Grant Recipients

The ASPEN Rhoads Research Foundation is proud and honored to contribute to the careers of researchers studying nutrition therapy, metabolic support, and related clinical nutrition topics.

View all Foundation grant recipients’ accomplishments from their research
View a PubMed collection of grant recipients’ publications.

2026 ASPEN Rhoads Research Foundation Grant Recipients

2024 & 2026 Awardee:
Prebiotic Fibre Supplementation During Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation, A Pilot Randomised Control Trial
Sarah L. Andersen Adv APD, PhD
$25,000 Abbott Nutrition Research Grant (2026) and $20,000 C. Richard Fleming Grant & Daniel H. Teitelbaum Grant (2024)
2024 & 2026 Awardee:
Enteral Hyperoxaluria Among Adults with Pancreatic Disorders: A Novel Biomarker to Assess for Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency.
Mitchell L. Ramsey MD
$25,000 Baxter Grant for Parenteral Nutrition Research (2026) and $25,000 Nestlé Nutrition Institute, Maurice Shils Enteral Nutrition Grant (2024)
2025 & 2026 Awardee:
Affinity Binding Filtration for Human Milk Pathogen Reduction
Ting Ting Fu MD
$25,000 Charles Van Way III Nutrition Research Grant (2026) and $25,000 Abbott Nutrition Research Grant (2025)
2026 Awardee
Skeletal Muscle Decline in VV-ECMO: A Foundation for Evidence-Based Nutrition Interventions 
Peter Gullickson BA
$10,000 C. Richard Fleming Grant
Watch The Latest Year 1 : Introduction
Year 1 | Updates
Year 1: Introduction
2026 Awardee
Malnutrition in Multiple Sclerosis: A Retrospective Study of Electronic Health Records 
Tyler J. Titcomb PhD, RDN
$10,000 Daniel H. Teitelbaum Grant
Watch The Latest Year 1 : Introduction
Year 1 | Updates
Year 1: Introduction
2025 & 2026 Awardee:
Evaluation of the Nutritional Antioxidant Content of Feedings for Hospitalized Infants Based on Standard Clinical Practices for Storage, Preparation, and Delivery
Melissa K. Thoene MS, PhD, RD
$25,000 Mead Johnson Nutrition Grant (2025 & 2026)
2026 Awardee
Investigating the Impact of Enteral Nutrition Reintroduction following fasting and Inflammation on Gastrointestinal Motility and Enteroendocrine Cell Hormone Signaling in a Mouse Model 
Jordan D. Philpott PhD
$25,000 Nestlé Nutrition Institute, Maurice Shils Enteral Nutrition Grant
Watch The Latest Year 1 : Introduction
Year 1 | Updates
Year 1: Introduction
2026 Awardee
Omics signatures of protein requirements throughout cancer trajectory 
Barbara C. Santos PhD
$20,000 Pat Anthony Disease-Related Malnutrition Research Grant
Watch The Latest Year 1 : Introduction
Year 1 | Updates
Year 1: Introduction

