Each year the LA CaTS Professional Development Core selects qualified Scholars into
the program. The Roadmap Scholars are early stage faculty members whose goals are
to become sustainable independent researchers. This year, in addition to a submitted
application, Scholars were interviewed by all three Core Co-Directors and the Research
Navigator. Please join us in welcoming the 12th Cohort of Roadmap Scholars: Nell Bond,
PhD (Tulane University School of Medicine). In addition, the LA CaTS Professional
Development Core has begun a new program, the Underrepresented Minority Roadmap Scholar
program. Derek Werthmann, PhD, MPH (Tulane University School of Public Health and
Tropical Medicine) has been selected following the same process as Dr. Bond and will
serve as the inaugural Underrepresented Minority Roadmap Scholar.
Both scholars began on July 1st and have enrolled in the Masters of Science in Clinical
Research program. Dr. Bond's project is titled "Interrogation of accelerated aging
as a mechanism of immune modulation and post-Ebola syndrome (PES) phenotype in pediatric
survivors of Ebolavirus disease." and her work focuses on defining how Ebolavirus
disease (EVD) and specific PES phenotypes are associated with accelerated cellular
and immune aging in pediatric survivors. Dr. Werthmann's project is titled "The Effect
of Pesticide Exposure on Immunological Responses in Children against SARS-CoV-2" and
will evaluate the immunological response to pesticide and pesticide mixture exposure
in individuals having SARS-CoV-2 infection and/or COVID-19 vaccination.
For further detail about each Scholar's project, please visit the following link on the Professional Development Core website: Roadmap Scholars Projects