Dean's Faculty Recruit

Designation reserved for top national candidates for clinical science department faculty positions that have investigative programs in cardiovascular and/or respiratory science. At the time of appointment, these individuals will already have received rank-appropriate national level funding.

Postdoctoral Fellowship

Designation reserved for our most promising MD, DVM, MD/PhD, or PhD, pursuing advanced research training in cardiovascular and/or respiratory science. Preference is given to mentored programs that use the award to establish a track record of successful training, in preparation for NIH training grant submission or revision. Two fellowships will be awarded in 2003. The best MD or DVM applicant will be awarded the Alfred F. Michael Postdoctoral Fellowship, in honor Dr. Al Michael, the former Medical School Dean, and the top MD/PhD, PhD, DNS, or Rn PhD will receive the second award. If there are no MD or DVM applicants, then both fellowships will be awarded to the two top non-MD/DVM applicants. Duration of the awards is one year, with activation July 1.

Predoctoral Fellowship

Designation reserved for our best university-wide graduate students pursuing training in cardiovascular and/or respiratory science. Preference is given to mentored programs using the award to establish a track record of successful training in preparation for a NIH training grant submission or revision. One fellowship will be awarded per year for a one-year duration with activation July 1.

Medical Student Research Award

Awarded to the third-year medical student who has achieved the top 20% of his/her class (GPA) and who desires a one-year rigorous research opportunity in cardiovascular and/or respiratory science in the laboratory of a medical school faculty member. One fellowship will be awarded per year for a one-year duration with activation July 1.

Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP)

Awarded to a University of Minnesota Twin Cities undergraduate honors student who is pursuing a research project in cardiovascular and/or respiratory science. Amount and number of awards will be consistent with the recommendations of the University of Minnesota UROP review committee. All UROP procedures and deadlines will be followed.

Pilot Research Grant

Grant is targeted for university-wide faculty in need of funds to establish feasibility of a novel idea/experimental direction in cardiovascular and/or respiratory science. One grant will be awarded per year for a one-year duration with activation July 1.

Grant Revision Award

Short-term award (six to nine months) to the investigator who needs additional data in response to a non-funded, but favorable review from the NIH or other national level funding agency using competitive peer review (e.g. VA, AHA, ALA). One grant will be awarded per year for one-year duration with activation July 1.

In recent years the endowment program has been undergoing a restructuring. The awards from 2006 to present have been uncategorized.

All personal and professional titles were current at the time of award.

Michelina Iacovino, Ph.D.
Lillehei Endowed Scholar: 2008-2012
Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division

Michael Kyba, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Medicine
Lillehei Endowed Scholar: 2008-present
Department of Pediatrics

Cindy Martin, M.D.
Associate Professor of Medicine
Lillehei Endowed Scholar: 2008-present
Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division

Rita Perlingeiro, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Medicine
Lillehei Endowed Scholar: 2008-present
Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division

All personal and professional titles were current at the time of award. award descriptions

Dean's Faculty Recruit

Xinqiang Han, M.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division
Undergraduate Research Opportunity Award

Sean Polster
Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division
Undergraduate Research Opportunity Award
"Characterizing the Role of Sprouty 1 in the Heart"
Mentor: Jennifer Hall, Ph.D.

Undergraduate Research Opportunity Award

Matthew B. McCarra
Undergraduate Medical Student
Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Cardiology
"Disease causing PTPN11 Mutations have Gain-of-Function Effects during Frog Embryogensis"
Mentor: Jamie Lohr, M.D.

All personal and professional titles were current at the time of award. award descriptions

Dean's Faculty Recruit

Yuqing Huo, M.D., Ph.D.
Department of Medicine, Vascular Biology Center
Assistant Professor (no longer on faculty)

Predoctoral Fellowship Award

Nathan J. Charles
M.D./Ph.D. student
Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division
"The Role of Sprouty-1 in the Role of Reverse Modeling of a Failing Human Heart"

Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program

Brent Berry
Undergraduate Medical Student
Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics
"Preparation of Cardiac Fibers to Determine the Functional Effects of Cardiomypoahty Mutations"
Mentor: Osha Roopnarine, Ph.D.

All personal and professional titles were current at the time of award. award descriptions

Dean's Faculty recruit

Atsushi Asakura, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division

Alfred F. Michael Postdoctoral Fellowship for Best Doctoral Application

Beatriz Pelacho, Ph.D.
Department of Medicine, Stem Cell Institute
Postdoctoral Associate
"Multipotent Adult Pluripotent Cells for Cardiac Regeneration"
Mentor: Catherine M. Verfaillie, M.D.

Postdoctoral Fellowship

YunFang Li, M.D., M.S.
Postdoctoral Research Associate
Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division
"Mechanism of Endothelial Dysfunction in the Failing Heart"
Mentor: Robert J. Bache, M.D.

Shanthi Sivanandam, M.D.
Medical Fellow
Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Cardiology
"The Relation of Left Ventricular Mass to Insulin Resistance and Inflammation in the Young"
Mentor: Julia Steinberger, M.D.

