Georgia CTSA Develops Translational Science Workforce with New TL1 Trainees

composite photo of trainees

Georgia Clinical and Translational Science Alliance (Georgia CTSA) is excited to announce the arrival of its newest cohort of trainees to the TL1 Program. This prestigious program is dedicated to fostering excellence in clinical and translational science by providing top-notch training opportunities for both predoctoral and postdoctoral scholars.

The TL1 Program is designed to equip trainees with a comprehensive set of skills necessary for advancing human health through innovative research. This training encompasses both didactic coursework and hands-on research experience. Each trainee will engage in a hypothesis-driven research project that addresses critical questions in human health. Under the mentorship of experienced lead mentors and supportive mentoring teams, these research projects are expected to include a well-defined human component and demonstrate a clear pathway to improving health outcomes.

One of the key objectives of the TL1 Program is to strengthen the clinical and translational science workforce. By nurturing the next generation of leaders in biomedical research, the program aligns with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) mission to advance health through scientific discovery. Georgia CTSA’s commitment to career development and research excellence is integral to its mission of enhancing the impact of clinical and translational science.

Congratulations to the new TL1 trainees as they embark on this transformative journey. Their contributions will not only advance scientific knowledge but also pave the way for meaningful improvements in human health.

Predoctoral TL1 Trainees

  • Renee Byfield, MS, RN, PhD student, Emory, Nursing, Maternal Heart Rate Variability: Evaluating longitudinal Trends and associations with mental health outcomes (mH[A]RVEsT)
  • Jenna Feeley, PhD student, Emory, Nutrition and Health Sciences, Shared Decision-Making and Hospital Nutrition for Inpatients with Diabetes
  • Christopher “Harden” Herring, RN, PhD Student, Emory, Nursing, Promoting Wellness in Caregivers of Older Adults with Chronic Diseases: A Psychoeducational and Exercise Intervention Study
  • Tyana Joseph, PhD student, MSM, Biomedical Sciences, The Mechanism of Melatonin at the Maternal-Fetal Interface during Human Cytomegalovirus (HCMV) - Induced Inflammation and Oxidative Stress
  • Leandra Lacayo, MPH, PhD student, Emory, Nutrition and Health Sciences, Evaluating the Sustainability of Produce Prescription (PRx) Programs
  • Jennifer Lathrop, UGA, Pharmaceutical & Biomedical Sciences, Extracellular Vesicle Delivery of CRISPR/Cas9 to target c-Myc in Prostate Cancer
  • Louis Li, MPH, PhD student, Emory, Epidemiology, Precision Phenotyping and Treatment of Atrial Fibrillation in Real-World Settings
  • Emily Valice, MPH, PhD student, Emory, Epidemiology, Real-World Implementation of Respiratory Syncytial Virus Preventive Products in US Infants: Effectiveness, Policy, And Secondary Impacts

Postdoctoral TL1 Trainees

  • Alaijah Bashi, PhD, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, MSM, Geographic Variations in Maternal Food Insecurity: Investigating Environmental Influences and Intergenerational Health Outcomes
  • Aaron “Scott” Gillet, MD, Cardiology Research Fellow, Emory, Medicine, Cardiology, Evaluating a Decision Support Tool in a Diverse Cohort of Patients with Heart Failure - An Integrated Study within TAILORED-HF
  • Erin Grundy, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow, Emory, Hematology and Medical Oncology, Elucidation of Novel Therapeutic Vulnerabilities in Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma via Repetitive Element-Induced Interferon Signaling
  • Kristen Harris, MD, Cardiology Research Fellow, Emory, Medicine, Cardiology, Assessing the Combined Impact of Community Health Determinants and Air Pollution on Vascular Dysfunction and Cardiovascular Disease in an Urban Environment
  • Sandra Jones, MD, Fellow, Emory, Hematology/Oncology, Clinical outcomes after early relapse in mantle cell lymphoma: the impact of frontline Bruton’s tyrosine kinase inhibitors
  • Anita Kaw, MD, PhD, Fellow, Emory, Medicine, Cardiology, Targeting Mitochondrial Oxidative Stress via Nicotinamide Riboside to Mitigate Endothelial Dysfunction and Microvascular Disease Progression Using Tissue-Engineered Models and Translational Approaches
  • Nora Loughry, MD, Fellow, Emory, Medicine, Infectious Diseases, Evaluating The Longitudinal Impact of Stimulant Co-Use Among Patients with Opioid Use Disorder and Injection-Related Infections: A Retrospective Multisite Cohort Study
  • Rebekah Muenich, MD, MPH Fellow, Emory, Medicine, Infectious Diseases, HIV-Related Outcomes and the Role of Residential Stability
  • Jessica Strosahl, PhD, RDN, LD, Postdoctoral Fellow, Emory, Human Genetics, Defining Protein Requirements in Adults with PKU: Impact of Genotype and Medical Food Intake