Patrick Varley, MD

University of Wisconsin

Project Title: Evaluating the Impact of Community Care Expansion on Surgical Oncology Outcomes for Veterans

Major Goals of the Project: Objectives and Aims: The long-term goal of this study is to improve multidisciplinary cancer care for Veterans in an era of expanding CC use. This research aims to: Aim 1: Identify patterns in the use of CC for volume-sensitive surgical oncology procedures (gastrectomy, pancreatectomy, esophagectomy, colectomy) across VHA centers. Using Corporate Data Warehouse (CDW) records, this study will evaluate variation in CC use, patient demographics, and hospital factors associated with the likelihood of non-VHA surgical care. Aim 2: Compare textbook oncologic outcomes (TOO) for Veterans undergoing volumesensitive cancer surgeries at VHA and non-VHA centers. This will involve a novel data linkage state cancer registry to assess differences in key quality measures, including surgical margins, lymph node dissection, and post-operative complications.

Ira Leeds, MD

West Haven VA, West Haven, CT

Project Title: Assessing the Impact of Housing Instability Among Veterans on Complications of Major Surgery

Major Goals of the Project: AIM 1. To compare detection of perioperative housing instability in veterans undergoing surgery using structured data elements versus natural language processing (NLP). AIM 2. Compare the association between these alternative measures of perioperative housing instability in veterans undergoing surgery for complications after elective major surgery.

2023

Katherine Hekman, MD

Atlanta VA Medical Center, Decatur, GA

Project Title: Improving smoking-related mitochondrial dysfunction in stem cells from peripheral artery disease patients

Major Goals of the Project: We aim to reprogram MSCs from PAD smoker and non-smokers to induced pluripotent stem cells using non-integrating Sendai virus to reset the epigenetic regulators of mitochondrial function imposed by smoking. We will then test the mitochondrial function of the reprogrammed iPSCs using the Seahorse analyzer to measure mitochondrial respiration and glycolysis, as well as assess mitochondrial morphology by fluorescence imaging and by transmission electron microscopy. 

2022

Scott Robinson, MD
University of Florida 
Gainesville, FL

Project Title: PAD IT: Peripheral Arterial Disease and the Immunometabolism of Tryptophan

Major Goals of the Project: ​Aim 1: Characterize the functional and phenotypic response of tissue from patients with CLTI to treatment with exogenous IDO. Aim 2: Assess the effect of systemic and locally delivered of IDO on ischemic skeletal muscle injury and regeneration.

2021

Clay Quint, MD

Audie L. Murphy VA Medical Center

San Antonio, TX

Project Title: Acellular Tissue Engineered Vessel with Surface Modification

Major Goals of the Project: The long-term goal of this work is to develop a second-generation off-the-shelf tissue engineered vessel (TEV) derived from fibroblasts with surface modification to prevent graft thrombosis.

KARL STORZ RESEARCH AWARD

2020

Timothy J. Ridolfi MD, MS

Associate Professor

Division of Colorectal Surgery

Department of Surgery

Medical College of Wisconsin and Zablocki VA Medical Center, Milwaukee, WI

Project Title: MRI Prediction and Evaluation for Complete Response to Neoadjuvant Therapy in Rectal Cancer

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Major Goals of the Project: Our long-term goal is to develop a series of pre- and post-neoadjuvant CRT measurements that can be easily measured and accurately predict the chances that a complete response has occurred.

2019

Filip Bednar, MD, PhD

VA Ann Arbor Health System

​Ann Arbor, MI

Project Title: Regulation of Oncogenic Kras Signaling and Tumor Microenvironment in Pancreatic Cancer by Bmi1

Major Goals of the Project: Our long-term goal is to develop pancreatic cancer therapeutics that alter the epigenetic state of cancer cells and either destroy them directly or sensitize them to other forms of existing therapy including chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy.

2018

Courtney Balentine, MD, MPH

North Texas VA Healthcare System

​Dallas, TX

Project Title: Developing Tools to Measure and Improve Postoperative Outcomes for Older Veterans

Major Goals of the Project: This project is designed to improve the quality of pre-, peri-, and postoperative care for older Veterans (≥65 years old) by increasing adherence to evidence-based geriatric care guidelines.

2017

Jean Marie Ruddy, MD

Medical University of South Carolina

Charleston, SC

Project Title: IL6 Initiates Infrarenal Aortic Remodeling and Propagates Aneurysm Development

Major Goals of the Project: To explore the mechanistic pathway through IL-6-STAT3 signaling in aortic medial cells that links inflammation and aneurysm disease, and this project hypothesizes that the IL-6-STAT3 pathway enables AA degenerative remodeling by initiating aortic inflammatory cell infiltration and protease production to propagate AAA formation.

2016

Ryan Thomas, MD

North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Health System

Gainesville, FL

Project Title: Role of Gram negative bacterial lipopolysaccharide in CXCR4-mediated pancreatic carcinogenesis

Major Goals of the Project: Based on preliminary work, the Karl Stortz AVAS research grant was based on the hypothesis that lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from Gram-negative bacteria can facilitate pancreatic cancer progression through upregulation and activation of the chemokine receptor, CXCR4. We sought to determine the effect of LPS on CXCR4 expression in pancreatic cancer in vitro using commercial human cell lines as well as to determine the effect of LPS on oncogenic phenotypes and PDAC signaling pathways in a CXCR4-dependent manner.

2015

Susan Tsai, MD, MHS

Medical College of Wisconsin

Milwaukee, WI

Project Title: Utility of cfDNA as a therapeutic biomarker in pancreatic cancer

​Major Goals of the Project: The goal of the proposed research is to investigate the utility of monitoring changes in plasma circulating cell free DNA (cfDNA) in patients with pancreatic cancer.