Predoctoral Fellowship

Jeffrey Lande, M.S.
Research Associate
Department of Medicine, Division of Genetics
"Using Gene Expression Microarrays to Study Airway Fibrosis in the Mouse Model of Chronic Rejection"
Mentors: Richard A. King, M.D., Marshall I. Hertz, M.D.

Medical Student Research Fellowship

David Fermin, B.S.-B.M.E.
2nd Year Medical Student
Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division
"MLP Mutations and Association with Structure-Function Abnormalities"
Mentors: Jennifer L. Hall, Ph.D., Donna K. Arnett, Ph.D.

Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program

Joshua G. Schmitt
Department of Surgery
"Biological and Artificial Vessel Testing Device"
Mentor: Rob Gallegos, M.D.

Ann Neumann
Undergraduate Medical Student
Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division
"The Contribution of Neural Crest to Xenopus Cardiac Development"
Mentor: Jamie Lohr, M.D.

Pilot Research Grant

Osha Roopnarine, Ph.D.
Research Assistant Professor
Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology & Biophysics
"Structural Dynamics of Cardiomyopathy-Causing Myosin Mutations Using High Throughput Fluorescence Spectroscopy"

Grant Revision Award

David Perlman, M.D.
Instructor
Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Allergy & Critical Care
"Identifying Molecular Targets for Anti-Fibrotic Therapy"
Mentor: Peter Bitterman, M.D.

All personal and professional titles were current at the time of award.

Dean's Faculty Recruit

Kenneth Liao, M.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Surgery, Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery Division (no longer on faculty)

Carmelo Panetta, M.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division
Dean's Faculty Recruit

Alfred F. Michael Postdoctoral Fellowship for Best Doctoral Application

Sven Wust, M.D.
Research Fellow
Division of Pulmonary, Allergy & Critical Care
Given to the outstanding post-doctoral applicant.
"Innate Immunity Regulation of IL-4 and IL-3 Production in Asthma"
Mentors: Agustin Dalmasso, M.D., Malcolm Blumenthal, M.D.

Postdoctoral Fellowship

Arun Shet, M.D.
Fellow
Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology, Oncology, and Transplantation
"Microparticles Bearing Tissue Factor in Sickle Cell Anemia"
Mentors: Nigel Key, M.D., Robert Hebbel, M.D.

Predoctoral Fellowship

Benjamin Mueller, B.S.
M.D./Ph.D. Student
Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biophysics
"Direct Fluorescence Detection of Dynamic Protein-Protein Interaction in Cardiac Calcium Pump Regulation"
Mentor: David D. Thomas, Ph.D.

Medical Student Research Fellowship

Nathan Groebner, M.S.
2nd Year Medical Student
Department of Pediatrics, Division of Cardiology
"Biological and Mathematical Analysis of Outflow Tract Development"
Mentor: Jamie Lohr, M.D.

Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program

Erika Helgerson
Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics
"Preparation of Myosin Light Chain Mutants for Spectroscopic Analysis of Heart Disease"
Mentor: Osha Roopnarine, Ph.D.

Nicole Iverson
Division of Cardiovascular, Department of Medicine
"Stem Cell Path Therapy in Hearts with LV Infarction - Fibrin Patch to Prevent Heart Failure"
Mentor: Jianyi Zhang, M.D., Ph.D. (no longer on faculty)

Pilot Research Grant

Jonathan Marchant, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Pharmacology
"Illuminating the Spatial Organization of Phosphoinositide Signaling in Endothelial Cells"

Grant Revision Award

Joseph Michael Autry, Ph.D.
Post-doc - RA
Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics
"Structural Dynamics of Ca-ATPase and Sarcolipin by FET."

All personal and professional titles were current at the time of award. award descriptions

Dean's Faculty Recruit

Jennifer Hall, Ph.D.
Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division
Assistant Professor

Grant Revision Award

Paul Iaizzo, Ph.D.
Department of Physiology
Professor of Anesthesiology and Physiology
"The Role of DeltaOpoids in Attenuating Reperfusion Injury: Post Conditioning"

Sabita Roy, Ph.D.
Department of Pharmacology
Associate Professor
"Effects of Morphine on Hypoxia Induced Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Expression: Implications in Myocardial Infarction"

Postdoctoral Fellowship

Zhenguo Liu, M.D., Ph.D.
Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division
Fellow
Postdoctoral Fellowship

Robert Gallegos, M.D.
Department of Surgery, Cardiovascular and Thoracic Division
Fellow
"Stem Cell Induced Restoration of Myocardial Microstructure in a Canine Infarct Model"
Mentor: R. Morton Bolman, M.D. (no longer on faculty)

Chuong Hoang, M.D.
Department of Surgery, General Surgery Division
Fellow
"cDNA Microarray Gene Analysis of Malignant Potential in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Micrometastases"
Mentor: Michael Maddaus, M.D.

In the first year that awards were made, the endowments were uncategorized. All personal and professional titles were current at the time of award.

First Endowed Scholars

Khalid Ashai, M.D., Ph.D.
Fellow
Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division

Jozef Murar, M.D., Ph.D.
Fellow
Department of Surgery, VAMC, Division of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery

Ganesh Raveendran, M.D., Ph.D.
Fellow
Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division