Journeys Success Stories

2020-2021 Cohorts

• Mariko Bennett received a NIH DP5. “Our lab studies the role that microglia, the brain’s resident macrophages, play in normal development and disease. We are trying to uncover ways we can use microglia targeting therapeutically and our current focus is on overcoming natural microglia viral restriction to enable gene therapies.
  The Journeys program allowed community and mentorship throughout the COVID shutdown during a critical period of my training (and new motherhood).”

• Praveen Chandrasekharan received an RO1. “After participating in the Journeys 2020 – 2021 and other supporting programs by NIH-NICHD and a strong lab team, I received an R01 grant in 2021, focusing on chest compressions for bradycardia during newborn resuscitation.
  The Journeys program was helpful as an adjunct in interacting with peers and established investigators. Their experiences and inputs while discussing my research were valuable to me.”

• Thao (Tina) Ho received an R21. “The goal of my grant is to investigate characteristics of gut microbiota associated with severe anemia in preterm infants using stool multiomics approach.
  The Journeys Program motivated me to stay focused on my research and how to improve on grant writing.”

• Monica Hsiung Wojcik received an R21. “My research focuses on equitable implementation of genomic medicine in the perinatal context, with particular emphasis on clinical effectiveness as well as parent/patient-reported outcomes towards improved health-related quality of life. To this effect, our team received an R21 in 2022 to evaluate an approach to equitable participation in rare disease genomic research. Recognizing the obstacles families face when attempting to access genomic sequencing for precision diagnosis, we have implemented a personalized and supportive approach to enrollment in the Broad Institute Rare Genomes Project.
  I participated in the Journeys Program in one of my first years after graduating from a combined fellowship program, and it was extremely beneficial to learn about how my mentors in this program paved their own paths to independence from an early stage, to receive feedback on research and career plans, as well as to broaden my network of colleagues, collaborators, and friends.

• Emma Mohr received an RO1. “My research focuses on vertical transmission and infant developmental outcomes of emerging viral infections during pregnancy using a translational macaque model.
  I benefitted from the Journeys program by improving how I communicate with department leaders.”

• Elizabeth Yen received a K23. “My K23-funded research focuses on understanding the sex-specific impact of prenatal opioid exposure on brain reward signaling and neonatal feeding regulation. While opioid-exposed infants are known to encounter growth and feeding issues, the molecular mechanisms underlying these problems are unknown. Using neonatal salivary gene expression, feeding, and growth measurements, our team aims to elucidate the impact of reward and hypothalamic signaling dysregulation of infant feeding behavior and growth trajectory. The role of sex as an important biological variable is also the focus of this multiyear study.
  As a participant in the Journeys, I quickly learned that the path to a successful research career was not easy, yet it was possible. Surrounded by brilliant scientists and physicians, I realized the importance of strong mentorship, grit, resilience, team science, and effective communication. My group leaders (Drs. Beth Tarini and Bruce Gelb) were engaging, transparent, encouraging, and insightful. The group members provided stories of wins and losses and lessons learned that truly brought a healthy perspective for the entire cohort. The Journeys provided helpful, tangible advice for my grant application and fostered my long-term career growth.”

2021-2022 Cohorts

• Katherine Bline received K23 from NHLBI. “Our lab studies the host immune response in children with viral lower respiratory tract infections, specifically the role of myeloid-derived suppressor cells that can inappropriately suppress adaptive immune function in this context. Our overarching goal is to identify novel therapeutic targets to augment the host immune response to better fight infection and restore immune homeostasis in children who become critically ill due to respiratory infections.The Journeys program provided me with invaluable mentorship and community early in my faculty career. I formed new friendships, received crucial feedback on career plans and grant applications, and I was inspired by the talks from physician-scientists who have forged a similar path.”

2022-2023 Cohorts

• Stuart Fraser received his first Child Neurologist Career Development Program K12 award!
• Terry Dean awarded NINDS K08 for Endogenous circadian clocks regulate NG2-glia regenerative potential!

2023-2024 Cohorts

• Ashaunta Anderson received a K23. “The Racial-Ethnic Strengths in Pediatrics for Equitable Care and Treatment (RESPECT) Laboratory is grounded in deep respect for the unique sociocultural contexts experienced by minoritized families seeking pediatric care. We especially focus on interventions that boost cultural pride in early childhood, which has been shown to improve mental health, behavioral health, and school outcomes. In addition, we study quality improvement to systematize equitable care and treatment in the pediatric clinical setting and beyond.
  The Journeys program equipped me with a network of mentors and peers to support the development of my research program. It was particularly helpful to meet in person and hear the career development stories of well-established investigators who shared how they navigated both challenges and opportunities.”
• Tracy Bedrosian received an R01. “My lab is discovering genetic mechanisms that lead to pediatric focal epilepsies and using model systems to develop novel treatment approaches. Our long-term goal is to improve treatment for drug-resistant epilepsies in children.
  The Journeys program provided a community of early career investigators to share challenges and successes. I learned a lot from the experiences of my peers, which helped me to obtain independent funding and advance toward promotion and tenure.”
• Carol Duh-Leong received a K23. “My NIH K23, funded by NIEHS, is titled, “Geospatial food access as a driver of environmental oxidant stressors and early obesity.” The overarching goal of this work is to understand how environments and experiences influence food access during pregnancy and early childhood, ultimately shaping obesity risk across the life course.
  The Journeys mentorship program has connected me with wonderful peer and career mentors, and provided valuable career coaching, helping me prepare for and work towards research independence. The conference day is filled with inspiring talks and opportunities to connect with cross-disciplinary peers on a similar journey.”
• Diana Zepeda-Orozco received R01s from NIDDK & NCI. “The Zepeda-Orozco lab studies mitochondrial contributions to chemotherapy and radioligand therapies induced kidney damage. Our overall goal is to develop novel diagnostic and targeted nephroprotective approaches by leveraging metabolic differences between tumor and normal cells. Both platinum chemotherapy and alpha-emitter radioligand therapy are potent anti-tumor treatments, but their dose-dependent kidney toxicity is a significant concern. Maximizing platinum and radioligand therapies tumor responses by using nephroprotective approaches could pave the way for more effective anti-cancer clinical trials, ultimately improving patient survival and quality of life.
  The Journeys program offered invaluable mentorship and friendships at a pivotal moment in my career. Our informal meetings covered a wide range of topics pertinent to junior faculty development, providing a platform to discuss challenges and explore potential solutions in various contexts. This program is an excellent resource for junior physician-scientist navigating this critical period in their career development.”

2024-2025 Cohorts

• Lyndsay Edwards received BIRCWH K12 Institutional Training Grant. “I am a pediatric cardiologist specialized in cardiovascular imaging of the fetus and child. My research focuses on the development of novel imaging technology, including machine learning-based applications, to improve diagnosis, management, and prognostication in pediatric and congenital heart disease. Currently, my work centers around pediatric imaging biomarkers in cancer treatment-related cardiomyopathy.

  The Journeys program provided me with pivotal mentorship, camaraderie, and support during a particularly uncertain time within the American medical research community. I was grouped with several other early-career researchers and two distinguished mentors. Each month, we met to discuss topics relevant to career development, and the mentees received feedback on current research and grant proposals. I left each session inspired by my peers and mentors, with reinvigorated drive for an independent research career. I highly recommend the APS SPR Journeys Program to any physician-scientist navigating the ups and downs of the early career period.”