2022 Undergrad Fellowship Recipients​

2022 Undergrad Grant Recipients

$5,000 - Christopher Polera at University of Central Florida, research entitled "Reprogramming pancreatic tumors via FUBP1 inhibition"

$5,000 - Roman Voskoboynikov and adviser Justin DiAngelo at Pennsylvania State University, Berks Campus, research entitled "The regulation of lipid transport and metabolism by the splicing factor glorund in the Drosophila intestine"

$3,500 - Jeremy Nelson and adviser Kenneth Kwan at University of Michigan, research entitled "Cortical alterations following deletion of Weidemann-Steiner syndrome gene Kmt2a"

$5,000 - Victoria Glass and adviser Claudia Grillo at University of South Carolina School of Medicine, research entitled "Identification of Hypothalamic Neurons Involved in a Novel Circuit that Regulates Feeding Behavior"

$4,000 - McKenna Spencer and adviser Ryan McLaughlin at Washington State University, research entitled "Cannabis Use in Females: Influence of ovarian hormones on cannabis vapor self administration in female rats"

$3,000 - Branwen Jorenby and adviser Matthew Beckman at Augsburg University, research entitled "Developing a CRISPR Design to Disrupt Hedgehog in Drosophila melanogaster"

$4,000 - Addison Thompson and adviser Ryan McLaughlin at Washington State University, research entitled "Using Rodent Models to Interrogate Effects of Cannabis Use During Pregnancy on the Postpartum Phenotype"

$3,500 - Stevie Rieger and adviser John Letterio at Case Western Reserve University, research entitled "Targeting Cathepsin B to Overcome Radiation Resistance in DIPG"

$2,500 - Caitlyn Bartsch and adviser Jacob Nordman at Southern Illinois University - Carbondale, research entitled "Synaptogenesis and Early Life Stress Induced Aggression (ELSIA)"

$4,500 - Laura Clark and adviser Santiago at Virginia Commonwealth University, research entitled "Role of Glycosphingolipids in Cell Migration and Invasion in Cancer"

CABRI Announces Undergraduate Fellowships and Scholarship Program

The Cayman Biomedical Research Institute (CABRI) is pleased to announce that applications for our undergraduate fellowships and scholarship program are open. 

Undergraduate fellowships are available on a competitive basis to undergraduate students who have been offered an unpaid research position by a qualified principal investigator. Up to $5,000 per semester is available to each mentee-mentor team, with the entire amount paid as compensation to the undergraduate. The principal investigator will be responsible for the mentorship and guidance of the student during the period of the award. 

“These fellowships are an excellent training opportunity for undergraduates to expand their knowledge outside the lecture hall,” said Kourtney Goode, Academic Relations Coordinator at Cayman Chemical. “Hands-on research is an equally valuable learning experience that introduces a student to a potential career path and fosters the growth of their talents.” 

Undergraduate fellowship applications may be submitted on the CABRI website from August 22nd to September 18th, 2022, and awardees will be notified by October 16th, 2022.  

As part of CABRI’s commitment to help college-bound students continue their education after losing a parent or guardian to sinonasal undifferentiated carcinoma (SNUC) or B-cell lymphoma, scholarships are available to support the continued education of these students.  

Scholarship applications are accepted throughout the year and are available on the CABRI website.

CABRI is a nonprofit foundation that helps reduce the impact of rare diseases by funding research and supporting expanded opportunities for emerging scientists and families affected by these diseases. Contact CABRI with any questions about these funding opportunities.

CABRI Announces Call for Proposals on Specialized Pro-Resolving Mediator Analytical Methods

The Cayman Biomedical Research Institute (CABRI) is pleased to announce a call for proposals that support essential research on specialized pro-resolving mediator (SPM) analytical methods.  

There is a critical need for basic research on analytical methods used for specialized pro-resolving mediators (SPMs). SPMs are a family of lipid metabolites derived from polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) that promote the resolution of inflammation and have been detected in several experimental models and human conditions. However, researchers using mass spectrometry-based methods have been in conflict with each other, and do not agree on how much, if any, SPMs are present in biologically relevant contexts. Hence, continued research on SPM analytical methods is necessary for this field to move forward.  

CABRI is offering research grants in amounts up to $100,000 to support this need. We encourage anyone seeking to provide clarity to SPM analytical methods to apply for these research grants. 

Research proposal applications may be submitted on the CABRI website. These applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. 

