2024-25 Research Scholars Cohort 4

The Research Scholars Program is aligned with national priorities for research diversity, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Faculty Institutional Recruitment for Sustainable Transformation (FIRST) program goal of creating cultures of inclusive excellence at NIH-funded institutions by implementing well-integrated, evidence-based strategies and evaluating their impact on metrics of institutional culture, inclusive excellence and diversity.

Mautin Barry-Hundeyin

College of Medicine
Research interests: Leveraging innate immune networks to reverse resistance to check-point based immunotherapies in pancreatic and gastric cancer.

Cheavar Blair

College of Medicine
Research interests: The use of human induced pluripotent stem cell – derived cardiomyocytes to study the impact of cancer drugs, inherited mutations, and altered circadian rhythms on the mechanical function of the heart.

Aubrey Jones

College of Social Work
Research interests: Health equity for women and families, focusing on access to mental & physical healthcare for new mothers and rural families. Improving social worker outcomes in rural communities.

Erica Littlejohn

College of Medicine
Research interests: Childhood maltreatment’s impact on the risk and progression of cognitive impairment and dementia across the lifespan, as well as the mechanism(s) driving its neuropathology.

Hend Mansoor

College of Pharmacy
Research interests: Identifying factors and disparities associated with poor medication adherence and risk factor control among patients with cardiovascular disease and stroke. Designing targeted interventions and prediction tools to improve clinical outcomes among these high-risk individuals.

Jessica Thompson

College of Nursing
Research interests: Guideline-directed medication therapy in heart failure, particularly looking at gender differences and systematic implementation issues. Supplemental interests include end-of-life attitudes and beliefs related to patients with a cardiac device.