Previous Congratulations
Josiah Hardesty, Ph.D., is a post-doctoral fellow in the Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition. He has been awarded and NIH NIAAA MOSIAC K99/R00 to support a period of intensive, mentored research and career development under the guidance and support of Drs. Irina Kirpich and Craig McClain, as well as scientists from MUSC and Duke. This type of K-award supports mentored research while still a post-doctoral fellow and then transitions to R00 funding as a new faculty member. His topic is "Restoration and preservation of hepatic cardiolipin levels promotes liver regeneration in alcohol-associated hepatitis." Dr. Hardesty received his Ph.D. from UofL in the Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology. This NIH K-award is the first MOSIAC award at UofL. It is highly competitive and is designed to build a diverse research faculty. Dr. Hardesty's award is the fourth active K-award in the GI Division. Congratulations to Dr. Hardesty.
Congratulations to Shirish Barve, Ph.D., Professor of Medicine in the Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition Division and Professor of Pharmacology & Toxicology for being honored with the 2022 Grand Challenges Award in Advancing our Health! Dr. Barve is an internationally recognized expert in alcohol, HIV, and aging. He received his Ph.D. in Microbiology & Immunology from the University of Kentucky and did a post-doctoral fellowship in Molecular Immunology at UK. He received his first NIH funding with a K-21 award on Alcohol, Immunomodulation and AIDS in 1999. He has had continuous NIH funding since that time. He is a Distinguished University Scholar at UofL. His current research focus is on the gut:liver:brain axis in alcohol-induced organ injury. He is currently funded from the NIH on multiple grants, selected ones include being PI/M-PI on an R01, two P01s and two U01s.
Kristine Krueger, M.D., was awarded the Dean's Distinguished Faculty Award in Service. She has been dedicated to the University of Louisville School of Medicine since she joined the faculty in 2000. She has served in many capacities—Chief of Staff of ULH, Interim Chair of Medicine, Assistant Dean for Administration, and Chief of Academic and Clinical Affairs for the Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition, to name only a few. In each of these roles, Dr. Krueger has represented UofL, the School of Medicine, and the Division with great dignity and honor.
Loretta Jophlin, M.D., Ph.D., is a new junior faculty member in the Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition. She has been awarded an NIH NIDOK K08 award to support a five-year period of intensive, mentored research and career development under the guidance and support of Drs. Craig McClain and Matt Cave. Her research focuses on characterizing interactions between the cellular cytoskeleton and liver fat storage compartments (lipid droplets) as well as understanding human genetic polymorphisms in lipid droplet proteins predisposing to fatty liver disease. The overarching goal of her research is to mechanically deplete fat from hepatic lipid droplets as a novel therapeutic approach to treat fatty liver disease and salvage over-steatotic donor livers for use in transplant.
Vatsalya Vatsalya, M.D., Pg.D., M.Sc., MS, is a new junior faculty in the Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition. He has been awarded an NIH NIAAA K23 grant which is a mentored clinical grant for 5 years to study Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) intervention using probiotics which will investigate a novel therapeutic mechanism involving the gut:liver:brain axis. This will be a first treatment trial in the field of AUD to use gut:liver:brain axis as a treatment pathway while simultaneously treating the comorbid alcohol-associated liver injury. He will conduct this clinical trial at the University of Louisville, and the Robley Rex Louisville VA Medical Center. His primary mentor for this grant will be Dr. Craig J. McClain.
Craig McClain, M.D., was awarded the University of Louisville 2021 Outstanding Scholarship, Research and Creative Activity in Career Achievement. Dr. McClain has made many seminal observations in liver injury/liver disease, including increased pro-inflammatory cytokine production in patients with alcohol-associated liver disease; the harmful effects of chronic alcohol consumption and excess Tylenol consumption; the deleterious effects of n-6 polyunsaturated fats in ALD; the importance of gut dysbiosis in liver diseases; and many others. He has been continuously federally funded as PI for his research since 1977.