Post-doctoral fellows Ivan Budnik, MD, PhD, and Abhishek B. Jha, PhD, each received American Heart Association (AHA) Post-doctoral Fellowship Awards in the past month. The pair are both postdoctoral research scholars in the lab of Anil Chauhan, MTech, PhD, and in the Division of Hematology, Oncology, and Blood & Marrow Transplantation. According to the AHA, this award—a two-year, $163,864 grant—provides funding that allows “applicants to develop academic careers in research alongside fulfilling clinical services commitments.” The fellows who apply for this award must have the guidance and mentorship of a research sponsor.
Budnik’s award will support his project on metabolic reprogramming to enhance venous thrombus resolution. Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) occurs when a blood clot forms in a deep vein, most often in the legs. While many patients recover from the acute event, about one-third to one-half develop post-thrombotic syndrome (PTS), a long-term complication that can cause chronic pain, swelling, skin changes, and impaired mobility. The root cause of PTS is incomplete resolution of the venous clot, which creates persistent venous obstruction and sustains inflammation and remodeling of the vein wall. Over time, these processes can impair venous function and contribute to chronic symptoms.
“A key unanswered question is why venous clots often do not fully resolve,” Budnik said. “My project focuses on how metabolic programs within immune cells influence their ability to clear dead cells and debris within the clot, a process that is crucial for natural clot dissolution and restoration of normal blood flow through the vein. Our hypothesis is that shifting those programs can help immune cells work more efficiently, accelerating clot dissolution and limiting the chronic inflammation that drives PTS.”
Budnik notes that this work can help establish a new therapeutic strategy that will promote more complete recovery after DVT and alleviate the burden of PTS.
“I’m deeply thankful to my mentor, Dr. Chauhan, for the opportunity to pursue this project and for his guidance along the way,” Budnik said. “I also thank my lab members for an outstanding scientific environment and to the leaders in the field who generously provided letters of support. I am grateful to the American Heart Association and the reviewers for valuing this work.”
Jha’s research centers on hemorrhagic stroke, with a focus on how metabolic reprogramming of myeloid immune cells can enhance hematoma resolution following intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH).
ICH is a devastating neurological condition characterized by bleeding into the brain parenchyma, leading to hematoma formation and secondary injury to neurons and glial cells. Although myeloid immune cells play a critical role in clearing cellular debris and resolving injury, their function is compromised after ICH due to metabolic dysregulation. Currently, there are no therapeutic strategies that effectively promote hematoma resolution.
Jha’s research investigates whether targeting key proteins involved in immune cell metabolism and bioenergetics can improve clot clearance and limit secondary brain damage. This work aims to identify novel immunometabolic targets to enhance recovery following hemorrhagic stroke.
“I am sincerely grateful to Dr. Chauhan for his mentorship and unwavering support of my development as a scientist,” Jha said. “His focused guidance and insight were instrumental in achieving this milestone. I also thank my lab colleagues for fostering a collaborative and supportive research environment, and the referees who generously provided letters of support. I am deeply appreciative of the American Heart Association and the review committee for recognizing the potential impact of this work and investing in its advancement. I am excited to continue developing novel therapeutic strategies to improve cerebrovascular health.”