Mayo Clinic & ASU announce 2019 seed grant recipients
Mayo Clinic and Arizona State University (ASU) have announced 2019 seed grant recipients. The two institutions have provided seed funding to new, interdisciplinary and translational joint research projects since 2005. By launching novel research on a small scale, researchers have been able to attract funding needed for larger studies that may make a significant impact in their fields of research and improve patient care.
Each research team includes one researcher from Mayo Clinic and one from ASU. From 2005 through 2017, the Mayo Clinic and ASU seed grants have translated into 57 externally funded projects worth approximately $30.5 million. Seed grant recipients also have shared their knowledge through more than 25 journal publications and by mentoring student researchers.
2019 seed grant projects & lead investigators
“Novel Minimally Invasive Device to Induce Weight Loss”
Rahmi Oklu, M.D., Ph.D. (R-D ’14)
Chair, Division of Vascular/Interventional Radiology
Department of Radiology
Professor of radiology
Mayo Clinic Arizona
ASU partner: Junseok Chae, Ph.D., School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering
“Integrating Genomic and Imaging Biomarkers for Early Detection of Alzheimer’s Disease”
Junwen Wang, Ph.D. (HSR ‘15)
Department of Health Sciences Research
Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
Professor of biomedical informatics
Mayo Clinic Arizona
ASU partner: Yalin Wang, Ph.D., School of Computing, Informatics, and Decision Systems Engineering
John Tokish, M.D. (OR '18)
"Emergency Critical Care in Austere Environments"
Professor of orthopedics
Kenton Kaufman, Ph.D. (BIOM '89), Division of Orthopedic Research, Mayo Clinic in Rochester
"Impact of Anterior Vertebral Body Tethering Scoliosis Surgery on Physical Capacity and Disc Health"
Principal investigator: Vijay Singh, M.B.B.S. (I ’05, GI ’08), Gastroenterology (Arizona)
“Promoting Efficient Muscle Repair in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Patients”
Elizabeth Jacobsen, Ph.D. (BIOC ’09)
Division of Allergy, Asthma, and Clinical Immunology
Department of Internal Medicine
Assistant professor of biochemistry
Mayo Clinic in Arizona
ASU partner: Alan Rawls, Ph.D., School of Life Sciences
Sandeep Pagali, M.D. (GERI '14)
"Prospective Validation of a 'Mayo Delirium Prediction' Tool"
Division of Hospital Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine
Assistant professor of medicine
Mayo Clinic in Rochester
“Quantifying Mitochondrial Metabolites to Define the Role of Mitochondria in Stem Cell Function and Fate”
Clifford Folmes, Ph.D. (CV ’12)
Department of Cardiovascular Diseases
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Assistant professor of biochemistry and molecular biology
Mayo Clinic Arizona
ASU partner: Haiwei Gu, Ph.D., College of Health Solutions