We are pleased to share an exciting update as we prepare for Research Day 2026, taking place on Tuesday, April 21st.

It is our honor to announce that Gary M. Vilke, MD, FACEP, FAAEM, Professor Emeritus of Clinical Emergency Medicine at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine, will serve as this year’s keynote speaker. Dr. Vilke is a nationally recognized leader in emergency medical services and risk management, with a distinguished record of scholarship and innovation.

Dr. Vilke’s work has had a significant impact on the research community. He has authored two textbooks, coauthored more than 70 book chapters, and published over 270 peer-reviewed articles. His research has appeared in leading journals including Resuscitation, The New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA, and Annals of Emergency Medicine, among others. He also serves on the editorial boards of four major medical journals. We look forward to the insights he will share with our research community. You can read his full bio here.

Additional details, including the call for abstracts and the full event agenda, will be distributed in the coming months.

Thank you for your continued dedication to advancing research and discovery across our institution. We hope you will join us for what promises to be an inspiring and engaging Research Day.

Warm regards,

Michael Wilson, MD, PhD

Celebrating Growth and Collaboration in Surgery Research
 

The department of surgery has added two new members to their research team, both of whom will report directly to Sydney Webb:

• Briana Apgar, Biodesign Program Manager
• Dr. Miebaka Roberts, who has been promoted to Senior Research Associate (formerly Clinical Research Coordinator)

In addition, the team is hosting two MPH student interns from Liberty University, Dr. Bright Agbotui and Dr. Nana Dangpa Wandji. They will be supporting projects focused on surgical outcomes and participating in shadowing experiences. This internship is a great opportunity to highlight how we can bridge public health and community service with surgical care.

Carilion Clinic TriNetX
Virtual Training Schedule

Carilion offers instructor-led, focused training for an in-depth, step-by-step learning experience building patient cohorts and delving into Analytics. The facilitator will be Dee Myers. Please get in touch with HART@carilionclinic.org with the subject of 'TriNetX Training' for training outside of the scheduled sessions. If you haven’t taken a class or need a refresher, this is your opportunity to do so!  Let Dee Myers know which date you prefer and she will send a meeting invitation.

• Feb 4, 10:30am - noon
• Feb 19, 1:30 – 3pm
• Mar 4, 10:30am – noon
• Mar 26, 1:30 – 3pm

 https://redcap.link/v5pw9j7j to sign up for TriNetX digitally.

For more information visit:https://redcapweb.carilionclinic.org/redcap/surveys/?s=dcUCIpMAzk8BqKH2

Health Systems Science Research Interest Group
 

The Health Systems Science Research Interest Group meets bimonthly to discuss the scholarship of quality improvement and implementation science with the goal of creating a learning health system at Carilion Clinic.

If you’re interested in joining the email list for this group (our meeting times vary), email Dawn Smith (dvsmith@carilionclinic.org). For question about the group - email John Epling (jwepling@carilionclinic.org).

Clinical Trial Highlight from the Department of Medicine: OTAC

The OTAC trial (Outpatient Treatment with Anti-Coronavirus Immunoglobulin) involves more than 50 sites internationally. Our research team’s extra efforts on New Year’s Eve added the 700^th participant to OTAC—a key milestone for both Carilion and the study itself.

OTAC is a multi-center, randomized clinical trial that investigates the safety and efficacy of a single dose of anti-COVID-19 hyperimmune intravenous immunoglobulin among adults with recently diagnosed SARS-CoV-2 disease who do not require hospitalization. Key eligibility include:

·       Age ≥55 years OR age ≥18 years with an immunosuppressed condition

·       Positive test for SARS-CoV2 within 5 days

·       Symptom onset within 5 days (if the patient is symptomatic for COVID-19)

For more information, visit Study Details | NCT04910269 | Outpatient Treatment With Anti-Coronavirus Immunoglobulin | ClinicalTrials.gov

R&D serves as the central hub for all externally sponsored research proposals at Carilion. Whether Carilion is submitting a proposal directly to a sponsor or participating as a collaborator or subrecipient, all proposals are routed through R&D to ensure compliance with federal regulations, sponsor guidelines, and internal policies.

To help investigators understand these expectations, two reference documents accompany this article: the Proposal Submission SOP and the Pre‑Award Responsibilities overview. Together, these documents outline who is responsible for each part of the proposal process, required timelines, and how proposals are reviewed and submitted on behalf of the institution.

Early engagement with R&D is strongly encouraged. Sponsor requirements have become increasingly complex, and advance planning allows sufficient time for budget development, compliance review, institutional approvals, and final submission. Investigators are asked to notify R&D as soon as a decision is made to pursue external funding.

Proposal development is a shared responsibility. Principal Investigators lead the scientific and technical components of the proposal, while department leadership provides awareness and approval of effort, resources, and project implications. R&D supports the process by reviewing budgets, confirming required documentation, securing institutional approvals, and managing submission through sponsor systems.

