Pilot Project Awards

Ten 1997 pilot awards were made to:

• Ira Bernstein, M.D. and William Ziegler, D.O., Hormonal correlations of plasma volume expansion through the menstrual cycle into early pregnancy ($8,625);
• Braden Fleming, Ph.D., Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: a clinical study evaluating the effects of graft placement and initial graft tension ($15,000);
• Seth Harlow, M.D., Preoperative axillary ultrasound to identify high risk patients with invasive breast cancer ($5,000);
• Jean Harvey-Berino, Ph.D., The effectiveness of internet support on the long-term management of obesity ($15,000);
• James Hudziak, M.D., Genetic analysis of the effects of intrauterine "trauma" on height, weight, and behavioral problems in a sample of 5,700 Dutch twin pairs ($10,000);
• Lee Nelson, M.S. (with Patricia O'Brien, M.D.), Incidence of lymphedema in women with breast cancer ($11,000);
• Paul Newhouse, M.D., Estrogen modulation effects on cholinergic function in post-menopausal women ($15,000);
• Michael Ricci, M.D., Incidence of venous thrombosis following multi-system trauma ($8,450);
• Leland Scott, M.D., Ph.D., System development to quantitate peripheral nerve response to therapy ($14,951);
• Susan Sobel, M.S.W., Impact of predictive genetic testing for Huntington disease on family functioning ($3,199).

Six 1998 pilot awards were made to:

• David Gannon, M.D., Relationship between environmental factors and asthma presenting to an emergency department ($8,000);
• Theodore Marcy, M.D., Survey of current smokers admitted to a general medical ward ($5,698);
• Dwight Matthews, Ph.D., Evaluation of homocysteine metabolism in humans ($14,994);
• Janice Nicklas, Ph.D., Development of educational materials to promote screening for hemochromatosis ($14,953);
• Roger Secker-Walker, M.D., A community approach to the prevention of obesity and diabetes ($14,970);
• John Storment, M.D. (with Cynthia Sites, M.D.), The effect of hormone replacement on cardiovascular hemodynamics and blood volume in postmenopausal women with coronary artery disease ($7,825).

Seven 1999 awards were made to:

• Richard Colletti, M.D. (with Bruce Compas, Ph.D.), Recurrent pediatric abdominal pain: Development and pilot testing of laboratory methods for assessment of reactivity to and coping with pain ($15,000);
• Mary Cushman, M.D., Genetic risk factors for thrombosis in cancer patients ($10,000);
• Charles MacLean, M.D., Feasibility of the Vermont diabetes registry: A one-year pre-post intervention pilot study of a concurrent reminder system and searchable data base in two primary care practices ($15,000);
• Robert Pierattini, M.D., Determinants of inpatient length of stay in psychiatry: Physician assessment of illness severity, diagnostic evaluation, treatment, and disposition ($11,095);
• Robert E. Shapiro, M.D., Ph.D., Genetics of migraine ($5,000);
• Andrew Stanley, M.D., The predictive value of cellular senescence in the healing of venous ulcers ($9,742);
• Ge Wu, Ph.D., A pilot study on the efficacy of physical therapy intervention and balance training intervention on fall prevention ($14,992).

Six 2000 awards were made to:

• Philip A. Ades, M.D., Efficacy of caloric versus VO2 exercise training on coronary risk factors in obese coronary patients: A pilot study (14,820);
• Jason H.T. Bates, Ph.D., Assessment of the risk of overinflation injury from measurements of respiratory system mechanics during mechanical ventilation ($6,400);
• Berta M. Geller, Ed.D., Breast cancer survivors in Vermont: A qualitative stud of their perspective of post treatment primary care services ($15,000);
• William E. Hopkins, M.D., Body water in adults with cyanotic congenital heart disease ($15,000);
• Beth D. Kirkpatrick, M.D., Prevalence, gene expression and serologic response to bacterial surface proteins coded by fimA and fap1: Virulence and correlation with clinical illness ($15,000);
• Magdalena R. Naylor, M.D. (with John Helzer, M.D.), Therapeutic voice response as a tool to enhance the effect of cognitive behavioral therapy for chronic pain: A pilot study for instrumentation development (14,800).

Eight 2001 awards were made to:

• Clare Conner, Ph.D. (with Hendrika Maltby, Ph.D., RN, FRCNA), A descriptive observational study to assess patient and family use of internet resources related to dying, death and bereavement (9,250);
• Kristen Sauve Fahrner, M.D., Diagnosing laryngopharyngeal reflux with flexible laryngoscopy following administration of methylene blue capsules: A comparison with ambulatory 24-hr pH monitoring (7,902);
• Ghennady Gushchin, M.D., Ph.D., Plasma homocysteine and cognitive function in post menopausal women ($15,000);
• Jonathan B. Jaffery, M.D., Blood pressure control using three times weekly medications in dialysis patients: A feasibility study ($5,837);
• Marjorie Meyer, M.D., Placentation and coagulation balance ($14,000);
• George Philips, M.D., MPH, A pilot clinical trial of estrogens for osteoporosis in men with prostate cancer on androgen-deprivation therapy ($14,850);
• Michael J. Toth, Ph.D., Mechanisms underlying age-related changes in skeletal muscle protein metabolism ($13,423);
• George C. Wellman, Ph.D., The mechanisms of blood-induced cerebrovasospasm: A novel approach to examine the prolonged action of extraluminal oxyhemoglobin on human cerebral arteries ($15,000).

Five 2002 awards were made to:

• Naomi Fukagawa, M.D., Ph.D., Effect of age on measures of stiffness and power in human skeletal muscle:  Is it modified by diabetes mellitus? (20,000);
• John Helzer, M.D., A three-arm randomized controlled trial of therapeutic interactive voice response (TIVR) to enhance cognitive behavioral coping skills training (CST) in alcohol dependence (17,072);
• Sharon Henry, Ph.D., P.T.,  Effects of specific exercises on low back pain: A pilot intervention ($15,000);
• Jaskaran Singh, M.D., A randomized single blind controlled trial to determine the inter-treatment interval for continuation/maintenance electro-convulsive therapy ($11,314);
• Michael Zvolensky, Ph.D., Panic disorder and smoking:  Health outcomes ($17,300).

Seven 2003 awards were made to:

• Peter Bingham, M.D., Identifying Breast Milk Odorants ($20,000);
• Paula Fives-Taylor, Ph.D., The Microbiology of Periodontal Disease ($19,465);
• Chris Holmes, M.D., Ph.D., Establishment and Quantification of Distinct Platelet Subpopulationsi n Patients with Myeloproliferative Disease:  Preliminary Correlation with Clinical Complications of Hemostasis ($7,950);
• David Krag, M.D., Sentinel Node Detection with Magnetic Resonance ($10,000);
• Alexandra Potter, Ph.D., The Effects of Acute Nicotine Administration on Motor Performance in Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) ($18,806)
• Andrew Stanley, M.D., Investigating the Role of Matrix Metalloproteinase (MMP) in Chronic Venous Insufficiency ($20,000);
• Kathleen E. Brummel Ziedins, Ph.D., Coagulopathy in Trauma ($20,000).