The Wake Forest Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) is pleased to announce the recipients of our 2025 CTSI Pilot Awards. We awarded 4 Science of Translation awards, and 6 Translational Research awards. Congratulations to each of our recipients.
2025 Science of Translation Pilot Recipients
Katherine Sauder, PhD
Associate Professor
Implementation Science
“Human-Centered Design to Increase Uptake of Evidence-Based Practices Among Covered Beneficiaries”
Implementation Science
“Human-Centered Design to Increase Uptake of Evidence-Based Practices Among Covered Beneficiaries”
Asma Ahmed, PhD, MD
Assistant Professor
Epidemiology and Prevention
“Developing and Validating Linkage Algorithms to Identify Family Relationships in Electronic Health Records (EHR) Data”
Epidemiology and Prevention
“Developing and Validating Linkage Algorithms to Identify Family Relationships in Electronic Health Records (EHR) Data”
Michael Webster-Clark, PhD, PharmD
Assistant Professor
Epidemiology and Prevention
“Building a Framework for Inference-Extending Methods to Improve Subgroup Estimate Precision: An Example in Semaglutide”
Epidemiology and Prevention
“Building a Framework for Inference-Extending Methods to Improve Subgroup Estimate Precision: An Example in Semaglutide”
Caitlin Allen, PhD, MPH
Associate Professor
Implementation Science
“Advancing Translational Science Through the Implementation of Population Based Genomic Screening (ASPIRE)”
Implementation Science
“Advancing Translational Science Through the Implementation of Population Based Genomic Screening (ASPIRE)”
2025 Translational Research Pilot Recipients
Sophie Maiocchi, PhD
Assistant Professor
Biomedical Engineering
“Predicting Thrombolytic Efficacy in Venous Thromboembolism: a Biorepository and Pilot Study”
- co-funded by the Critical Illness, Injury and Recovery Research Center
Wesley Hsu, MD, FAACS
Associate Professor
Neurosurgery
“Lactate Dehydrogenase Inhibition to Alter the Tumor Microenvironment, Eliminate Glioblastoma Stem Cells, and Improve Immune Response in Glioblastoma”
- co-funded by the Comprehensive Cancer Center
Kelsey Fisher-Wellman, PhD, MS
Associate Professor
Cancer Biology
“Mitochondrial Transplantation as a Therapeutic Strategy for Improving Organ Transplantation: Investigation into the Molecular Mechanisms”
- co-funded by the Center for Redox Biology and Medicine, and the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine
Anthony Peters, MD, MS
Assistant Professor
Cardiovascular Medicine
“Molecular Response to Exercise Intervention in Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction”
- co-funded by the Cardiovascular Sciences Center
Joost Maier, PhD
Associate Professor
Translational Neuroscience
“Understanding Brain Circuit Dysfunction in Autism Toward Improving Medication Effectiveness”
- co-funded by the Center for Artificial Intelligence Research
Tasha Gill, PhD, MPH
Assistant Professor
Obstetrics and Gynecology
“Artificial Intelligence (AI)-Driven Data Extraction to Examine Birth Outcomes and Health Disparities in Pregnancy Outcomes”
- co-funded by the Center for Artificial Intelligence Research