2007 Awardees

Investigator-Initiated Grant Awardees:

Dr. Angelo All
Johns Hopkins University - Whitaker Biomedical Engineering Institute
"Human Embryonic Stem Cell-Derived Oligodendrocytes and Electrophysiological Studies in a Contusion Model of Spinal Cord Injury in the Rat"

Dr. Jeff Bulte
Johns Hopkins University - School of Medicine
"Human Embryonic Stem Cell-Derived Neurospheres for Treatment of Multiple Sclerosis"

Dr. Curt Civin
Johns Hopkins University - Kimmel Cancer Center
"MicroRNA Regulation of Adult and Embryonic Human Hematopoietic Development"

Dr. William Lederer
University of Maryland, Biotechnology Institute - Medical Biotechnology Center
"Human Mesenchymal Stem Cell Treatment for Heart Damage"

Dr. Lloyd Mitchell
RetroTherapy, LLC
"Preservation of Potentiality in Genetically Altered Stem Cells"

Dr. Hongjun Song
Johns Hopkins University - School of Medicine
"Characterization of Neuronal Potentials of Human Embryonic Stem and Adult Neural Stem Cells"

Dr. Elias Zambidis
Johns Hopkins University - Kimmel Cancer Center
"Human Embryonic Stem Cell Models of Normal and Leukemic Human Stem Cell"

Exploratory Grant Awardees:

Dr. Shyam Biswal
Johns Hopkins University - School of Public Health
"Nrf2 as a Target for Cancer Stem Cell Chemoresistance"

Dr. Srinivasan Chandrasegaran
Johns Hopkins University - School of Public Health
"Targeted Engineering of the Human Genome in Stem Cells"

Dr. Nancy Craig
Johns Hopkins University - School of Medicine
"Genome Engineering of Human Stem Cells for Gene Therapy"

Dr. Shengyun Fang
University of Maryland, Biotechnology Institute - Medical Biotechnology Center
"Ubiquitination-Dependent Regulation of Oct-4 Activity"

Dr. Ricardo Feldman
University of Maryland, Baltimore - School of Medicine
"A Model for Generation of Gaucher-Specific Human Embryonic Stem Cells, and for Reconstitution of Glucocerebrosidase Expression in Human Embryonic Stem Cell-Derived Macrophages"

Dr. Paul Fishman
University of Maryland, Baltimore - School of Medicine
"Transcription Factor Driven Differentiation of Neural Stem Cells"

Dr. Gary Fiskum
University of Maryland, Baltimore - School of Medicine
"Stem Cell Antioxidant Gene Preconditioning for Improved Cell Survival and Neurologic Outcome after Traumatic Brain Injury"

Dr. John Fisher
University of Maryland College Park - School of Engineering
"Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells for Craniofacial Bone Regeneration"

Dr. M. Samir Jafri
University of Maryland, Baltimore - School of Medicine
"A Delivery System for Stem Cells"

Dr. Candace Kerr
Johns Hopkins University - School of Medicine
"Defining Genes Associated with Human Stem Cell Pluripotency and Self-Renewal"

Dr. Hai-Quan Mao
Johns Hopkins University - Whiting School of Engineering
"Engineering an Artificial Neural Stem Cell Niche"

Dr. Andrew McCallion
Johns Hopkins University - School of Medicine
"Illuminating Human Cardiac Development and Disease through Transcriptional Analysis in Differentiating Human Embryonic Stem Cells"

Dr. Guo-li Ming
Johns Hopkins University - Institute for Cell Engineering
"Mechanisms Regulating Self Renewal of Human Embryonic Stem Cells"

Dr. Akhilesh Pandey
Johns Hopkins University - School of Medicine
"Proteomic Characterization of Neural Differentiation in Human Embryonic Stem Cells"

Dr. Adam Puche
University of Maryland, Baltimore - School of Medicine
"Regulating Stem Cell Migration in the Adult Brain"

Dr. Hamid Rabb
Johns Hopkins University - School of Medicine
"Isolation, Expansion and Regenerative Potential of Human Adult Kidney Derived Stem Cells"

Dr. Karen Zeller
Johns Hopkins University - School of Medicine
"Myc's Role in Maintenance and Tumorigenicity of Human Embryonic Stem Cells"

2008 Awardees

Investigator-Initiated Grant Awardees:

