; 3) ACQUIRING THEORETICAL AND METHODOLOGICAL SKILLS TO DESIGN ACCEPTABLE AND EFFECTIVE INTERVENTIONS; 3) USER-CENTERED DESIGN APPROACHES TO ENGAGE END-USERS IN INTERVENTION DEVELOPMENT TO ENSURE IT MEETS THEIR NEEDS; 4) APPLYING ROBUST IMPLEMENTATION SCIENCE FRAMEWORKS (I.E., RE-AIM QUEST) TO EVALUATE INTERVENTIONS TO OPTIMIZE SUCCESS; AND 5) PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES E.G., PRESENTING RESULTS AT SCIENTIFIC MEETINGS, PUBLISHING IN PEER-REVIEWED JOURNALS, AND SUBMITTING AN R01. COMPLETION OF THIS CAREER DEVELOPMENT PLAN WOULD ALLOW DR. BARNETT TO SUCCESSFULLY COMPETE FOR FUTURE FUNDING TO DEVELOP PUBLIC HEALTH INTERVENTIONS TO PREVENT AND REDUCE CM.