On April 8, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis recognized investigators who received their first R01 research grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Receiving an R01 grant is an important milestone for scientists who are establishing their careers as independent researchers.
Bhooma R. Aravamuthan, MD, DPhil, FAAN, FCNS, assistant professor of neurology and of pediatrics, received an R01 award for her project titled “Cortical dystonia of prematurity.” Aravamuthan, who is also chief of the Section of Cerebral Palsy and Pediatric Movement Disorders in the Department of Neurology and director of the Cerebral Palsy and Mobility Center at St. Louis Children’s Hospital, specializes in dystonia, cerebral palsy and pediatric movement disorders. She is widely recognized for her advocacy work on behalf of children and families impacted by cerebral palsy, such as the annual Cerebral Palsy Family Day event. Her R01-funded project focuses on understanding, diagnosing and treating dystonia in children following preterm birth.
Naresha Saligrama, PhD, assistant professor of neurology and of pathology and immunology, was awarded R01 grants in two consecutive years: “The role of Ly49 family of receptors on CD8 T cells” and “Myelin and non-myelin immune responses in Multiple sclerosis.” Saligrama studies the immune response in humans, focusing on immune cells such as T cells and the role they play in neuroinflammatory, neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders. His two R01-funded projects study killer T cells and helper T cells — also known as CD8 T cells and CD4+ cells — with the goal of better managing and treating autoimmune disorders, where an individual’s immune system causes harm by attacking their own cells and tissues.
“Against the backdrop of a very competitive funding landscape, every person being celebrated today cleared an extraordinarily high bar,” said Renée Shellhaas, MD, MS, senior associate dean for faculty promotions and career development and the David T. Blasingame Professor of Neurology at WashU Medicine. “A first R01 is a peer verdict and career milestone indicating that your science is rigorous, innovative and impactful.”