Academic Development, Training, and Mentorship

Something for everyone.

Our lab offers training and mentorship opportunities for medical professionals at every stage in their academic development.

Residents:  Our lab provides two-year research fellowships for physicians during their resident training. The research team is accustomed to working with young trainees in the program, and has many years of experience identifying opportunities for learning and academic development.  Dr. Upchurch, our lab PI, has supported more than 20 surgical residents in their growth as successful academic surgeons.

Post-doctoral research fellows and graduate students: Our lab supports the Ph.D. training program at the University. The principle investigators of our research team offer opportunities for invaluable guidance for growing research careers in the field of aortic aneurysm science. While the lab has all the necessary equipment and techniques for aneurysm research, the research fellows and graduate students may also access the department’s shared facilities.

Others: Our lab has routinely participated in student research training program. There are many opportunities for student to receive short-term research training in the field of vascular surgery. More than a dozen students from our lab have benefited from the training, gaining unique perspectives on basic research and going on to successfully enroll in medical schools. Visiting scholars are always welcome to our lab to share their research experience and exchange research ideas.

Lab Alumni

Our alumni’s hard work in the past two decades has laid a solid foundations for our lab. Their contributions to our ongoing research projects are always remembered.  Some of the most valuable takeaways from our lab are the friendship and collaboration we cultivate among current lab members and our alumni. The following are but a few of the alumni that have dedicated their time and efforts to working with us in the past.

Jonathan M Cullen, MD, 2016-2018, Postdoctoral fellow. Gender differences in swine AAA model.

Will Montgomery, BA, 2016-2018, Lab assistant. Effects of Flomax in experimental AAA.

Michael Spinosa, BA, 2015-2018, Lab assistant. Resolvin effects on neutrophils in experimental AAA.

Morgan D. Salmon, PhD, 2012-2017, Assistant professor. SMC phenotypic switch & KLF4&2 in AAA.

Cynthia S. Dodson, 2010-2017, Lab specialist. Various research projects.

Anthony J. Herring, 2010-2017, Lab manager. Various research projects.

Robert B. Hawkins, MD, 2015-2017, Postdoctoral fellow. Mouse thoracic AAA model.

Anna Z. Fashandi, MD, 2015-2017, Postdoctoral fellow. Effects of phytoestrogens on AAA formation.

Zhongmin Du, MD, 2016-2017, Lab Specialist. Various research projects.

Sheila M. Hammond, 2010-2017, Lab specialist. Various research projects.

Emily Downs, MD, 2014-2016, Postdoctoral fellow. Thoracic aortic aneurysm model.

Akshaya Meher, PhD, 2012-2015, Research scientist. B2 cells suppress experimental AAA.

Basil Schaheen, MD, 2014-2015, Postdoctoral fellow. Biomedical imaging of ruptured AAA model.

John P. Davis, MD, 2013-2015, Postdoctoral fellow. Stem cell treatment on experimental AAA.

Nicolas H. Pope, MD, 2012-2014, Postdoctoral fellow. Smooth muscle cell phenotypic switching in AAA.

Jip L. Tolenaar, MD, 2013, Postdoctoral fellow. Stem cell treatment on ruptured AAA model.

William F. Johnston, MD, 2011-2013, Postdoctoral fellow. IL-1β & aromatase in AAA formation.

Seako Okutsu, PhD, 2012, Research Associate. Novel systemic targets to inhibit experimental aneurysm.

Sean J. English, MD, 2010-2012, Postdoctoral fellow. 18F-FDG uptake in ruptured AAA model.

Christopher W. Moehle, PhD, 2010-1012, Pre-doctoral fellow. Role of MCP-1 in aortic aneurysm.

Gaurav S. Mehta, MD, 2010-2012, Research associate. Multiple projects.

Paul D.Dimusto, MD, 2009-2011, Postdoctoral fellow. Serine proteinases in AAA formation.

Adriana Laser, MD, 2009-1011, Postdoctoral fellow. Estrogen receptor-α in AAA formation.

Abhijit Ghosh, PhD, 2009-2010, Research associate.  Role of AKT in AAA formation.

Karen J. Roelofs, DVM, 2001-2010, Senior Research Specialist. Multiple projects.

Omar Sadiq, BS, 2008-2010, Student. Role of JNK in AAA formation.

Brendan McEvoy, BS, 2009-2010, Student. Gender differences in AAA formation.

John Futchko, 2008-2010, Student (undergraduate). Role of ERK in AAA formation.

Lauren K. Ehrlichman, MD, 2008, Pre-doctoral fellow (BA). Role of ERK in AAA formation.

Wagner Tedeschi, MD, 2008, Postdoctoral fellow. Gender differences in AAA formation.

Kevin K. Hannawa, MD, 2001-2008, Pre-doctoral fellow (BA). NO in regulating MMP-9 in SMCs.

Nathan Narashimhan, MD, 2004-2006, Postdoctoral fellow. Role of selectins in AAA formation.

Brenda S. Cho, PhD, 2003-2006, Pre-doctoral fellow (MA). Gender difference in AAA formation.

Chris Longo, MD, 2004-2005, Postdoctoral fellow. CCR2 in AAA formation.

Derek T. Woodrum, MD, 2003-2005, Predoctoral fellow. Role of eNOS in AAA formation.

Indranil Sinha, MD, 2002-2005, Pre-doctoral fellow (BA). NO prevents MMP-9 mediated AAA.

Jonathan L. Eliason, MD, 2002-2004, Postdoctoral fellow. Neutrophil depletion on AAA.

Vladimir Grigoryants, MD, 2003-2004, Postdoctoral fellow. Inhibition of AAA by tamoxifen.

Gorav Ailawadi, MD, 2001-2003, Postdoctoral fellow. Differential expression of MMP-9 in AAA.

Brian S. Knipp, MD, 2001-2003, Pre-doctoral fellow (MS). Inhibition NOS up-regulates MMP-9.

Andrew Lipnick, MD, 2001-2002, Predoctoral fellow (BA). MMPs in DVT resolution.

Matthew J. Eagleton, MD, 2000-2002, Postdoctoral fellow. NO inhibition on MMP expression.

David A Peterson, MD, 2000-2002, Pre-doctoral fellow (BA). NF-κB on MMP-expression.

Autumn Broady, 2000-2001, Student (undergraduate). Effects of NO on MMP production.