The UAB Heersink School of Medicine Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine is proud to announce its spring 2025 cohort of REINVENT Grant awardees.
These competitive grants support innovative research that advances biomedical discovery and fosters interdisciplinary collaboration across the Heersink School of Medicine. This year’s recipients are leading projects that span maternal health, pediatrics, pulmonary diagnostics, and medical AI—each addressing significant clinical and scientific challenges.
“Vasorin: Role in Cardiac Dysfunction During Pregnancy-Induced Hypertension”
Principal Investigator: Saravanakumar Murugesan, Ph.D., Scientist II, Anesthesiology Chair Office
Co-Principal Investigator: Teshi Kaushik, M.D., Assistant Professor, Anesthesiology Chair Office
Co-Investigator: Tamas Jilling, M.D., Associate Professor, Pediatrics – Neonatology
“The Pathological Role of Mitochondria in the Progression of Preeclampsia (PE)”
Principal Investigator: Praveen K. Dubey, M.Sc., Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Anesthesiology Chair Office
Co-Principal Investigators:
- Dan E. Berkowitz, M.D., Professor and Chair, Anesthesiology Chair Office
- Teshi Kaushik, M.D., Assistant Professor
- Annalese Neuenschwander, M.D., Assistant Professor
“Evaluation of Low Molecular Weight Hyaluronic Acid as a Novel Biomarker for Diagnosis of Pulmonary Aspiration in Children”
Principal Investigator: Sadis Matalon, M.Sc., Ph.D., Sc.D. (h.c.), Professor of Anesthesiology
Co-Principal Investigator: Ammar Saadoon Alishlash, M.D., Associate Professor, Pediatrics – Pulmonary
“AI Predictions of Difficult Airways: Confirming Remarkable Predictive Power on CT Scans”
Principal Investigator: Matt Sherrer, M.D., Associate Professor, Anesthesiology Chair Office
Co-Principal Investigators:
- Ryan C. Godwin, M.S., Ph.D., Assistant Professor
- Sandeep Bodduluri, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Medicine – Pulmonary/Allergy/Critical Care
- Ryan L. Melvin, M.A., Ph.D., Associate Professor
These projects demonstrate the department’s commitment to innovation in anesthesiology and its collaborative leadership in biomedical research. The awarded teams exemplify the spirit of the REINVENT initiative—merging discovery, data, and clinical impact to improve health outcomes across disciplines.