Seven members of the Emory faculty have been named by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) as 2024 Fellows. The AAAS selects fellows for their outstanding efforts in the advancement of science based on research, teaching, administration and technology, as well as communicating and interpreting science to the public. Emory’s new fellows join a distinguished list of previous fellows including Thomas Edison, W. E. B. DuBois, retired astronaut Ellen Ochoa and former Secretary of Energy Steven Chu.

“Being elected an AAAS Fellow is one of the most distinguished honors that can be earned within the scientific community,” says Emory President Gregory L. Fenves. “To see seven of Emory’s exceptional faculty members receive this recognition affirms the extraordinary caliber of their talent, leadership and impact on society.”

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As a NASA Pathways intern, Gates Scholar, and G. Wayne Clough Tech Promise Scholar, J’Avani Stinson has devoted himself to the tenets of progress and service through his research, academics, and extracurriculars. Fueled by a lifelong love of science and devotion to helping others, Stinson, a second-year biology major from Stone Mountain, Georgia, hopes to use the generosities afforded to him to continue improving society.

Specifically, he hopes to obtain an M.D. and Ph.D. to study chronic pediatric diseases, a goal first discovered during his sister’s own diabetes diagnosis when she was 9 years old.

“Seeing the way my sister was treated, and later how some friends of mine with Sickle Cell or my aunt with leukemia were treated, just hearing stories and witnessing how they’ve been pushed aside by the healthcare system,” said Stinson. “All of that has inspired me to help get to the root of these problems, and find ways to better alleviate them, because it’s a lot of money, time, and pain that I’ve seen people go through.”

Stinson has undertaken several different research projects over the years, beginning in high school with the development of a research project that would use mathematical principles to identify the best strategy for playing UNO. With each step since then, he has explored research topics such as cellular mechanics, computational biology, and finally, neural systems and microgravity.

His most recent position at NASA proved especially interesting, as it was his first position strictly studying biology. Space is also a unique environment to study the components of disease, particularly cancer.

“Space has different properties than Earth, such as stronger radiation and microgravity,” said Stinson. “And cancer cells exhibit different behaviors, so, one of the things I and other researchers are looking at is what we can learn about disease on Earth based on cellular behaviors we see in space.”

After recently completing his first research rotation, Stinson hopes to return this summer to work in NASA’s Food Lab, which focuses on developing meals optimized for nutrition in space.

To read the full story, click here.

Got an offbeat idea that traditional sponsors have told you is too risky, or too far afield from the current research approach? Great news! Your idea may be exactly what the W. M. Keck Foundation is looking to fund.

Keck seeks bold risky ideas that differ substantially from prevailing methods to generate far-reaching benefits for humanity in two categories: (i) medical research and (ii) science and engineering.

Awards are generally in the $1- $1.5 million range. The period of performance should be 3 years.

Georgia Tech will hold an internal competition to identify no more than 1 applicant for each category for the next funding cycle – November 2025. Submit an internal GT Internal Research Concept by April 21, 2025. 

Stem cell therapies are improving recovery and survival rates for pediatric cancer patients. But the treatments can be risky. They can weaken the immune system, making children highly vulnerable to infections. And there are other potential long-term complications, including damage to tissues and organs.

A team of researchers at Georgia Tech has addressed this challenge, creating a new way to predict how these cutting-edge treatments might work in a particular patient. And it could revolutionize treatments for kids with complex immune system challenges.

Currently doctors inject stem cells almost blindly, taking kilograms of cells from bone marrow or umbilical cord blood without knowing exactly which will work best, or how they’ll react to immune responses. The new research provides a more precise way to understand these complex interactions.

“We essentially created a miniature laboratory that can show how stem cells behave inside a patient’s body,” said Ahmet Coskun, Bernie Marcus Early Career Professor in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University, who led the research team.

“It’s a predictive approach to guide clinicians in choosing the right treatment and understand exactly how these cells interact with a patient’s immune system,” added Coskun, whose team explained its innovative research recently in the journal BME Frontiers.