Dr. Laure Aurelian
University of Maryland, Baltimore
"Stem cell transplantation is associated with HSV-induced severe skin eruptions"

Dr. Stephen Baylin
University of Maryland, Baltimore
"Genomic and Epigentic Instability of Human Stem Cells Used In Regenerative Medicine"

Dr. Ted M. Dawson
Johns Hopkins University
"Derivation and Characterization of Human Dopamine Neurons Derived from Inducible Pluripotent Stem Cells"

Dr. Valina L. Dawson
Johns Hopkins University
"The novel protein Botch promotes neurogenesis through regulation of the Notch pathway"

Dr. Richard L. Eckert
University of Maryland, Baltimore
"Epidermis-Derived Multipotent Cells for Cell Therapy"

Dr. John T. Iaascs
University of Maryland, Baltimore
"Developing Methods for the Identification and Isolation of Prostate Cancer Stem Cells"

Dr. Dara Kraitchman
Johns Hopkins University
"Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)-Visible Microencapsulation of Allogeneic Mesenchymal Stem Cells for Arteriogenic Therapy in Peripheral Arterial Disease"

Dr. John Laterra
Hugo W. Moser Research Institute at Kennedy Krieger
"Molecular Mechanisms of Tumor-Propagation by Human Glioblastoma Stem Cells"

Dr. Nicholas J. Maragakis
Johns Hopkins University
"Human Astrocyte Progenitor Transplantation for Neuroprotection in a Model of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)"

Dr. Jeffrey D. Rothstein
Johns Hopkins University
"Human Astroglial Stem Cells: Combinatorial Drug Discovery Program"

Dr. Elias Zambidis
Johns Hopkins University
"Efficient Generation of Patient Specific Human Embryonic Hemangioblasts"

Exploratory Grant Awardees:

Dr. Maria R. Abraham
Johns Hopkins University
"Molecular engineering of human cardiac-derived progenitor cells and the myocardial micro-environment to improve cardiac regeneration"

Dr. Dmitri Artemov
Johns Hopkins University
"Targeted Imaging and Therapy of Breast Cancer Stem-like Cells"

Dr. Sergi Atamas
University of Maryland, Baltimore
"Bone and Tendon Healing Mechanisms of Mesenchymal Stem Cells and Hematopoetic Progenitors Derived From Human Adult Bone Marrow"

Dr. Ilia V. Baskakov
University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute
"Design of self-assembling peptide scaffold for controlling neural stem cell state and fate"

Dr. Fred Bunz
Johns Hopkins University
"Developing alternative methods for iPS cell generation"

Dr. Chi V. Dang
Johns Hopkins University
"A novel, robust strategy to map human stem cellness transcriptional network"

Dr. Jeniffer H. Elisseeff
Johns Hopkins University
"Adult and embryonic stem cells for cartilage repair and OA"

Dr. Alan D. Friedman
Johns Hopkins University
"Regulation of Human Hematopoietic Stem Cell Proliferation by RUNX1, Notch and Wnt"

Dr. Nicholas Gaiano
Johns Hopkins University
"Exploring the role of NF-κB signaling in human neural stem cells"

Dr. Yoon Young Jang
Johns Hopkins University
"Human Embryonic Stem Cell Transplantation For Liver Regeneration"

Dr. Carol L. Keefer
University of Maryland, College Park
"Mechanical Aspects Of Human Embryonic Stem Cell Differentiation Using Atomic Force Microscopy"

Dr. Candace Kerr
Johns Hopkins University
"MicroRNA analysis of pluripotent stem cells"

Dr. Andre Levenko
Johns Hopkins University
"Control of Human Neural Stem Cell Survival, Proliferation and Differentiation using novel micro and nano fluidic platforms"

Dr. David Litwack
University of Maryland, Baltimore
"Regulation of neuronal differentiation by Nuclear Factor One transcription factors"

Dr. David M. Loeb
Johns Hopkins University
"Regulation Identification and Characterization of the Ewing Sarcoma Stem Cell"

Dr. Stuart Martin
University of Maryland, Baltimore
"Novel therapies to destroy circulating breast tumor stem cells"

Dr. Merryn J. Monteiro
University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute
"Role of ubiquilin in regulating proliferation and differentiation of human stem cells"

Dr. Sarah Netzle-Arnett
University of Maryland, Baltimore
"Targeting Prosurvival Pathways for enhanced stem cell based therapy"

