Researchers Link Inflammation to Reduced Motivation and Brain Circuit Changes in Schizophrenia
eroundup
Georgia CTSA
Weekly eRoundup
May 30, 2025

Feature

Researchers Link Inflammation to Reduced Motivation and Brain Circuit Changes in Schizophrenia

“This is the first study in schizophrenia to link inflammation with both brain changes in reward circuits and specific motivational symptoms,” says David Goldsmith, MD, MSCR, Associate Professor, Emory. “By identifying a biological mechanism underlying these symptoms, we are closer to developing targeted treatments that could offer real relief to patients.” Goldsmith is a Georgia CTSA Pilot Grant recipient , MSCR graduate, and former KL2 Scholar .

Read More

Call for Mentees: Georgia CTSA TEAMS Program - Apply Today!

Calling all mentees from Emory, MSM, UGA & Georgia Tech! Georgia CTSA TEAMS (Translational Education and Mentoring in Science) provides 1:1 and group mentoring for junior-level faculty, post-doc or clinical fellows doing research in public health, clinical & translational science, implementation science, community engagement, and more. Expand your network! View Mentee/Fellow information. Learn more .

Apply Today

Funding (* New Opportunities)

POCTRN Innovation Awards - Due June 6

Do you have a groundbreaking point-of-care technology ready for further development? The Point-of-Care Technology Research Network (POCTRN)) is pleased to announce six new innovation award opportunities from its centers. We are currently seeking applications from academic and industry applicants who have innovative point-of-care technologies in areas of chronic disease, infectious disease and disease prevention, such as cancer detection, heart, lung, blood, and sleep disorders, STIs, emerging infectious disease in low-resource settings, and more. Awards up to $150,000, may also receive 12 months of in-kind support services.

Learn More

Emory SOM P4 Fast Track Awards - Ongoing

Emory SOM in partnership with Winship, CHOA, Grady, and CFAR, invites applications for the P4 (Pivot, Proposal, and Planning Program) Fast Track Awards—a new funding mechanism supporting SOM faculty whose grants were recently terminated due to federal funding shifts. Awards of up to $100,000 (direct costs) are available for one year, with potential for renewal. Eligible PIs must propose a novel research pivot aligned with NIH priorities and have ≤$200K in other direct funding. Learn More.

Read More

Awards Supporting Cutting-Edge Technologies for Translational Science (ASCETTS) - Due June 19

NCATS invites applications for the Awards Supporting Cutting-Edge Technologies for Translational Science (ASCETTS) NOFO to foster investigator-initiated development of highly innovative technologies to address barriers, limitations, or bottlenecks in translational science – particularly for therapeutic development. The research proposed should be for the development of technology that can break new ground or extend present technology toward new directions or novel applications.

Learn More

Education and Training

Phlebotomy 101 Training - June 26 - 27

Phlebotomy 101 is a two-day introductory classroom and clinical hands-on training that teaches the techniques of venipuncture. Led by the GCRC nurses, the course is offered to Georgia-CTSA affiliated partners. View 2025 Phlebotomy 101 Training Schedule .

Learn More

SISMID 2025: Summer Institute in Statistics and Modeling in Infectious Diseases - July

Summer Institute in Statistics and Modeling in Infectious Diseases (SISMID) offers both online (July 7-11) and in-person (July 14-30 at Emory) modules. SISMID has trained thousands of infectious disease researchers in modern statistical and modeling techniques. Topics include spatial statistics, machine learning, network modeling, and more. Engage with experts through poster evenings, lunch-and-learn sessions, and networking events. View Flyer.

Learn More

Fall 2025 MSCR and CPTS Courses - Apply by August 8

Courses are now open to Emory faculty and postdocs! This fall’s virtual options include Scientific Communication for Clinical & Translational Science, Fundamentals of Epidemiology, and Advanced Data Management in R. Email Rachel Hardison to learn more and apply.
Learn More

Public Health Wellbeing and Impact Retreat - Aug 23-24

Join us on Emory’s campus for a transformative weekend retreat designed for mid-career public health professionals. Reconnect with your career purpose, boost resilience, and build a 90-day action plan. Optional coaching available. Emory University and Emory Healthcare employees may qualify for tuition coverage. Register by August 4.