CABRI is a nonprofit foundation that supports research on rare illnesses and orphan diseases. As part of CABRI’s commitment to the greater scientific community, CABRI awards research grants to academic scientists that address basic science research objectives with the highest unmet needs. 

See some of CABRI’s past research grant recipients here.  

Contact CABRI with any questions about this funding opportunity. 

2021 Undergrad Grant Recipients​

2021 Undergrad Grant Recipients

$2,750- Cody Doubravsky at the University of California Berkeley, studying Cell Biology, Research entitled: "Discovering small molecule inhibitors of Ferroptosis Suppressor Protein 1 as a potential cancer therapeutic".

$3,000- Brendon Lee at Brigham and Women's Hospital/Harvard Medical School, studying Specialized Pro-Resolving Mediators, Research entitled: "Specialized pro-resolving mediator actions on human stem cells".

$4,000- Jessica Melvin at Virginia Tech, studying Genetics, Research entitled: "How to motivate your muscles: analysis of factors affecting muscle growth and differentiation".

$2,500- Jenil Patel at the Universtiy of Alabama at Birmingham, studying Lipid Signaling in Type 1 Diabetes, Research entitled: "The Involvement of iPLA2b-derived lipid signaling in Endoplasmic Reticulum Ca2+ Leak Via Translocon in β-cells".

$2,750- Yitao Xi at the University of Michigan, studying Neuroscience, Research entitled: "Identify structural changes in inhibitory neurons in mouse models of Down Syndrome".

$5,000- Judy Zhang at the University of Pittsburgh, studying Immunology, Research entitled: "Therapeutic Treatment of Peanut Allergy Using Microneedle Arrays"..

Mackenzie Sederburg received the SNUC Scholarship for the 2019/2020 school year!

Mackenzie achieved an Exercise Science major and Psychology minor at Wayne State University. She is excited to continue her education and obtain her doctorate in Occupational Therapy. Her passion for OT stemmed from witnessing her father’s OT appointments when he was undergoing SNUC treatment during her youth.

Throughout her college career, Mackenzie has made her mark through participation in many organizations: Wayne State College Pre-PT/OT Club, Vice President of the Psi Chi International Honors Society in psychology, and the Love Your Melon organization supporting juvenile cancer funding. Congrats, Mackenzie

Mackenzie Sederburg received the SNUC Scholarship for the 2019/2020 school year!

Mackenzie achieved an Exercise Science major and Psychology minor at Wayne State University. She is excited to continue her education and obtain her doctorate in Occupational Therapy. Her passion for OT stemmed from witnessing her father’s OT appointments when he was undergoing SNUC treatment during her youth. Throughout her college career, Mackenzie has made her mark through participation in many organizations: Wayne State College Pre-PT/OT Club, Vice President of the Psi Chi International Honors Society in psychology, and the Love Your Melon organization supporting juvenile cancer funding. Congrats, Mackenzie!

Researchers Receive Grants from Sapphire North America and CABRI in Joint Effort to Help Scientists Return to Research

ANN ARBOR, MI, August 2, 2021Sapphire North America partnered with the Cayman Biomedical Research Institute (CABRI) to offer recovery grants to help re-engage the research of investigators affected by COVID-19 this past year. From the qualifying applicants, the following five researchers have been selected to receive $2,000 each in grant funds to support their work.

2021 Return to Research Grant Recipients

Elizabeth Delorme-Axford, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Biochemistry at Oakland University who is launching an independent research program to identify the cellular and molecular mechanisms regulating autophagy. Her goal is to develop new therapeutics for human diseases associated with aberrant autophagy such as cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and lysosomal storage disorders. She plans to use the funding to investigate post-transcriptional mechanisms regulating autophagy-related gene expression and autophagy activity with a focus on pseudouridine synthase 7-mediated pseudouridylation as a posttranscriptional RNA modification.

Jorgelina Calandria, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Cell Biology and Anatomy and Neuroscience at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans who is interested in the mechanisms of neuroprotection exerted by bioactive lipids derived from docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). She focuses on age-related neurodegenerative diseases related with Parkinson’s disease and Lewy body dementia, seeking to counteract the effects of deregulated phospholipase A2 group VI in these pathologies by treating her acute and chronic rat models of Parkinsonian disorders with bioactive lipids.

