Rush University recently announced its inaugural awardees for its newest research funding award, “RUSH to Progress: Accelerating Research Through Pilot Awards.”
RUSH to Progress is a new pilot funding program for Rush investigators that awards grants of $50,000 for one year or $100,000 over two years. The new award aims to encourage translational research by funding innovative, investigator-initiated projects that could compete for future grants from a federal or private agency.
“I am excited for our university to play a role in improving health care and health care outcomes through research,” says Rush University President Robert S.D. Higgins, MD, MSHA. “The future of Rush University and the impact it can have on the lives of those in the Rush system and across the Chicagoland health care landscape relies heavily on our translational and clinical research community implementing changes that benefit our patients. RUSH to Progress is one of many amazing opportunities that our investigators can drive change and be leaders in the field of clinical and translational science.”
Many RUSH to Progress awardees are early-stage investigators or new investigators, further establishing Rush University’s commitment to investigators as early career researchers. All submissions for the RUSH to Progress awards were reviewed by a panel that included accomplished faculty members from all three of the university’s colleges.
This year, 12 investigators across all colleges were awarded either one- or two-year grants:
- TELEHEALTH DELIVERED STRATEGY TRAINING TO PROMOTE PARTICIPATION AMONG OLDER ADULTS WITH SUBJECTIVE COGNITIVE DECLINE. Steven Taylor, PhD, OTD, OTR/L, assistant professor, Department of Occupational Therapy, College of Health Sciences
- CHARACTERIZING MYOSITIS-RELATED PAIN IN INFLAMMATORY MYOPATHIES (CRAMP-IM). Didem Saygin, MD, assistant professor, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Rush Medical College
- DEVELOPING DIAGNOSTIC FUNCTIONAL TESTING OF INNATE IMMUNE REACTIVITY TO ORTHOPEDIC IMPLANT DEBRIS. Nadim Hallab, PhD, professor, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Rush Medical College
- NERVE GROWTH FACTOR RECEPTOR AND JOINT REMODELING IN OSTEOARTHRITIS. Jian Huang, PhD, assistant professor, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Rush Medical College
- PILOT TESTING A CULTURALLY AND LINGUISTICALLY TAILORED WEB-BASED DECISION AID TOOL FOR ADRD CARE PLANNING AMONG CHINESE AMERICAN FAMILY CAREGIVERS. Chien-Ching Li, PhD, associate professor, Department of Health Systems Management, College of Health Sciences
- A PILOT STUDY TO EVALUATE THE FEASIBILITY OF A CULTURALLY TAILORED DIGITAL THERAPEUTIC FOR VIOLENCE-IMPACTED YOUNG BLACK MALES. Chuka Emezue, PhD, MPH, MPA, assistant professor, Department of Women, Children and Family Nursing, College of Nursing
- ENZALUTAMIDE PROMOTES METASTASIS AND IMMUNOSUPPRESSIVE TUMOR MICROENVIRONMENT THROUGH CD52 INDUCTION. Adrian Mansini, PhD, assistant professor, Department of Dermatology, Rush Medical College
- NEURONAL NOTCH SIGNALING PATHWAY IN OSTEOARTHRITIS PAIN AND PROGRESSION. Lai Wang, MD, PhD, assistant professor, Department of Internal Medicine, Rush Medical College
- PRDM1 AND SUSCEPTIBILITY TO CRYPTOSPORIDIUM FOLLOWING HIV INFECTION. Xian-Ming Chen, MD, professor, Department of Microbial Pathogens and Immunity, Rush Medical College
- THE ROLE OF SHP-1 IN OSTEOARTHRITIS-INDUCED PAIN. Adrienn Markovics, MD, PhD, assistant professor, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Rush Medical College
- ACCURATE DETERMINATION OF CAUSES OF IMPLANT LOOSENING IN TOTAL SHOULDER ARTHROPLASTY. Robin Pourzal, PhD, associate professor, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Rush Medical College
- CRISPR-ENHANCED STEM CELL THERAPY FOR OSTEOARTHRITIS. Lan Zhao, PhD, assistant professor, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Rush Medical College
RUSH to Progress is one of many research funding awards Rush University is offering to faculty to help further clinical, basic science and community-based research as they lead the charge in improving care for patients at Rush and beyond.
Other awards funded through the university include the Rush University Research Awards and other philanthropically supported pilot awards:
- Used to foster new and exciting research, the Rush University Research Awards are granted to researchers who have novel research and/or entrepreneurial projects that align with the university’s vision to improve health.
- Rush University has a variety of philanthropically supported pilot awards for Rush investigators to utilize. These include Swim Across America, Bears Care, the Cohn Fellowship and more.
“Clinical research is a key foundation of Rush University and our health care system,” Higgins says. “RUSH to Progress, along with so many of our other funding opportunities, will help grow and strengthen our research community and continue our commitment to improving health and making a positive impact through collaborative research.”