Projects
PFP ApplicationHarvard Clinical Nutrition Research Center
Funded Pilot Feasibility Projects
2008-2009
Amy DiVasta, M.D., MMSc, Staff Physician, Children’s Hospital Boston; Instructor in Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School “Biochemical stimulation and skeletal health in adolescents with anorexia nervosa”
Michael Donnino, M.D., Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Director Division of Critical Care, Department of Emergency Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Center – “Thiamine deficiency in the critically ill patient with sepsis” (competing renewal)
Debora Duro, Division of Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Children’s Hospital; Instructor of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School “13C-methionine breath test to assess liver diseases in short bowel syndrome”
Madhusmita Misra, M.D., M.P.H., Assistant in Pediatrics, Neuroendocrine Unit/ Pediatrics Massachusetts General Hospital; Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School – “Bone metabolism in female adolescents”
Yaakov Nahmias, Ph.D., Instructor in Surgery and Bioengineering, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School “Grapefruit flavonoid naringenin for the treatment of HCV infection”
Eduardo Villamor, M.D., DrPH, Assistant Professor of International Nutrition, Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health “Vitamin D status and risk of overweight in school children”
2006-2007
Bobby J. Cherayil, M.D., Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School; Associate Immunologist, Department of Pediatrics, Massachusetts General Hospital for Children - “The hyperferriteinemia (Hfe) gene in innate immunity”
Michael Donnino, M.D., Clinical Instructor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Director Critical Care, Department of Emergency Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Center – “Thiamine deficiency in the critically ill patient with sepsis”
Roland Kupka, ScD, Research Associate, Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health - “Prevalence, predictors and consequences of iron deficiency among children born to HIV-infected mothers”
Irina G. Stavrovskaya, Ph.D., Instructor, Harvard Medical School; Department of Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital – “Effect of omega-3 fatty acids enriched diet on brain mitochondrial functions”
Yu-Hua Tseng, Ph.D., Instructor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Assistant Investigator, Joslin Diabetes Center – “Role of morphogenic proteins in human obesity”
Corrine K Welt, M.D., Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Department of Medicine, Division of Reproductive Endocrine, Massachusetts General Hospital – “The effect of prolactin in the nutritional and immune properties of breast milk”
2005-2006
Carlos Arturo Camargo, Jr., M.D, DrPH, Associate Professor of Medicine & Epidemiology, Harvard Medical School; Emergency Department, Massachusetts General Hospital – “Food security among emergency department patients”
Colleen Hadigan, M.D, MPH, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School; Department of Pediatrics, Neuroendocrine Unit, Division of Gastroenterology, Massachusetts General Hospital – “Pilot project on hepatic steatosis in HIV”
Efi Kokkotou, M.D., Ph.D., Instructor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Research Associate, Beth Israel Deaconess Center – “Proinflammatory role of melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) in adipose tissue”
Madhusmita Misra, M.D., Instructor in Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School; Assistant in Pediatrics and Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital – “Bone metabolism in female adolescent athletes”
Daniel S. Rooks, ScD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Department of Surgery, Center for the Study of Nutrition Medicine – “A home-based, preoperative exercise intervention for weight loss surgery patients”
Marielle Scherrer-Crosbie, M.D., Ph.D., Assistant Professor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Clinical Assistant, Cardiac Ultrasound Laboratory, Division of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital – “Impact of a high-lipid diet on cardiac response to pressure-overload: role of nitric oxide synthase 3”
Ali Tavakolizaedeh, M.D., Instructor in Surgery, Harvard Medical School; Surgical Chief Resident, Clinical Fellow in Surgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital – “Signaling loops for entraining diurnal rhythms in intestinal activities”
San Y. Wang, M.D., Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Associate Physician, Gerontology Division, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center – “A nutritional approach to reducing cardiovascular risk factors in older women”
2004-2005
Jean L. Chan, M.D., Instructor in Medicine/Endocrinology, Harvard Medical School; Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism; BIDMC - "Randomized controlled trial of human recombinant leptin in the treatment of hypothalamic amenorrhea"
William G. Christen, Ph.D.; Associate Professor, Harvard Medical School; Associate Epidemiologist, Department of Medicine, Division of Preventive Medicine, Brigham & Women’s Hospital – "Prospective studies of diet and eye disease in women"
Cara B. Ebbeling, Ph.D.; Instructor in Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School; Research Associate, Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Children’s Hospital – "Fast food feeding in youth"
Steven K. Grinspoon, M.D.; Director, Program in Nutritional Metabolism, Associate Professor, Harvard Medical School; Department of Medicine, Neuroendocrine Unit, MGH – "Effects of leptin administration on inflammatory markers"
Nanda Nanthakumar, Ph.D.; Instructor in Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School; Assistant Biologist, Pediatric Service, Developmental Gastroenterology Laboratory, MGH – "Identification of and characterization of glycoconjugate receptor of probiotics"
2003-2004
Jean L. Chan, M.D., Clinical Fellow, Harvard Medical School; Endocrinology & Metabolism/Medicine; BIDMC - "Role of leptin in the reproductive system, neuroendocrine function, and bone metabolism in hypothalamic amenorrhea"
Paul M. Copeland, M.D., Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, MGH Weight Center - "Gut hormone responses to gastric bypass surgery"
Karen McCowen, M.D., Instructor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Nutrition Services, BIDMC - "Normalization of n-6 fatty acids in home TPN patients"
Sandra C. Souza, Ph.D., Scientist III, Obesity Metabolism Department, USDA-HNRC, Tufts University – "The role of lipid storage and lipolysis in glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in pancreatic b cells" (competing renewal)
Dezheng Zhao, Ph.D., Instructor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School, BIDMC - "Role of ghrelin in intestinal inflammation"
2002-2003
Michael Agus, M.D., Clinical Fellow, Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Children’s Hospital; Department of Pediatrics, Division Critical Care Medicine; MGH – "Protein Metabolism in Critically Ill Surgical Neonates" (competing renewal)
David B. Herzog, M.D., Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School; Director, Eating Disorders Unit, Child Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital – "Offspring of Women with Eating Disorders"
Jeannie Huang, M.D., Instructor in Pediatrics, Harvard, Medical School; Clinical Research Fellow, Neuroendocrine Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital – "Evaluation of Bone Marrow Fat in HIV Lipodystrophy"
Katia P. Karalis, M.D., D.Sc., Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Endocrine Division, Department of Medicine, Children’s Hospital – "Regulation of Leptin Expression in Inflammation: A Role for Corticotropin Releasing Hormones?"