Dr. Martin G. Pomper
Johns Hopkins University
"Stem Cell Probe Discovery via Bioluminescence"

Dr. Yun Qui
University of Maryland, Baltimore
"Regulation of Stemness by Phosphorylation"

Dr. Alfredo Quinones-Hinojosa
Johns Hopkins University
"Human Brain Cancer"

Dr. Venu Raman
Johns Hopkins University
"Characterizing the Role of Twist in the Development of Breast Cancer Stem Cells"

Dr. Linda Resar
Johns Hopkins University
"The Role of HMGA1a in Normal and Leukemic Stem Cells"

Dr. Charles M. Rudin
Johns Hopkins University
"Notch Signaling in Lung Cancer Stem Cells"

Dr. Nitish Thakor
Johns Hopkins University
"The formation of neuromuscular junctions in microfluidic chamber"

Dr. Leslie Tung
Johns Hopkins University
"Antiarrhythmic Properties of Human Embryonic Stem Cell-Derived Cardiomyocytes in a Model of Dysfunctional Cardiac Tissue"

Dr. Piotr Walczak
Johns Hopkins University
"Non-Invasive Imaging and Evaluation of Glial Differentiation and Engraftment of Skin-Derived Pluripotent Stem Cells"

Dr. Katherine Whartenby
Johns Hopkins University
"Gene modification of bone marrow stem cells to generate anti-tumor responses"

Dr. Huakun Xu
University of Maryland, Baltimore
"Stem Cell Delivery via Injectable, Nano-Apatite Scaffolds for Bone Engineering"

Dr. Paul Yarowsky
University of Maryland, Baltimore
"Targeted Therapy for Neurodegenerative Diseases with Magnetically Labeled Stem Cells"

Dr. Srinivasan Yegnasubramanian
Johns Hopkins University
"Epigenetic Characterization of Normal Hematopoietic and Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Stem Cells"

Dr. Stephen Zhan
University of Maryland, Baltimore
"The role of cortactin in EMT and differentiation of human embryonic stem cells"

Fellowship Grant Awardees:

Dr. Jonathan Alder
Johns Hopkins University
"Genetic Rescue of Short Telomere Defect in Hematopietic Stem Cells"

Dr. Michael Bonaguidi
Johns Hopkins University
"Extrinsic Regulation of Adult Human Neural and Cancer Stem Cells in Normal and Disease States"

Dr. Selen Cantania
University of Maryland, Baltimore
"Regulation of Mesenchymal Stem Cell Differntiation by Wnt Signaling: The Role for LRP-1"

Dr. Jessica Carmen
Johns Hopkins University
"NG2 Human Precursor Dysfunction and Neurodegeneration"

Dr. Jon Gerber
Johns Hopkins University
"Characterization and Expansion of Leukemia Stem Cells"

Dr. Hugo Guerrero
Johns Hopkins University
"Role of Slit Proteins in the Migrator Behavior of Brain Tumor Stem Cells"

Dr. Maged Harraz
Johns Hopkins University
"The Role of Human Embrionic Stem Cells and Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells for Cellular Therapy of Parkinson’s Disease"

Dr. Biju Joseph
Johns Hopkins University
"HMGA1 in the Maintenance & Proliferation of Human Embryonic Stem Cells"

Dr. Tarja Juopperi
Johns Hopkins University
"A Comparison of Human Embyonic Stem Cells and Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells for Cellular Therapy of Parkinson’s Disease"

Dr. Vasiliki Machairaki
Johns Hopkins University
"Human Neural Stem Cell-biomatrix Preparations as Tools to Repair Injured Hippocampal Circuits"

Dr. Celine Plachez
University of Maryland, Baltimore
"Role of Metalloproteinases in the Migration of Transplanted Human Stem Cells"

Dr. Marina Pryzhkova
Johns Hopkins University
"Differentiation of Patient-Specific Human Pluripotent Stem Cells"

Dr. Kara Scheibner
University of Maryland, Baltimore
"Regulation and Manipulation of Stem Cell Apoptosis by MicroRNA-27a"

Dr. Farhad Vesuna
Johns Hopkins University
"Involvement of TWIST in Generating Breast Cancer Stem-Like Cells"

Dr. Jizhong Zou
Johns Hopkins University
"Gene Targeting in Human Pluripotent Stem Cells"