Michelle LaPlaca, PhD, and W. Hong Yeo, PhD, have been selected as recipients of Peterson Professorships with the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Pediatric Technology Center (PTC) at Georgia Tech. The professorships, supported by the G.P. “Bud” Peterson and Valerie H. Peterson Faculty Endowment Fund, are meant to further energize the Georgia Tech and Children’s partnership by engaging and empowering researchers involved in pediatrics.

In a joint statement, PTC co-directors Wilbur Lam, MD, PhD, and Stanislav Emelianov, PhD, said, “The appointment of Dr. LaPlaca and Dr. Yeo as Peterson Professors exemplifies the vision of Bud and Valerie Peterson—advancing innovation and collaboration through the Pediatric Technology Center to bring breakthrough ideas from the lab to the bedside, improving the lives of children and transforming healthcare.”

Dr. LaPlaca is a Professor and Associate Chair for Faculty Development in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, a joint department between Georgia Tech and Emory University. Her research is focused on traumatic brain injury and concussion, concentrating on sources of heterogeneity and clinical translation. Specifically, she is working on biomarker discovery, role of the glymphatic system, and novel virtual reality neurological assessments.    

“I am thrilled to be chosen as one of the Peterson Professors and appreciate Bud and Valerie Peterson’s dedication to pediatric research,” she said. “The professorship will allow me to broaden research in pediatric concussion assessment and college student concussion awareness, as well as to identify biomarkers in experimental models of brain injury.”

In addition to the research lab, Dr. LaPlaca will work with an undergraduate research class called Concussion Connect, which is part of the Vertically Integrated Projects program at Georgia Tech.

“Through the PTC, Georgia Tech and Children’s will positively impact brain health in Georgia’s pediatric population,” said Dr. LaPlaca.

Dr. Yeo is the Harris Saunders, Jr. Professor in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering and the Director of the Wearable Intelligent Systems and Healthcare Center at Georgia Tech. His research focuses on nanomanufacturing and membrane electronics to develop soft biomedical devices aimed at improving disease diagnostics, therapeutics, and rehabilitation.

“I am truly honored to be awarded the Peterson Professorship from the Children’s PTC at Georgia Tech,” he said. “This recognition will greatly enhance my research efforts in developing soft bioelectronics aimed at advancing pediatric healthcare, as well as expand education opportunities for the next generation of undergraduate and graduate students interested in creating innovative medical devices that align seamlessly with the recent NSF Research Traineeship grant I received. I am eager to contribute to the dynamic partnership between Georgia Tech and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and to empower innovative solutions that will improve the lives of children.”

The Peterson Professorships honor the former Georgia Tech President and First Lady, whose vision for the importance of research in improving pediatric healthcare has had an enormous positive impact on the care of pediatric patients in our state and region.

The Children’s PTC at Georgia Tech brings clinical experts from Children’s together with Georgia Tech scientists and engineers to develop technological solutions to problems in the health and care of children. Children’s PTC provides extraordinary opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration in pediatrics, creating breakthrough discoveries that often can only be found at the intersection of multiple disciplines. These collaborations also allow us to bring discoveries to the clinic and the bedside, thereby enhancing the lives of children and young adults. The mission of the PTC is to establish the world’s leading program in the development of technological solutions for children’s health, focused on three strategic areas that will have a lasting impact on Georgia’s kids and beyond.

Sometimes the best ideas come from working somewhere no one else is. That certainly was the case for the team judged the best overall project at the Spring 2025 Capstone Design Expo April 22.

Their quick-to-adjust surgical retractor is designed to more easily pull back skin and tissue during head and neck surgeries to allow doctors to access deeper muscles, organs, and other tissues. Current devices require surgical assistants to hold them for hours or the use of cumbersome stands, and they require significant effort to adjust.

Yet no one seemed to be innovating in the area until Emory Healthcare ear, nose, and throat surgeon David Chou brought the idea to the team to come up with something better.