Resident Research Award

2025

Matthew Anderson, MD

Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC

Project Title: Targeting Biomechanical Signaling in Aortic Stiffness

Major Goals of the Project: This research project developed from a desire to better understand the pathophysiology of aortic disease, the impact of increased wall stress on maladaptive vessel remodeling, and the ability of aortic stiffness to predict cardiovascular events. This is highly relevant to the Veteran population, as a significant percentage suffer from cardiovascular disease and must deal with the negative effects on their health. My research aims to demonstrate the ability to integrate ultrasound-derived aortic strain with aortic pathologic markers to track the mechanics of the aortic wall in treated and untreated hypertension. I aim to accomplish this by utilizing a proven murine hypertension model with ultrasound imaging software to assess aortic stiffness at various timepoints.

2024

Jesse Stokum, MD

University of Maryland Neurosurgery Residency Program

Project Title: Secondary axotomy and NCX1 in axonal degeneration in experimental stretch peripheral nerve injury

Major Goals of the Project: Peripheral nerve injuries (PNIs) cause significant patient morbidity. However, there exist no approved therapeutics to reduce nerve damage after injury, partially due to a poor understanding of acute mechanisms of peripheral nerve axon degeneration. Central nervous system axon degeneration is better understood and may yield new insights into mechanisms of PNI. After traumatic brain injury, most injured axons degenerate in a delayed fashion from a process called secondary axotomy. Secondary axotomy is highly clinically relevant since these axons are potentially salvageable with therapy. Secondary axotomy and delayed degeneration have not been investigated after PNI. Here, we will characterize delayed axon degeneration after PNI using a clinically relevant rat model of sciatic nerve rapid stretch injury. We also seek to determine the role of the sodium calcium exchanger NCX1 in axon degeneration after nerve stretch injury, and whether therapeutic blockade of NCX1 might reduce axon degeneration and improve functional outcome. NCX1 is known to mediate degeneration in vitro, but its role in vivo after PNI remains poorly understood.

2023

Ashley Green-Lott, MD

University of California, Los Angeles, CA

Project Title: Military Exposure Contributors to Prostate Cancer Incidence, Aggressiveness and Molecular Features in the United States Veterans Population

Major Goals of the Project: The proposed project is a study designed around military exposures that aims to 1) quantify previously only qualitative self-reporting of military exposures (ME) to known carcinogens (e.g. Agent Orange, particular matter 2.5 and dioxin-contaminated water supplies), 2) determine contribution from the ME to the incidence, aggressiveness and outcomes of prostate cancer, and 3) determine if the ME is associated with specific molecular features in benign and cancerous prostate tissue. The first two aims will be met with a multivariate logistic regression analysis using a large VA cohort (n = >7 Million) with and without a diagnosis of prostate cancer, stratified by military exposure. The third aim will be met via a multi-omics analysis on prostate cancer foci dissected from diagnostic prostate biopsy specimens of a case-matched cohort stratified by ME status.

2022

Mario Figueroa, MD

Medical University of South Carolina

​Charleston, SC

Project Title: SGK-1 Signaling in AAA

Major Goals of the Project: Prove using in vivo murine models that AAA growth depends on SGK-1 activity as a primary stimulus for IL-6 secretion and macrophage accumulation.

2021

Madeline Greil, MD

University of Washington

Seattle, WA

Project Title: Using Automated Pupillometry for Prediction of Intracranial Hypertension in Severe Traumatic Brain Injury

Major Goals of the Project: The goal of my research is to study methods to refine the selection of patients for ICP monitoring using noninvasive measures. I aim to investigate the relationship between automated pupillometry and ICH, and to prospectively validate the CREVICE clinical decision rule, a set of criteria that aims to predict ICH. I will determine whether pupillometry values of patients who present to Harborview Medical Center, a level I trauma center, and undergo invasive ICP monitoring for severe traumatic brain injury (sTBI) are predictive of actual ICH.

2021

Macie Enman, MD

​Valley Health Systems

​Las Vegas, NV

Project Title: Developing Gut Microbiome Modulation as a Novel Therapeutic Strategy Against Pancreatic Cancer

​Major Goals of the Project: The two specific goals of this project are to 1. recreate the gut bacteria of humans using mice as animal models to examine the effects of altering the gut bacteria on cancer cell growth. Antibiotics, probiotics, and prebiotics have all been shown to alter human gut bacteria, therefore these will be used in our animal models. 2. We will look at the gut bacteria of patients with pancreatic cancer to see how they respond to the above alterations. This will show us which combination of bacteria are likely responsible for promoting pancreatic cancer growth. This can easily be translated into a clinical trial for patients with pancreatic cancer and in turn produce novel treatment strategies.

2020

Jasmine Walker, MD, MA

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN

Project Title: Assessing the Impact of Policy Changes on Utilization of Veterans Affairs Transplant Centers

Major Goals of the Project: This study seeks to evaluate the impact of two specific policy changes—VA-specific MISSION Act and the broader Kidney Allocation System (KAS)—on the utilization of Veterans Affairs Transplant Centers (VATCs).

2019

James Barrett, MD

University of Wisconsin - Madison

Madison, WI

Project Title: Improving surgical outcomes through a patient and provider enhanced perioperative mobile technology platform

Major Goals of the Project: Our hypothesis is that utilization of an innovative perioperative mobile technology platform will improve patient understanding, satisfaction and adherence to perioperative transitions of care, thereby optimizing patient outcomes and resource utilization.