Learn More

Research Resources

Call for Mentees: Georgia CTSA TEAMS Program - Apply Today May 30

Calling all mentees from Emory, MSM, UGA & Georgia Tech! Georgia CTSA TEAMS (Translational Education and Mentoring in Science) provides 1:1 and group mentoring for junior-level faculty, post-doc or clinical fellows doing research in public health, clinical & translational science, implementation science, community engagement & more. Expand your network! View Mentee/Fellow information. Learn more .

Apply

Advisory Panel for Research

Georgia CTSA’s Network Capacity program has created an advisory panel consisting of patients and families of Emory Healthcare and Grady Hospital. This panel is now a resource available to Georgia CTSA researchers, institutional review boards, and patients by providing a mechanism for patient and families to share their input on clinical research studies. If you, as a researcher would like to request to meet with this panel to receive feedback about aspects of your research studies – study design, consent procedures and documents, recruitment methods, and more –please reach out to Mugisha Niyibizi,

Email

Request for Collaborators - Glioblastoma Research

This is a request to researchers for collaboration on the research study: SUpratotal vs Gross-total Resection for Glioblastoma: The SUGR Trial. Dr. Debraj Mukherjee from Johns Hopkins University is seeking collaborators for this trial examining Supratotal vs. Gross-total resection procedures for glioblastoma. If you are interested in collaborating or learning more, please contact Mugisha Niyibizi ,

Learn More

Georgia CTSA Resources and Support Programs Guide

Are you a research investigator with an appointment at Emory, MSM, Georgia Tech, or UGA? This resource guide is for you! Take a look at the broad range of Georgia CTSA resources and support programs available including consult offerings, clinical/translational research & clinical trials, innovation & entrepreneurship, education & career development, grant writing, funding, collaboration, team science, databases, conferences, and more.

View Resources Guide

Innovation and Translation

UGA Medical Device Regulations Conference - August 20

Join the 12th Annual UGA Medical Device Regulations Conference virtually on August 20, 2025. Hear from FDA and industry leaders on topics including AI/cybersecurity, QMSR, FDA collaboration, and international markets. Early registration saves $100, register by June 30th. Please note you need to have an account or create one to register.

Learn More

Events

Southeastern Pediatric Research Conference - June 6

Join us from 8AM-5PM at the Georgia Aquarium for a dynamic day filled with insightful presentations, engaging poster sessions, valuable networking opportunities, and meaningful knowledge-sharing. This year's conference will feature groundbreaking research from Emory, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Georgia Tech, and MSM and will bring together basic scientists, clinical researchers, pediatricians, and healthcare providers to advance the integration of innovative research into clinical practice.

Register

Bioentrepreneurship Networking - June 18

Join Emory School of Medicine on Wednesday, June 18, from 4:30–6:00 PM in HSRB-II, Room N600 for the second Founders Series event. Dr. Eric J. Sorscher will share his journey in cystic fibrosis drug discovery and the development of a new CFTR activator. The event includes a 15-minute talk, Q&A, and networking with faculty, students, and local biotech professionals. Food provided. Please RSVP to attend.

Register

Pediatric Early Career Researcher Conference - September 9

Join us September 9 from 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM at Emory’s Health Sciences Research Building for the 2025 Pediatric Early Career Researcher Conference. Enjoy a day of career development, oral and poster presentations, and a keynote by Dr. Stephen W. Patrick. Open to all interested in child health research. Learn More . View Flyer.
Register

For more information on Georgia Clinical & Translational Science Alliance (Georgia CTSA), please visit the Georgia CTSA website . Do you have news, seminars, or events of interest to clinical and translational researchers? Send them to GeorgiaCTSA@emory.edu by noon on Thursday. To suggest subscribers or unsubscribe to the listserv please email GeorgiaCTSA@emory.edu .

Please include the following citation in any publications resulting from direct or indirect Georgia CTSA support, "Supported by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number UL1TR002378. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health." KL2 Scholars should also list KL2TR002381 and TL1 Trainees should also list TL1TR002382.

Emory University
Georgia Institute of Technology
Morehouse School of Medicine
University of Georgia