The AGA Research Foundation was proud to recognize 11 outstanding investigators as this year’s AGA Pilot Award recipients. These distinguished researchers received $40,000 in seed funding to kickstart projects that are expected to pave the way for larger, impactful grants. Discover more about our awardees and their research projects below.
AGA Pilot Awards
Pooja Mehta, MD, MSCS
University of Colorado Denver
Dr. Mehta is committed to delivering equitable care that enhances health outcomes for all patients, irrespective of race, sex, gender or socioeconomic status and this study represents a crucial step toward achieving equitable care by investigating and addressing disparities in children with eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE). The findings could be applied nationwide to enhance the diagnosis of EoE in marginalized communities, leading to better disease outcomes through earlier detection and treatment.
Linda C. Cummings, MD, MS
University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center
Dr. Cummings is investigating Helicobacter pylori, a Group I carcinogen according to the WHO, due to its association with gastric cancer, which ranks as the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths globally. Effective eradication of H. pylori can significantly lower both gastric cancer incidence and related mortality. However, treating H. pylori has become increasingly difficult due to rising antimicrobial resistance. In 2018, the WHO identified clarithromycin-resistant H. pylori as a high global research priority, underscoring the urgent need for effective eradication therapies. This research aims to enhance our understanding of H. pylori resistance, paving the way for precise, personalized treatment options.
Guilherme Piovezani Ramos, MD
Boston Children’s Hospital
Dr. Ramos’ research provides mechanistic insights into how epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling influences intestinal stem cell (ISC) differentiation, focusing on specific EGF-regulated transcription factors. Additionally, for the first time, they will examine enteroendocrine cell (EEC) hormone secretion in cancer patients undergoing EGFR inhibitor (EGFRi) therapy to uncover the mechanisms behind EGFRi-associated diarrhea (EAD). Understanding how EGF signaling and ISC differentiation affect EECs and contribute to EAD, as well as other gastrointestinal motility disorders, could lead to new targeted therapies for these conditions.
Simon Schwoerer, PhD
University of Chicago
Dr. Schwoerer is investigating pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), a highly aggressive cancer with a five-year survival rate of less than 12%. A major challenge in treating PDAC is the extensive fibro-inflammatory stroma, which contains diverse cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs). These CAFs can either promote or inhibit tumor progression and understanding the origins of this heterogeneity and how to selectively target CAF populations remains a significant clinical question. Dr. Schwoerer aims to address this by screening for drugs that influence CAF diversity, with the goal of developing new treatment strategies that exploit novel therapeutic vulnerabilities in PDAC.
Yankai Wen, PhD
University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
Dr. Wen’s research explores how neutrophil-derived hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)1a contributes to hepatic ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury via neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). Hepatic I/R injury is a major issue in liver transplantation, the primary treatment for end-stage liver disease. This study aims to clarify the previously unexplored mechanism involving the HIF1a/glycolysis/phosphoenolpyruvate axis in NET formation. Additionally, it seeks to provide evidence for a novel therapeutic strategy targeting neutrophil-derived HIF1a to reduce graft injury and improve outcomes in liver transplant patients.
Alice Cheng, PhD
University of Chicago
Dr. Cheng’s research aims to advance our understanding of bile acid physiology and bile-acid mediated diseases by creating experimental models that closely mimic the human bile acid pool. These efforts could ultimately lead to the development of therapies for diseases affected by bile acids, including primary sclerosing cholangitis, primary biliary cirrhosis, cholelithiasis and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis.
Petra Hirsova, PhD, PharmD
Mayo Clinic
Dr. Hirsova’s research focuses on T cell-mediated pathogenicity, an emerging area in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) research. This study will provide important insights into distinct hepatic T cell subsets that may promote MASH pathogenesis. The generated data will be a useful resource for future studies in the field, ultimately helping to guide new therapeutic strategies for patients with MASH.
Sarah Maxwell, MD
University of California, San Francisco
Dr. Maxell’s study is pioneering the use of an innovative voucher program for fruits and vegetables in children with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and household food insecurity (FI) who are under care at a pediatric weight management clinic. This research aims to determine whether the voucher program improves diet quality (e.g., fruit and vegetable intake) and impacts MASLD and other metabolic health factors in these children. It will enhance our understanding of how food insecurity affects the development and severity of MASLD and explore whether voucher programs can mitigate these effects.
David Boone, PhD
Indiana University
Dr. Boone’s research defines the functional role of stromal cell Thy1 (CD90) in the development of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). While Thy1 is currently recognized as a surface marker for T cells, innate lymphoid cells and stromal cells, his study will reveal Thy1’s role as an active protein on stromal cells that contributes to IBD pathogenesis. This new insight will enhance our understanding of stromal cell involvement in IBD and pave the way for developing Thy1-targeted therapies for the disease in the future.
Sara Chloe Di Rienzi, PhD
Baylor College of Medicine
Dr. Di Rienzi’s research focuses on the role of gut epithelial oxytocin in reducing gut inflammation and addressing motility issues. Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) often struggle with stress management, depression and anxiety. Hormones in both the gut and brain might shed light on their co-occurrence in IBD. These insights have led to trials of antidepressants, such as serotonin reuptake inhibitors, for IBD treatment. Dr. Di Rienzi’s work is exploring whether oxytocin could be a potential target for IBD therapy, with future studies aiming to investigate its role in stress management.
Jared Andrew Sninsky, MD, MSCR
Baylor College of Medicine
Dr. Sninsky aims to develop a serum biomarker to assess disease activity in ulcerative colitis patients by utilizing clinically available assays for serum protein electrophoresis and C-reactive protein. His research will provide insights into the acute phase reactant response to active inflammation in ulcerative colitis, aiming to establish a novel, accessible serum biomarker for disease monitoring. This serum biomarker will facilitate precise disease activity assessment, evaluate treatment response and potentially reduce the need for colonoscopies.
Thanks to your support of the AGA Research Foundation, we were able to award $2.64 million to 79 promising researchers in the 2024 awards cycle.
