2022 Department Grant Summaries (continued)

Dr. Ryan Soose received a grant from the National Football League for his project entitled NFL-Brain Health vs Neurodegeneration. This project is a multidisciplinary University of Pittsburgh study of sleep health of NFL veterans with traumatic brain injuries (TBI). Dr. Soose and his team are trying to show that head injuries are likely a complex heterogeneous condition that requires a multidisciplinary evaluation and personalized treatment approach.

Dr. Eric Wang received a grant from the American Academy of Otolaryngology for his project entitled TIL Density and Mutation Burden on ICI Response in Head & Neck Mucosal Melanoma. This project aims to further address the clinical applicability of several biomarkers, which have been identified as potential indicators for response to ICI, in the largest, single-institution cohort of head and neck mucosal melanoma patients to date.

Dr. Ross Williamson received NIH funding for his project entitled Extratelencephalic contributions to auditory categorization. The project will study how deep layers of the auditory cortex gives rise to a major projection system that exerts brain-wide influence over many downstream regions, providing a putative substrate for such behavior. The study will monitor and manipulate this cortical output in awake, behaving mice.

Dr. Bill Yates received a grant from the NIH for his project entitled Multisensory Integration Producing Nausea and Vomiting. This grant intends to determine if electrical stimulation of the vagus nerve can be used to reduce food intake, and/or to treat gastroparesis or other diseases associated with changes in gastric motility.

Dr. Marci Nilsen received a grant from the NIH for her project Sympathetic modulation of head and neck cancer pain. The major goals of this project are 1) to understand impact of stress on oral SCC progression and pain using preclinical animal models and 2) to investigate the prevalence of patientreported pain and psychological symptom burden (e.g., anxiety and depression) pre-treatment and through survivorship.