“What really makes this project so interesting is its focus on not just safety and efficiency, but on innovation as a whole, and innovating in an area no one was thinking about,” said Stefano Poma, one the members of Team RapidReach. “Our sponsor had this vision of a better option with faster adjustment times. And that really is where our idea came in. It was a lot of overturning the current designs and coming up with a whole new idea from scratch.”

The concourses of Georgia Tech’s McCamish Pavilion were full of other new ideas during this spring’s Expo. A record 238 teams of more than 1,300 students showed off their semester-long projects that serve as a culmination of their undergraduate studies.

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The Summer 2025 round of Tech Ready Grants from the Office of Technology Licensing (OTL) is officially underway! These $25,000 grants help Georgia Tech faculty and permanent research staff advance their technology’s readiness and commercialize their research, transitioning projects from the lab to make a positive impact. Don’t miss this opportunity to accelerate development of your innovations! The application deadline is May 30, 2025.

Why You Should Apply:

• Funding: Receive $25,000 to further your technology’s readiness level and increase the ability of your research to make an impact on society
• Commercialization Support: Get the resources and mentorship needed to transition your projects from the lab to market success
• Enhanced Impact: Align your research with market needs without disrupting your academic pursuits

Eligibility:

• GT Faculty and full-time, permanent, regular research staff seeking resources to transition their work from lab to the public

Requirements:

• Complete the Tech Ready Grant by May 30, 2025 application
• Have a related invention disclosure on file or submit one before the application deadline. Disclose your inventions here here.
• IP must be solely owned by GTRC
• Submit progress reports at 6 and 12 months, or prior if project has been completed
• Multiple applications allowed
• Funds cannot be used for travel
• IP must be solely owned by GTRC
• Project must be completed within 12 months

The application deadline is May 30th. We will announce the recipients by July 6, 2025. Apply today and take the next step in bringing your research to market. We look forward to your submission!

Click here to apply!

New institutional awards of up to $10,000,000 to stimulate the development of strong research, education, and public communications connections between fields that aim to understand and mitigate the impact of climate change on human health. In general, this award will support institutions or consortia that are already moving toward establishing themselves as centers of excellence for understanding climate change’s impact on human health and for leadership in climate education OR public communication around climate and health. Applications from institutions just starting to integrate Climate + Health into their planning are expected to be uncompetitive. Up to three awards will be made over two rounds of competition.

Providing support for U.S. and Canadian research and educational Institutions or consortia of research and educational institutions.

PROGRAM BACKGROUND
The Burroughs Wellcome Fund announces the Climate + Health Excellence (CHEX) Centers award. This is a new institutional research and training opportunity that will help institutions bridge the gaps between fields that will have important roles to play in understanding the impacts of climate change on human health and diminishing their effects. This grant will support new discovery toward defining the health impacts of climate change, developing potential interventions, translating discovery science into practical application, and outward-facing work that can help public understanding of Climate + Health or strengthen connections between research and communities whose health has been harmed by climate change. Our goal is to help these Centers of Excellence achieve their strategic goals by supporting activities that help build stable collaborations between people, departments, and institutions. Building interdisciplinary connections between scholars, between approaches, and between researchers and those outside academe form the bulk of the budget.

BASIC, APPLIED, AND TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH
This program is meant to support institutions or consortia that have already begun to work toward taking on the problem of climate’s impact on health. Consortia might include neighboring institutions with already established collaborations, but of more relevance to this RFP are consortia of institutions united by common interests, for example in the health of residents of the Appalachian Mountains or the Great Lakes region, an urban focus, or a focus on rural life, etc. Whether collaborators are at a single institution or a consortium, we want to see lasting connections developed between those working with basic and applied approaches. We anticipate that support from CHEX will accelerate and enhance the cultivation of new common ground for high-impact basic research, invention, and implementation that can practically change the impacts of climate change on human health.