Mariola Edelmann, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Microbiology and Cell Science at the University of Florida who studies the roles of exosomes and lipid‐based extracellular signals in host‐pathogen interactions to design new methods for the prevention and treatment of Gram-negative infections. She plans to use the funding to purchase cannabinoid libraries to study the function of cannabinoids in the host response to Salmonella and other enteric infections. Dr. Edelmann also has a research collaboration to find new therapeutic treatments for Krabbe disease. She will use the same library in testing potential therapies for this leukodystrophy.

Pengda Liu, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Biochemistry and Biophysics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill who is searching for new therapeutic directions for cancer treatment by working to decipher aberrant cell signaling events as well as modification-mediated changes in the protein-protein interactome that contribute to tumorigenesis. His lab is planning to use their expertise in protein degradation to investigate if several SARS-CoV-2 viral proteins are targeted by the host E3 ubiquitin ligase Speckle-type BTB–POZ protein (SPOP), which is regulated by casein kinase I, and how that process can be reinforced as an approach to treat or block SARS-CoV-2 infection.

 

Carmen De Miguel, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Medicine – Nephrology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham whose research program is focused on understanding how immune cells and immune mediators impact renal function and end‐organ damage during hypertension and diabetes. Her laboratory is investigating the role of endothelin‐1 in hypertension‐induced inflammation and end-stage organ damage, endothelin‐1 and kidney inflammation in diabetic kidney disease, and mechanisms involved in hyperoxia-induced kidney damage. They are also working to determine if sex differences in diabetic kidney disease are mediated by activation of different immune cell populations.

“COVID-19 has been a tremendous opportunity for those scientists already studying RNA viruses, vaccinations, and viral enzyme inhibitors, as well as those who could pivot their research from a related field to include the study of SARS-CoV-2,” said Dr. Kirk Maxey, President and Director of CABRI. “Unfortunately, lockdown prohibitions, the loss of cell lines and animal colonies, and institutionally limited working hours impaired investigators in all fields, including those with no prospect for new, COVID-related funding. Sapphire North America and CABRI want to provide a boost, especially to these worthy young investigators as they return full time to their labs.” The above recipients were selected based on the merits of their research and the proposed use of the grant funds to support their work.


About Sapphire North America
Sapphire North America is a distributor of specialized biochemical tools and reagents sourced from overseas suppliers, mainly in Europe and Asia. We offer scientists in North America a convenient, domestic source for unique products made around the world without the complications of customs clearance, currency conversion, and international ordering. Our dedication to our customers extends to our supplier relationships. As a distributor of life science research products, we provide marketing, sales, logistics services, and R&D opportunities to our international suppliers. We are actively seeking suppliers outside North America who are looking for a partner to help them expand in this important market.


About CABRI
Cayman Biomedical Research Institute (CABRI) is a nonprofit organization that supports research into the rare illnesses and orphan diseases that are often neglected by the corporate pharmaceutical industry and actively pursues new developments that will treat these diseases. To support this endeavor, we offer research grants to specific principal investigators at academic research institutions who have a plan to extend the clinical or pre-clinical development of therapeutics for these conditions. We also provide undergraduate research grants targeted primarily at students whose financial needs preclude them from taking unpaid internships in advanced academic laboratories. The application period for these grants opens in August each year. Grants range from $2,000 to $10,000 per PI/undergraduate team. To learn more or apply, visit www.cabrimed.org.

Past Research Grant Recipients

CABRI is proudly dedicated to research new treatments for rare diseases. To support this effort, we offer research grants to individual principal investigators at academic research institutions who have a plan to extend the clinical or pre-clinical development of our mission.

Eligible applicants include domestic and international researchers alike, along with domestic and international group collaborations. Our grants are open to investigators of any career stage who are capable of leading an independent research study and supervising personnel. Funds may only be used for research. CABRI does not fund institutional overhead costs.

PAST GRANT RECIPIENTS

2018 Grant Recipients

$50,000 – Dr. Sven-Erik Dahlen, Karolinska Institute Research entitled: “Inhibition of prostaglandin D2 biosynthesis: an unmet need in many inadequately treated diseases.”

$50,000 – Michael Holinstadt, University of Michigan Research entitled: “Assessing whether 12-LOX deficiency reduces incidences of thrombocytopenia.”Dr. Sven-Erik Dahlen

2017 Grant Recipients

$59,200 – Dr. Peter Krieg, DKFZ, Research entitled: ““Novel therapeutic approached for the treatment of autosomal recessive congenital ichthyoses (ARCI).”

