2009 Research Grant Awards 

Innovative Concept Grant Winners:  

Umesh Deshmukh, PhD*
University of Virginia
Charlottesville, Virginia
Adenosine receptor agonists: Novel therapeutic agents for Sjögren’s syndrome
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Patricia Mongini, PhD*
The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research,
North Shore — LIJ Health System,
Manhasset, New York
B cell-expressed COX-2 and Sjögren's syndrome development
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Research Grant Winners:

Fortunato Battaglia, MD, PhD
Columbia University, 
Department of Psychiatry
New York, New York
Depression and anxiety in a mouse model of Sjögren’s syndrome
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Helen P. Makarenkova, PhD
Neurosciences Research Foundation
San Diego, California
Molecular mechanisms of lacrimal gland development and regeneration
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Sara Michie, MD
Stanford University, 
Department of Pathology
Stanford, California
Lymphocyte migration to inflamed salivary glands in Sjögren’s syndrome
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Seunghee Cha, DDS, PhD*
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida
Receptor-mediated siRNA delivery in Sjögren’s syndrome
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Natalia V. Giltiay, PhD*
Cleveland Clinic, 
Department of Immunology
Cleveland, Ohio
Role of Act1 in development of Sjögren’s syndrome
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* - Signifies grants that were first awarded in 2008 and have been renewed for a second year in 2009. 

2008 Research Grant Awards 

Innovative Concept Grant Winners:

Umesh Deshmukh, PhD
University of Virginia
Charlottesville, Virginia
Adenosine receptor agonists: Novel therapeutic agents for Sjögren’s syndrome
Download Abstract

Patricia Mongini, PhD
The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research,
North Shore — LIJ Health System,
Manhasset, New York
B cell-expressed COX-2 and Sjögren's syndrome development
Download Abstract

Research Grant Winners:

Seunghee Cha, DDS, PhD
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida
Receptor-mediated siRNA delivery in Sjögren’s syndrome
Download Abstract

Natalia V. Giltiay, PhD
Cleveland Clinic, Department of Immunology
Cleveland, Ohio
Role of Act1 in development of Sjögren’s syndrome
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Patrizio Caturegli, MD*
Johns Hopkins University,
Baltimore, Maryland
Role of IL-12 in the inducible BALT found in Sjögren's lungs
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Lynn C. Epstein, MD (PI) and
Athena Papas, DMD, PhD (Co-PI)*
Tufts University, School of Dental Medicine,
Boston, Massachusetts
Characterizations of cognitive dysfunction in Sjögren's syndrome patients
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Denise Faustman, MD, PhD*
Massachusetts General Hospital,
Harvard University,
Charlestown, Massachusetts
Examination of human spleens for a Hox11 expressing stem cell involved in salivary epithelial regeneration
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* - Signifies grants that were first awarded in 2007-08 and have been renewed for a second year in 2008-09.

2007 Research Grant Awards

Innovative Concept Grant Winner:

Patricia Mongini, PhD
The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research,
North Shore — LIJ Health System,
Manhasset, New York
B cell-expressed COX-2 and Sjögren's syndrome development
Download Abstract

Research Grant Winners:

Olga J. Baker, DDS, PhD*
University of Missouri
Effects of pro-inflammatory cytokines on polarized salivary epithelium
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* - This grant was first awarded in 2006-07 and has been renewed for a second year in 2007-08.

Patrizio Caturegli, MD
Johns Hopkins University,
Baltimore, Maryland
Role of IL-12 in the inducible BALT found in Sjögren's lungs
Download Abstract

Lynn C. Epstein, MD (PI) and
Athena Papas, DMD, PhD (Co-PI)
Tufts University, School of Dental Medicine,
Boston, Massachusetts
Characterizations of cognitive dysfunction in Sjögren's syndrome patients
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Denise Faustman, MD, PhD
Massachusetts General Hospital,
Harvard University,
Charlestown, Massachusetts
Examination of human spleens for a Hox11 expressing stem cell involved in salivary epithelial regeneration
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2006 Research Grant Awards

Olga J. Baker, DDS, PhD
University of Missouri
Effects of pro-inflammatory cytokines on polarized salivary epithelium
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Yongmei Li, PhD*
University of Pennsylvania
Cellular dynamics in mouse models of Sjögren's syndrome
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* - This grant was first awarded in 2005 and has been renewed for a second year in 2006.