Internal timelines are in place to support high‑quality, compliant submissions (see Grant Submission Timelines below/linked here). Proposals that arrive late are considered at risk, as limited review time can restrict R&D’s ability to conduct a full quality and compliance check. Submissions made without R&D authorization are not permitted and may jeopardize award acceptance.

Investigators and departmental staff are encouraged to review the attached Proposal Submission SOP and Pre‑Award Responsibilities documents for a complete understanding of expectations, timelines, and roles. Familiarity with these materials helps protect investigators, strengthen proposal quality, and enhance Carilion’s competitiveness for external research funding.

Research activities include the support of clinical research and engagement in basic science endeavors. Clinical research efforts include both performing research analysis on clinical specimens as well as supporting research specimen processing. The primary focus of basic science bench research continues to be related to clinically relevant infectious diseases.

 Current basic science projects address approaches to multidrug-resistant bacterial infections and biofilms.             

·       Antisense peptide nucleic acids

·       Focused ultrasound

o   Biofilm ablation

o   Rapid release of genomic DNA

·       One Health investigations

·       Wastewater surveillance

·       Technology development to improve local responses

CBSRL research is rooted strongly in academia. The primary drivers of CBSRL research, bringing fresh ideas, new skills, and abundant energy, are VTCSOM student researchers. CBSRL also works with students and faculty from VT, RU, UVA, and Governor’s School and others.

All publications and presentations are the result of collaborations within the lab community and beyond to state, national, and international partners.

Publications:

Monique Gainey.; Alexia Stettinius.; Hal Holmes.; Emmanuel Naatei Nartey.; Sydney Stayrook.; Adam Maxwell.; Eli Vlaisavljevich.; Jayasimha Rao. (Jan 26,2026). P-1687. Evaluation and Characterization of a Novel DNA Lysis Technique for Extraction of Nontuberculous Mycobacteria DNA. Open Forum Infectious Diseases 13 doi: 10.1093/ofid/ofaf695.1861.

Kropp, G.A.; Karp, H.Q.; Rao, J.; Muller, H.S.; Sriranganathan, N.; Nowak, E.S.; Schulz, M.D. Polydopamine-Antibiotic Composite Coating for Antibiofilm Applications. Macromolecular Bioscience n/a, e00501, doi:https://doi.org/10.1002/mabi.202500501.

Kavyarani Rathod, Jayasimha Rao, and Chandrakanth Kelmani R. 2025. “GC–MS Profiling and Pharmacological Implications of Bioactive Compounds in Holarrhena Antidysenterica Bark Extract”. European Journal of Medicinal Plants 36 (5):127–140. https://doi.org/10.9734/ejmp/2025/v36i51300.

Maile-Moskowitz, A.; Brown, C.L.; Rumi, M.A.; Moumi, N.A.; Majeed, H.; Finkielstein, C.V.; Ceci, A.; Gonzalez, R.; Xia, K.; McDaniel, L.; et al. Relating antimicrobial use to wastewater resistance gene patterns via metagenomic analysis of two neighboring treatment plants circa the COVID-19 pandemic. npj Antimicrobials and Resistance 2025, 3, 82, doi:10.1038/s44259-025-00153-9.

Karp, H.Q.; Nowak, E.S.; Kropp, G.A.; Col, N.A.; Schulz, M.D.; Sriranganathan, N.; Rao, J. Broad Host Range Peptide Nucleic Acids Prevent Gram-Negative Biofilms Implicated in Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections. Microorganisms 2025, 13, 1948. Advanced Research on Microbial Biofilms—a Themed Issue in Honor of Professor Gianfranco Donelli Edited by Dr. Jeffrey B. Kaplan, Dr. Steven L. Percival and Dr. Lorenzo Drago version. doi:10.3390/microorganisms13081948

Sahanapriya Gubbewad, Jayasimha Rao, Meenakshi S Devarmani, Sujatha Ingin Shetty, Chandrakanth Kelmani R. Prevalence of bacterial vaginosis: Assessment of sociodemographic characteristics among the reproductive age women. Indian J. Applied & Pure Bio. 2025, Vol. 40(2), 882-889

Hannah Q. Karp, Elizabeth S. Nowak, Gillian A. Kropp et al. Novel Antisense-Peptide Nucleic Acids to Prevent Bacterial Biofilm Among Gram-Negative Bacteria Implicated in Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections, 06 February 2025, PREPRINT (Version 1) available at Research Square [https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-5515877/v1]

Hannah Karp, Elizabeth Nowak, Gillian Su, Nihan Akguc, Michael Schulz, Nammalwar Sriranganathan, Jayasimha Rao, P-1087. Novel Antisense Wide-Range Peptide Nucleic Acids Coated on Polystyrene Plates to Prevent Bacterial Biofilm, Open Forum Infectious Diseases, Volume 12, Issue Supplement_1, February 2025, ofae631.1275, https://doi.org/10.1093/ofid/ofae631.1275