David S. Newburg, Ph.D., Professor of Biochemistry & Molecular Pharmacology, Shriver Center, University of Massachusetts Medical, School – "Human Milk Oligosaccharides and Fluid Homeostasis of the Gut"
Sandra C. Souza, Ph.D., Scientist III, Obesity Metabolism Department, USDA-HNRC, Tufts University – "The Role of Lipid Storage and Lipolysis in Glucose-Stimulated Insulin Secretion in Pancreatic b Cells"
2001-2002
Michael Agus, M.D., Children’s Hospital, Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology – "Protein metabolism in critically ill surgical neonates"
Leticia Castillo, M.D., Children’s Hospital, Intensive Care Unit – "Asymmetric dimethylarginine and NO production in end stage renal disease"
Glenn Furuta, M.D., Children’s Hospital, Division of GI/Nutrition – "Pathophysiology food allergic disorders n a swine model"
Jing Xuan Kang, M.D., Ph.D., Department of Medicine, MGH – "Biological effects of gene transfer of the n-3 fatty acid desaturase"
Lynne Levitsky, M.D.m Chief, Pediatric Endocrine Unit, MGH – "Antecedents of adult insulin resistance in human infants"
Charalabos Pothoulakis M.D., Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center – "Leptin and mechanism of intestinal inflammation"
Francine Welty, M.D., Ph.D., Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology – "Dietary soy in menopausal women"
2000-2001
Block, Donald, M.D. - Assistant Professor of Medicine, HMS, Assistant in Medicine, MGH - "Characterization of PPARalpha-specific transcriptional activator"
Furuta, Glenn, M.D. - Assistant Professor, Harvard Medical School, Attending Physician, Children’s Hospital - "Pathophysiology food allergic disorders in a swine model"
Hadigan, Colleen, M.D. - Instructor in Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Fellow in Pediatric GI and Nutrition, Massachusetts General Hospital and Children’s Hospital - "Free fatty acids and insulin resistance in the HIV lipodystrophy syndrome"
Neufeld, Ellis, M.D., Ph.D. - Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Associate in Medicine, Children’s Hospital - "High affinity thiamine transport"
Yu, Geng-Sheng, M.D., Ph.D. - Research Fellow in Medicine, HMS and MGH, Diabetes Research Unit "Identification of the mitochondrial glutamine translocase"
1999-2000
Glenn T. Furuta, M.D.; Instructor in Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School; Clinical Associate in Pediatrics, MGH; Attending Physician, Children’s Hospital, Combined Program in Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition - “Effect of novel therapy on eosinophils in allergic esophagitis“
Colleen Hadigan, M.D.; Clinical and Research Fellow in Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School; Clinical and Research Fellow, Combined Program in Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Massachusetts General Hospital and Children’s Hospital - “Free fatty acids and insulin resistance in HIV lipodystrophy syndrome“
Okee Han, Ph.D.; Research Associate, Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health - “Hephaestin , a Cp homologue and intestinal Fe transport“
Alison G. Hoppin, M.D.; Instructor in Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School; Assistant in Pediatrics (Gastroenterology), Combined Program in Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Massachusetts General Hospital - “Obesity treatment for adolescents through the internet“
Tom Jaksic, M.D., Ph.D., FACA; Pediatric Surgeon, Children’s Hospital - “Intestinal glutathione metabolism in surgical patients“
Carine M. Lenders, M.D., M.S.; Instructor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Assistant, Clinical Nutrition Services, Combined Program in Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Children’s Hospital - “Effect of glutamine on glucose metabolism and insulin resistance in young obese adults“
1998-1999
Steven F. Abcouwer, Ph.D., Assistant Biochemist, MGH, Instructor in Surgery, HMS, - "Glutamine regulation of GADD153 and cellular proliferation"
Leticia Castillo, M.D., Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, HMS, Research Affiliate, M.I.T., Clinical Research Center, M.I.T., Department of Anesthesia, Children’s Hospital, "Arginine Metabolism in End Stage Renal Disease"
Glenn T. Furuta, M.D., Instructor, HMS, Clinical Associate, MGH, "Effect of novel therapy on eosinophils in allergic esophagitis"
Beth McCormick, Ph.D.; Assosistant Professor of Pediatrics, HMS, Associate Microbiologist, MGH – "Novel Treatment of Food Borne Pathogens"
Randall S. Stafford, M.D., Ph.D., Assistant in Medicine, MGH, Instructor in Medicine, HMS, General Internal Medicine - "National Patterns of Physicians Activities Related to Obesity"