Six MedStar Health Researchers Receive Funding From Associate Giving Campaign

Hyattsville, MD (June 12, 2018)—MedStar Health Research Institute is committed to helping early-career investigators start their research through designated grant funds, supported by the associates of MedStar Health. Six researchers were awarded funding through the New Investigator ‐ Associate Giving Grant Fund.

Associate gifts designated for research during the 2017 MedStar Health Associate Giving Campaign, the Power to Heal, are used to support the work of new investigators through the New Investigator—Associate Giving Grant Fund. These grants are awarded to new MedStar Health investigators who have joined MedStar Health in the previous five years, with the goal of supporting research focused on advancing health for patients in the communities we serve. This initial funding can have the potential to lead to external grant funding for their research.

“MedStar Health continues to grow as an academic health system,” said Neil Weissman, MD, chief scientific officer for MedStar Health and president of MedStar Health Research Institute. “The commitment of our associates to support the New Investigator Fund allows us to make an impact in both the work of our new researchers and our vision of advancing health for our community. This early-career funding at MedStar can help to make lasting change in the lives of our patients today and in the future.”

The following six physician-investigators have been awarded funding for their research.

• Cynthia Marie Carver DeKlotz, MD (MedStar Washington Hospital Center)
  “Identifying Infantile Hemangiomas vs. Port-Wine Stains in Infants Less Than Three (3) Months Based on Color Expression”
• Derek DeLia, PhD (MedStar Health Research Institute)
  “Pilot Data Linkage of MedStar EHRs and Statewide Medicaid Claims Data with Applications to Diabetes Care Management”
• Carter Denny, MD, MPH (MedStar Georgetown University Hospital)
  “Home Blood Pressure Self-Management in Hypertensive Stroke Survivors: A Pilot Feasibility Study”
• Christine Hsu, MD (MedStar Georgetown Transplant Institute)
  “Tumor-Associated Collagen Signature in Hepatocellular Carcinoma”
• Jonathan Grinstein, MD (MedStar Washington Hospital Center)
  “LVAD Cannula Study: Evaluation of the Anatomic Relationship of Inflow and Outflow Cannula to Flow Dynamics and Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Left Ventricular Assist Devices”
• Diego Medvedofsky, MD (Cardiac Imaging Core Lab)
  “Left Cardiac Chambers Remodeling Assessment by Longitudinal Strain Analysis in Patients Undergoing Transcatheter Mitral Valve Repair with MitralClip”

Thank you to all associates who contributed in 2017. In 2017, 3,788 associates, physicians, and board members across the MedStar Health system chose to participate in philanthropy. Contributions to MedStar Health and the New Investigator ‐ Associate Giving Grant Fund are accepted throughout the year. Please consider making a gift online to support MedStar Health Research Institute and our new investigators. Select “MedStar Health Research Institute” from the drop-down menu to direct your gift to this fund.

About MedStar Health Research Institute

The MedStar Health Research Institute is the research arm of MedStar Health, the largest healthcare provider in Maryland and the Washington, D.C., region. MHRI provides scientific, administrative and regulatory support for research programs throughout the MedStar Health system. MHRI’s expertise includes translational research into disease prevention, diagnosis and treatment. These programs complement the key clinical services and teaching programs in the 10 MedStar hospitals and other MedStar entities. For more information, visit www.MedStarResearch.org. 

About MedStar Health
MedStar Health is a not-for-profit health system dedicated to caring for people in Maryland and the Washington, D.C., region, while advancing the practice of medicine through education, innovation and research. MedStar’s 30,000 associates, 6,000 affiliated physicians, 10 hospitals, ambulatory care and urgent care centers, and the MedStar Health Research Institute are recognized regionally and nationally for excellence in medical care. As the medical education and clinical partner of Georgetown University, MedStar trains more than 1,100 medical residents annually. MedStar Health’s patient-first philosophy combines care, compassion and clinical excellence with an emphasis on customer service. For more information, visit MedStarHealth.org.