$17,000 – Dr. Stefan Zwingenberger, University of Dresden Research entitled: “Enhancement of bone regeneration by functionalization of various bone substitution materials with a novel and potent lactam acetylene EP4 receptor agonist (KMN-159).”

2016 Grant Recipients

$50,000 – Migual Gijon,  University of Colorado-Denver Research entitled: “Lipid mediators in urine as indicators of ongoing inflammation and progression of disease when mice are injected with maresin 1 into the peritoneal cavity.”

2015 Grant Recipients

$59,200 – Dr. Peter Krieg, DKFZ Research entitled: “Novel therapeutic approach for the treatment of autosomal recessive congenital ichthyoses (ARCI).”

40 Women Researchers Receive $40,000 in Grants from Cayman and CABRI

Each year during Women’s History Month, Cayman provides travel grants to help women researchers attend conferences to benefit from and contribute to the larger scientific community. This year, because the COVID-19 pandemic caused most conferences to cancel or postpone and many academic labs to close, Cayman introduced a new program to help support women in research. This new program has doubled the grant amount to $1,000 for each recipient, designating the funds for use in research instead of travel. A record high of forty women will benefit from Cayman’s Women in Research program this year.

“We planned to award five well-qualified applicants,” said Dr. Kirk Maxey, President and CEO of Cayman. “But the applicant pool was so impressive, we extended the award to forty women who are working to answer essential research questions. Reviewing the value of the contributions these women are making to scientific discovery has made us optimistic for overcoming the many challenges facing human health and disease.”

2020 Women in Research Grant Recipients

  • Adela Cota-Gomez, PhD, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, USA
  • Ana-Maria Raicu, Michigan State University, USA
  • Annelies Cannaert, PhD, Ghent University, Belgium
  • Antonia Rotolo, MD, PhD, University of Pennsylvania, USA
  • Aurélie de Rus Jacquet, PhD, Laval University, Canada
  • Caitlyn Norman, University of Dundee, UK
  • Carla Madelaire, PhD, Northern Arizona University, USA
  • Carley Lowe, Northern Arizona University, USA
  • Carmen De Miguel, PhD, University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA
  • Chang Jiang, PhD, Moffitt Cancer Center, USA
  • Christine Arbour, PhD, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA
  • Diane McConnell, DVM, PhD, University of Missouri-Columbia, USA
  • Eline Pottie, Ghent University, Belgium
  • Elizabeth Delorme-Axford, PhD, Oakland University, USA
  • Friederike Pohlin, PhD, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna
  • Georgina Fabro, PhD, National University of Córdoba, Argentina
  • Harriet Allan, PhD, Queen Mary University of London, UK
  • Jennifer Speth, PhD, University of Michigan, USA
  • Jiska van der Reest, PhD, Harvard Medical School, USA
  • Kara Rood, MD, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, USA
  • Laila Ziko, PhD, American University in Cairo, Egypt
  • Laura Torrente Fernandez, PhD, Moffitt Cancer Center, USA
  • Luiza Oliveira Perucci, PhD, Federal University of Ouro Preto, Brazil
  • Marcella Sharma, Wayne State University, USA
  • Margaret Nolan, PhD, Stellenbosch University, South Africa
  • Maria Fedorova, PhD, Leipzig University, Germany
  • Marthe Vandeputte, Ghent University, Belgium
  • Merran Dunford, University of Bath, UK
  • Nerea Alonso, PhD, University of Edinburgh, UK
  • Nona Ehyaei, Michigan State University, USA
  • Paloma Gonzalez Sanchez, PhD, Moffitt Cancer Center, USA
  • Renata Whitton, PhD, University of São Paulo, Brazil
  • Samanta Funes, PhD, National University of San Luis, Argentina
  • Shea Sickles, University of Kentucky, USA
  • Stefanie U. Wetzels, PhD, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Austria
  • Stefanny Titon , PhD, University of São Paulo, Brazil
  • Swati Venkat, PhD, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, USA
  • Swetha Gowrishankar, PhD, University of Illinois at Chicago, USA
  • Tina Sumpter, PhD, University of Pittsburgh, USA
  • Tinna Traustadóttir, PhD, Northern Arizona University, USA

Cayman worked with the Cayman Biomedical Research Institute (CABRI) to fund these extra awards. Cayman’s mission of helping make research possible fully aligns with the founding values of CABRI, which awards research grants to academic scientists and undergraduate students to support their pursuit of new therapeutic approaches against diseases of highest unmet need as well as scholarships to college-bound students who have lost a parent to a rare disease. To further support the research of these grant winners, Cayman will provide 20% off their catalog orders for the entirety of 2021. The work of these recipients will be highlighted over the months to come through Cayman’s social media outlets.