AN OUTWARD FOCUS
Conveying to the public ideas about how climate change and human health are linked is important for the flow of insights from discovery research into health interventions. For this reason, successful applications will bring general (non-postgraduate) education or public communication into their vision of shared common ground. Either education or communication should be a substantial element of the proposal. Proposals that sacrifice depth to include elements of both may be weakened by the effort: it is better to go deep into one area than to lightly “tag both bases.”

POST-GRADUATE TRAINING
Institutions or Consortia supported by these awards will develop new lines of research, training, and graduate education that will both energize faculty collaboration and expand interdisciplinary research opportunities for trainees. What graduate departments learn from exploring post-graduate students’ interests in the intersection of climate change and health science may be invaluable to developing educational resources and career guidance for K12 and college students. The training grant element will not be more than 20% of a funded center’s budget.

Note: This is a limited submission opportunity, so contact Julie Hawk about interest before applying.

For more information, click here.

George Ferry Young Investigator Development Award

This grant is awarded to support a meritorious clinical, quality improvement, translational or basic science research project related to diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, liver, pancreas, or nutritional disorders of children.

Eligibility:
Applicants must:

• Be a NASPGHAN member in good standing for at least two years.
• No more than five years from fellowship completion (fellowship completed between 7/1/2020 – 9/1/2025). Concurrent completion of advanced fellowship training is not allowed for this award (see below for process to request extension to eligibility).
• Hold a full-time faculty position not at the rank of Associate or Full Professor in an academic institution within the United States of America, Mexico or Canada and hold an MD, DO, PhD, MD/PhD, or equivalent degree at the start of the award by September 1, 2025.
• Not currently hold or previously be a principal investigator or co-principal investigator on a NIH mentored grant such as a K08, K23, an NIH RO1, PO1 (or similar), or an or equivalent Canadian or Mexican grant mechanisms. Those with concurrent or previous institutional career development awards (KL2, K12, or similar) or Foundation grants are eligible to apply if the proposal does not have scientific overlap.
• Not hold another NASPGHAN Foundation grant at the start of the award (Mid-December 2025).
  
  Sanofi Young Investigator Development Award for the Study of Pediatric Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Disorders

Description/Topics: This grant is designed to support promising researchers in the early stages of their careers, fostering their potential to contribute significantly to independent research in pediatric eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases. The award will support a meritorious clinical, quality improvement, translational or basic science research project related to pediatric Eosinophilic Esophagitis or other Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Disorders.

Eligibility:
Applicants must:

• Be a NASPGHAN member in good standing for at least two years.
• No more than five years from fellowship completion (fellowship completed between 7/1/2020 – 9/1/2025). Concurrent completion of advanced fellowship training is not allowed for this award (see below for process to request extension to eligibility)
• Hold a full-time faculty position not at the rank of Associate or Full Professor in an academic institution within the United States of America, Mexico or Canada and hold an MD, DO, PhD, MD/PhD, or equivalent degree at the start of the award by September 1, 2025.
• Not currently hold or previously be a principal investigator or co-principal investigator on a NIH mentored grant such as a K08, K23, an NIH RO1, PO1 (or similar), or an or equivalent Canadian or Mexican grant mechanisms. Those with concurrent or previous institutional career development awards (KL2, K12, or similar) or Foundation grants are eligible to apply if the proposal does not have scientific overlap.
• Not hold another NASPGHAN Foundation grant at the start of the award (Mid-December 2025).

Requests for extension of eligibility
Eligibility may be extended for up to a year related to family, parental, or medical leave. Leave for other causes will be considered on a case-by-case basis. To request an extension of eligibility, please provide the following by May 1, 2025 (email documents to Robyn Bailey at rbailey@naspghan.org):

1. A brief summary of the dates and reason for leave (please do not give personal health information). Please see example requests in Section A8 (https://grants.nih.gov/faqs#/early-investigators.htm?anchor=55044)
2. Letter from Human Resources or Division Chief specifying leave dates.

The Committee will provide a response within 4 weeks of the request.

More info: https://naspghan.org/research/naspghan-foundation-grants-2/