Postdoctoral Awards

“The MCHRI postdoctoral support allows me to investigate possible mechanisms that underpin symptoms in Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID), a type of eating disorder which onsets in childhood and can lead to psychosocial impairment and severe medical sequelae. This grant enables me to collect important pilot data characterizing interoceptive processes, a potential biological marker for dysregulated eating behavior. We hope these data will support the identification of treatment targets and improve physical and psychosocial outcomes for ARFID.”

Nandini Datta, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow, Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences

FY 2023 Awards

Anais Karime Amaya Colina, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow, Pediatrics (Stem Cell Transplantation & Regenerative Medicine)
Study Title: Correction of A Disease-Causing Mutation in Precision-Cut Lung Slices

Aya Shibuya, MS, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow, Pediatrics (Hematology/Oncology)
Study Title: Targeting Nemo-Like Kinase with Small Molecules for Treatment of Diamond Blackfan Anemia

Rayan Chatterjee, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow, Otolaryngology
Study Title: Determining the Mechanisms of Hereditary Deafness Through Computer Modelling

Daiana Debora Fornes, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow, Pediatrics (Pulmonary, Asthma & Sleep Medicine)
Study Title: Trpv4 Channel-Mediated Calcium Signaling and Myometrial Contractility: Implications for Preterm Labor

Anastasia Hains, MS, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow, Pathology
Study Title: Understanding the Epigenetics and Biology of Pediatric DIPG Subgroups to Unravel Therapeutic Strategies

Maureen Hoch Vieira Fernandes, DVM, MS, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow, Pediatrics (Infectious Diseases)
Study Title: High-Resolution Cryo-EM Structure and Proteomics of the Varicella Zoster Virus Fusion Complex

Marina Magalhaes, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow, Pediatrics (Neonatology & Developmental Medicine)
Study Title: Severe Maternal Morbidity Among Adolescent Births in the United States

Alex Prossnitz, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow, Materials Science and Engineering
Study Title: Engineering of Snake Venom Neutralizing Hydrogels and Their Application in Sustained-Release Vaccines for Improved Antivenom Manufacturing and Protective Human Immunization

Egor Sedov, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow, Dermatology
Study Title: Elucidating Novel Binding Partners of Gibbin and Their Orchestrated Contributions to Childhood Birth Defects

Yogita Sharma, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow, Medicine (Nephrology)
Study Title: Exploiting Sugars to Elude A Genetic Defect- Potential for Targeted Therapy of Type III Bartter'S Syndrome

Sushruta Shashidhara Surappa, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow, Radiology
Study Title: Development of A Passive and Wireless Intracranial Pressure Sensor for Shunt Failure Monitoring in Hydrocephalus Patients

Xiwei She, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow, Neurology & Neurological Sciences
Study Title: Stimulating Conversation: Developing Methods to Support Personalized Neurostimulation for Language Dysfunction in Pediatric Epilepsy

Benjamin Wang, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow, Microbiology & Immunology
Study Title: Using Human Intestinal Enteroids to Study Salmonella Infections, A Serious Threat to Child Health

Zheng Hao Samuel Wong, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow, Neurosurgery
Study Title: Metabolic Adaptations of B-ALL Predict Central Nervous System Infiltration

"MCHRI support is integral for our research aiming at developing new therapeutic strategies for patients with Gaucher disease. We strongly believe that our research will provide the proof of concept of a one-time therapy even for the most severe Gaucher disease forms affecting young children. Moreover, this scholarship will allow me to generate additional discoveries that will further the field and our understanding of Gaucher disease therapies."

Marc Francois Philippe Gastou, MS, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow, Pediatrics (Medical Genetics)

Past Awards

"The MCHRI postdoctoral support enables me to investigate the interplay of neurobiology, genetics, and behavior to improve our understanding of specific learning disorders in childhood. My research aims to identify neurobiological mechanisms underlying learning and to use neuroimaging data for the prediction of reading and mathematical skills in children at high genetic risk for specific learning disorders. Ultimately, we hope this research will allow early identification of learning impairments and development of targeted interventions that will ensure better learning outcomes in children."

Iliana Irini Karipidis, PhD
Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences
2020 MCHRI Funded Postdoctoral Fellow
Project Title: Functional Brain Signatures of Learning in Children with Sex Chromosome Aneuploidies: A Model For Neuroendophenotypes in Specific Learning Disorders 

"X monosomy (XO) is the most common chromosomal abnormality in miscarriage, with nearly 99% of conceptuses aborting early in pregnancy. This suggests a crucial contribution of the sex chromosomes to early placental development that is not currently appreciated. MCHRI has made it possible for me to leverage the natural experiment of sex chromosome aneuploidy in placenta to investigate the mechanisms of sex-linked pregnancy loss and complication risk."

Amy Braun, PhD
Obstetrics & Gynecology (Maternal Fetal Medicine)
2020 MCHRI Funded Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Project Title: Determining the Role of Sex Chromosomes in Normal and Abnormal Placentation with Implications for Pregnancy and Child Health

"I am trying to determine how polymorphism in MHC-II locus alters B-cell repertoire and predisposed an individual to autoimmune disorders like type-1 diabetes (T1D) or juvenile diabetes. The MCHRI award will be instrumental to help me achieve the plans as an experimentalist. My immediate future plan is to use data generated from this project to apply for a K99 award to pursue further avenues using in murine model of autoimmune T1D."

Debopam Ghosh, PhD
Pediatrics (Human Gene Therapy)
2019 MCHRI Funded Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Project Title: MHC Class-II Molecule H2-M Affects the Development and Function of B-1 Cells

"I’m looking forward to the opportunity to use qualitative research to engage with diverse families about how they experience care in California Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs). This MCHRI award [postdoctoral support] has allowed me to incorporate family perspectives into the development of measures for family centered care in NICUs."

Krista Sigurdson, PhD
Pediatrics (Neonatal & Developmental Medicine)
2018 MCHRI Funded Postdoctoral Research Fellow 
Project Title: Developing Measures for Family-Centered Care in the NICU