Lia W Lehrer, Kathleen Linsenman, Kaylin Young, Lauren E Luther, Troy Stallard, Rachel L Rogers, Susan Tolliver, Sara Houser, Jayasimha Rao, P-1301. Pilot Study Utilizing Wastewater-Based Epidemiology to Determine Presence of Gram-Negative Enterobacterial Targets in Southwest Virginia Sewersheds, Open Forum Infectious Diseases, Volume 12, Issue Supplement_1, February 2025, ofae631.1482, https://doi.org/10.1093/ofid/ofae631.1482

Gillian Su, Hannah Karp, Michael Schulz, Jayasimha Rao, Elizabeth Nowak, Nammalwar Sriranganathan, P-1078. Gentamicin-releasing polydopamine catheter coating to prevent urinary catheter-related infections, Open Forum Infectious Diseases, Volume 12, Issue Supplement_1, February 2025, ofae631.1266, https://doi.org/10.1093/ofid/ofae631.1266

Design and evaluation novel gene-specific, cell-permeable antisense peptide nucleic acids to prevent Staphylococcus aureus biofilm formation. Authors: Nihan Akguc Col *, Jayasimha Rao, Govindarajan Rajagopalan, Nammalwar Sriranganathan Infect Dis Diag Treat 7: 270. https://doi.org/10.29011/2577-1515.100270

Presentations:

There has been a recent change in federal information-reporting requirements that impacts payments to research participants.

Effective in calendar year 2026, Carilion will no longer be required to issue Form 1099s or perform backup tax withholding for payees whose total payments aggregate to less than $2,000 in a calendar year.

Key points to know:

• The $2,000 threshold applies to the total of all payments made to an individual across all Carilion companies within the same calendar year.
• For individuals paid below this threshold, Form 1099 reporting will not be required.
• Backup withholding will also not be required for payees under the threshold who do not provide W-9 information.
• Payments that meet or exceed the threshold will continue to follow standard reporting requirements.

For questions regarding W-9 collection policies or payment processing, please contact Accounts Payable.

Looking for funding to support your research or projects? GrantForward is an excellent resource for finding grant opportunities tailored to your needs. As part of the Carilion Clinic team, you have free access to the site using your Carilion Clinic email address.

Once you sign up, navigate to Grants > Search Grant Opportunities. From there, you can refine your search using filters such as keywords, deadlines, sponsors, and more. A helpful tip: to find opportunities most relevant to Carilion, set both Applicant Location and Activity Location to Virginia.

If you identify potential funding sources, the Grant Office is here to help assess the goodness of fit for your project.

Need a quick start? Check out this 1-minute tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZaD02EP44s&feature=youtu.be

The Research Security CITI training, which includes Other Support Disclosure training, is now live and available in CITI.

Systemwide communication is coming soon, but you can access the training now by following the steps below:

How to add the Research Security course in CITI:

1. Log in to CITI and go to My Courses
2. Scroll to the bottom of the page and select “Add a Course”
3. Scroll to the bottom again to find the Research Security training option
4. Select the course and click Submit

Once added, the training will appear as modules to complete within your applicable CITI account.

📸 See screenshot below for reference.

How can emergency surgery be safer for patients on blood thinners? 

That’s the question behind the Reverser trial—a global study evaluating an investigational drug designed to help control bleeding during urgent procedures. The trial compares this new approach to the current standard of care, aiming to improve outcomes for patients in critical situations. 

We’re proud to contribute to this effort as Virginia’s only participating site and 1 of just 16 in the U.S. among 60 worldwide. Since opening the trial in August, our surgery research team led by Katie Bower, MD, has already enrolled 3 patients—helping advance research that could change emergency care. 

Learn more: https://www.carilionclinic.org/research/surgery/tak-330#about

You're Invited to Research Day 2026

Date: Tuesday, April 21st, 2026

Registration for the 2026 Carilion Clinic Research Day on Tuesday, April 21 is now open. Research Day is a forum for our researchers and their collaborators to highlight the work conducted in our hospitals, clinics, basic science laboratories and in the community. Researchers will have the choice to present their work as a poster or via oral presentation via Teams. In the past, over 100 abstracts comprised of research, case studies, and quality projects were submitted. Please register by Friday, April 17.

Residents, fellows, faculty, staff, and medical students will share insights about how the projects were developed.

The event is a collaboration between:

• Carilion Clinic Research and Development
• Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine
• Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC
• Radford University Carilion

Agenda 

• 7:00–10:00 AM — Oral Presentations (Virtual via Microsoft Teams)
• 10:00 AM–12:00 PM — Residents/Fellows Poster Session (CRMH 6th Floor Auditorium)
• 12:30–1:30 PM — Keynote Speaker: Gary M. Vilke, MD, FACEP, FAAEM (CRMH 6th Floor Auditorium)
• 2:00–5:00 PM — Faculty, Staff, and Student Poster Session (CRMH 6th Floor Auditorium)

Abstracts are due by 5 p.m. on Thursday, March 26. We will let you know by Thursday, April 9 if your poster and/or oral presentation is accepted. 

The poster session will be held at CRMH 6th Floor Auditorium. If you have questions, contact Research@carilionclinic.org. 

For more information visit: https://medicine.vtc.vt.edu/academics/value-domain-research/research-symposium.html