Cristian A. Perez, PhD
The Rockefeller University
Characterizations of brain areas innervating salivary and lacrimal glands
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Robert M. Clancy, PhD
NYU Hospital for Joints Diseases
Molecular mechanisms of cardiac injury by anti-SSA/Ro — SSB/La antibodies
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2005 Research Grant Awards

Yongmei Li, PhD
University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Cellular dynamics in mouse models of Sjögren's syndrome

Cristian A. Perez, PhD
The Rockefeller University, New York, NY
Characterization of brain areas innervating salivary and lacrimal glands

Saadia Rashid, MD
Schepens Eye Research Institute, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA
Corneal immunity in ocular surface disease in Sjögren’s syndrome and its treatment by topical application of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.

2004 Research Grant Awards

Shohta Kodama, MD, PhD
Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
Evaluation of salivary and lacrimal gland regeneration during the reversal of autoimmunity in NOD mice

Chuanqing Ding, MD, PhD
University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
Lacrimal gland and nitric oxide in a rabbit model of Sjögren's syndrome
Second year grant

2003 Research Grant Awards

Chuanqing Ding, MD, PhD
University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
Lacrimal gland and nitric oxide in a rabbit model of Sjögren's syndrome

Seunghee Cha, DDS, PhD
University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
Anti-type 3 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor autoantibody-mediated alterations of cytosolic calcium concentration and Aquaporin 5 translocation in Sjögren's syndrome patients

2002 Research Grant Awards

Vidya Sankar, DMD
National Institute for Dental and Craniofacial Research, NIH
SSF-NIDCR Clinical Fellowship

Abha Sood, MD
Schepens Eye Research Institute, Boston, MA
The Relationship between Mucin Expression, Glycosylation and Ocular Surface Inflammation in Sjögren's Syndrome

2001 Research Grant Awards

Jason Brayer, PhD
La Jolla Institute of Allergy and Immunology, San Diego, CA
Immunomodulation of T lymphocytes by anti-muscarinic antibodies associated with Sjögren's syndrome

Kirsten Limesand, PhD
University of Colorado, Health Sciences Center
Suppression of Salivary Gland Apoptosis by Akt

2000 Research Grant Award

Hiroko Yamagami, MD, PhD
Schepens Eye Research Institute, Boston, MA
Sjögren's Syndrome: Androgen deficiency and evaporative dry eye

1999 Research Grant Awards

Eva Rorer, MD
Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
Cytokine production in autoimmune dacryoadenitis

Toshiaki Maruyama, MD, PhD
Scripps Research Clinic, La Jolla, CA
Generation of recombinant anti-120K anti-fodrin antibodies from Sjögren's syndrome patients

1998 Research Grant Award

Jyrki Tornwall, DDS, MD, PhD
Scripps Research Clinic, La Jolla, CA
Pathomechanisms of the glandular atrophy in Sjögren's syndrome

1997 Research Grant Awards

Gallya Gannott, DDS
National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
Development of a non-invasive method for the diagnosis of Sjögren's syndrome in the minor salivary gland

1996 Research Grant Award

Ikuko Toda, MD
Schepens Eye Research Institute, Boston, MA
Role of epithelial cell cytokines in the androgen-induced suppression of autoimmune disease in lacrimal glands of a mouse model of Sjögren's syndrome

1995 Research Grant Awards

Jianhua Cheng, MD
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Modulation of human Fas apoptosis gene expression in Sjögren's syndrome

Noriyoshi Ogawa, MD
University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
Cytokine profiles in Sjögren's syndrome and guides to new therapy

1994 Research Grant Award

Donald B. Bloch, MD
Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
Characterization of a novel Sjögren's syndrome autoantigen

1993 Research Grant Awards

Peter Girow, MD
Doheney Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
The pathophysiology of lacrimal gland disease

Zhiyan Huang, MD
Schepens Eye Research Institute, Boston, MA
The role of viruses and hormones in Sjögren's syndrome and lacrimal gland disease

1992 Research Grant Award

Peter Girow, MD
Doheney Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
The pathophysiology of lacrimal gland disease