April 2022: The Biomedical Research Institute of New Mexico (BRINM) renamed its Pilot Grant program the “Dr. Catherine Do Pilot Grant” in honor of Dr. Do, a clinician and researcher who recently passed away. The grant program issued its first two awards of $25,000 each. One award went to Dr. Stella Bernardo for “The role of sulfur metabolism in Candida biofilm and commensalism”. The other award went to Dr. Kamyar Zahedi for “The role of polyamine catabolism in the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy.”
“This grant is important for several reasons: 1. It offers new and experienced researchers the opportunity to gather data and prove a concept that they can use to apply for a large, prestigious award. 2. It provides equity to researchers who may not have a mentor or an opportunity. In this way, it can serve as a kick start for their careers. 3. It honors a physician researcher who devoted herself to helping Veterans and her colleagues,” stated Dan Sandweiss, executive director of BRINM.
The Pilot Grant is just one of the many ways research and development will help to improve the lives of the Veterans we serve.