About CABRI
Cayman Biomedical Research Institute (CABRI) is a nonprofit organization which supports research on the rare illnesses and orphan diseases that are often neglected by the corporate pharmaceutical industry and actively pursues new developments that will treat these diseases. To support this endeavor, we offer research grants to specific principal investigators at academic research institutions who have a plan to extend the clinical or pre-clinical development for these diseases as well as undergraduate grants to assist students to obtain experience in laboratories while performing research that aligns with CABRI’s mission. CABRI also provides scholarships to college-bound students who have lost a parent to SNUC (sinonasal undifferentiated carcinoma).

About Cayman Chemical
Cayman Chemical Company helps make research possible by supplying scientists worldwide with biochemical tools used to understand cancer, neurochemistry, oxidative injury, endocrinology, atherosclerosis, and other human health challenges. Our scientists are experts in the synthesis, purification, and characterization of biochemicals ranging from small drug-like heterocycles to complex biolipids, fatty acids, and many others for use as research reagents and qualified standards. We are also highly skilled in all aspects of assay and antibody development, protein expression, crystallization, and structure determination. In addition, we offer a wide range of analytical services using LC-MS/MS, HPLC, GC, and many other techniques. Cayman performs generic drug development and production in both Ann Arbor, Michigan and Neratovice, Czech Republic

CABRI Awards $15,000 Grant to Vanderbilt University Researcher

ANN ARBOR, MI, October 28, 2019— The Cayman Biomedical Research Institute (CABRI) has awarded Dr. David Aronoff, Addison B. Scoville Jr. Chair in Medicine and Director of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, a $15,000 grant to study Clostridium septicum infection in a mouse model of myonecrosis (gangrene). Dr. Aronoff’s laboratory will use a Cayman Chemical-developed alpha toxin ELISA to determine whether a sensitive blood test for alpha toxin can be used to detect C. septicum myonecrosis.

While C. septicum is occasionally present within the human intestine, severe infection leading to a high risk of death can occur if the bacterium enters the bloodstream. Upon infection, C. septicum produce alpha toxin, which is thought to be required for causing its virulence. “Our initial experiments will set out to confirm that C. septicum myonecrosis is accompanied by the systemic release of alpha toxin,” explained Dr. Aronoff. “Our goal is to determine an early diagnostic marker in our mouse model that can be quantified using a sensitive ELISA and can translate to the human population.”

“We are proud to support the work of the Aronoff laboratory as they begin to test real-world applications of Cayman’s alpha toxin ELISA that is in development,” added Stephen Barrett, Director on the Board of CABRI and Vice President of Research, Development, and Production at Cayman. “This research is critical, since specific tests are currently lacking to help clinicians make a diagnosis early enough to implement effective treatments.”

CABRI is dedicated to funding research for new treatments for rare diseases. Research grants are offered to principal investigators at academic research institutions who have a plan to extend the clinical or pre-clinical development of its mission. Research grant applications may be submitted at any time during the year by submitting proposals through an online form.

About CABRI

Cayman Biomedical Research Institute (CABRI) is a nonprofit organization which supports research on the rare illnesses and orphan diseases that are often neglected by the corporate pharmaceutical industry and actively pursues new developments that will treat these diseases. To support this endeavor, we offer research grants to specific principal investigators at academic research institutions who have a plan to extend the clinical or pre-clinical development for these diseases as well as undergraduate grants to assist students to obtain experience in laboratories while performing research that aligns with CABRI’s mission. CABRI also provides scholarships to college-bound students who have lost a parent to SNUC (sinonasal undifferentiated carcinoma).

About Cayman Chemical

Cayman Chemical Company helps make research possible by supplying scientists worldwide with biochemical tools used to understand cancer, neurochemistryoxidative injuryendocrinologyatherosclerosis, and other human health challenges. Our scientists are experts in the synthesis, purification, and characterization of biochemicals ranging from small drug-like heterocycles to complex biolipids, fatty acids, and many others for use as research reagents and qualified standards. We are also highly skilled in all aspects of assay and antibody development, protein expression, crystallization, and structure determination. In addition, we offer a wide range of analytical services using LC-MS/MS, HPLC, GC, and many other techniques. Cayman performs generic drug development and production in both Ann Arbor, Michigan and Neratovice, Czech Republic.