Nishank Jain, M.D., an associate professor in the Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine in the College of Medicine, received an R01 award from the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute for his project “Effect of Platelet Inhibition With Ticagrelor to Reduce Inflammation and Surrogate Cardiovascular Markers in Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease.”
People with chronic kidney disease have a disproportionately high risk of heart attack and stroke, but the role of platelets and their inhibitors in modulating inflammation in kidney disease remains unclear. Jain’s project proposes a clinical trial to examine the role of ticagrelor, a platelet inhibitor, in reducing the inflammatory burden in people with kidney disease who do not have any cardiovascular indication to receive the drug.
Jain is a member of the 2022-2023 K12 Mentored Research Career Development Scholars Program cohort and former winner of the Summer Writing Challenge.
Spyridoula Maraka, M.D., M.S., an associate professor and program director of the Endocrinology Fellowship in the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine in the College of Medicine, received an R01 award from the National Institute on Aging for her project “Discontinuation of Low Dose Levothyroxine Therapy for Older Adults With Subclinical Hypothyroidism: a Randomized, Double-Blinded, Placebo-Controlled Study.”
The multisite clinical trial (including the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System) addresses an important clinical question: Do older adults with mild thyroid dysfunction who are already taking levothyroxine continue to benefit from treatment, or could some safely discontinue it?
Maraka is a member of the 2021 Implementation Science Scholar Program cohort.