2025 ASPEN Rhoads Research Foundation Grant Recipients

2025 & 2026 Awardee:
Affinity Binding Filtration for Human Milk Pathogen Reduction
Ting Ting Fu MD
$25,000 Charles Van Way III Nutrition Research Grant (2026) and $25,000 Abbott Nutrition Research Grant (2025)
2024 & 2025 Awardee:
Targeting surgically-induced dysbiosis in colorectal cancer peritoneal metastases
Richard Jacobson MD
$25,000 Baxter Grant for Parenteral Nutrition Research
2025 Awardee:
A Novel Method to Determine Individualized Energy Expenditure in Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (EE-ECMO)
Sung-Min Cho DO, MHS
$20,000 C. Richard Fleming Grant & Daniel H. Teitelbaum Grant
2025 & 2026 Awardee:
Evaluation of the Nutritional Antioxidant Content of Feedings for Hospitalized Infants Based on Standard Clinical Practices for Storage, Preparation, and Delivery
Melissa K. Thoene MS, PhD, RD
$25,000 Mead Johnson Nutrition Grant (2025 & 2026)
2025 Awardee:
The effect of preparation and storage on inositol phosphates and mineral accessibility in homemade supplements
Brandon M. Kistler PhD, RD
$25,000 Nestlé Nutrition Institute, Maurice Shils Enteral Nutrition Grant
ASPEN Rhoads Research Foundation Grant Recipients and Grant Titles
Abbott Nutrition Research Grant (formerly known as the Nutrition Research Grant)
2026 Sarah L. Andersen, PhD, Adv APD Prebiotic fibre supplementation during allogeneic stem cell transplantation, a pilot randomised control trial
2025 Ting Ting Fu, MD Affinity Binding Filtration for Human Milk Pathogen Reduction
2024 Richard Jacobson, MD Targeting surgically-induced dysbiosis in colorectal cancer peritoneal metastases
2023 Ana Paula Pagano, MSc, RD Using Innovative Tools to Improve Nutritional Assessment in Oncology.
2022 Nicole Gilbert, RD Does volume-based enteral feeding improve nutrient delivery in critically ill children? A randomized control trial of enteral nutrition algorithms.
2021 Ana Paula Pagano, Msc, RD Using Innovative Tools to Improve Nutritional Assessment in Oncology
2019-2020 Enid Martinez, MD The role of gastrointestinal proteases and the protease-activated receptor-2 in gastric dysmotility in pediatric critical illness
2018 Lee-anne Chapple, PhD, MNutriDiet, BMedSci The effect of standard versus energy dense feeds on gastric emptying and glucose metabolism in critically ill patients
2016-2017 Jayshil Patel, MD Early enteral nutrition in septic shock
2015 Adam Rahman, MD, DABIM, FRCPC Phase II, multi-center, randomized control trial of beta-hydroxy-methyl-butyrate in improving physical muscle function in nutritionally at risk elderly patients
2013-2014 Elsa Bou Ghanem, PhD Vitamin E reverses age-associated susceptibility to streptococcus pneumoniae lung infection
2012 Kenneth NG, DO Role of phytosterols and FXR signaling in parenteral nutrition-associated liver disease.
2010-2011 Gail Cresci, PhD(c), RD, CNSD Probiotics and the short-chain fatty acid butyrate: What is the mechanism in which these substrates prevent antibiotic associated diarrhea?
2009 Jeanette Keith, MD Metabolic factors associated with weight regain following bariatric surgery
2008 Petar Popovic, MD To determine the effects of citrulline supplementation in preventing arginine deficiency in vitro and in vivo
2007 Edward Saltzman, MD Effect of vitamin K on insulin sensitivity
2005-2006 Carrie Earthman, PhD, RD Clinical implications of gastric bypass surgery
2003-2004 Bruce Grossie, PhD Response of an inflammatory site to arginine modified parenteral nutrition.
2001 James S. Scolapio, MD Gastric secretory and motor transit responses in patients with short bowel syndrome
1999-2000 Kelly A. Tappenden, PhD, RD Prevention of bowel ischemia with optimized nutrition
ASPEN Rhoads Research Foundation Grant
2017 Nicole Gavin, BSc, MAP, PhD Improving central-line associated bloodstream infection diagnosis in allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplant patients with parenteral nutrition (The Improving CLABSI Trial)
2017 Hannah Piper, MD Therapy to Improve the Gut Microbiota and Growth in Children with Short Bowel Syndrome
Baxter Grant for Parenteral Nutrition Research
2026 Mitchell L. Ramsey, MD Enteral hyperoxaluria among adults with pancreatic disorders: a novel biomarker to assess for exocrine pancreatic insufficiency.
2025 Richard Jacobson, MD Targeting surgically-induced dysbiosis in colorectal cancer peritoneal metastases
2023-2024 Mirielle Lauren Pauline, BSc The Role of Probiotics Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium in Neonatal Short Bowel Syndrome to Promote Adaptation and Improve Metabolic Function: Studied in Piglets.
2022 Mohamed Tausif R. Siddiqui, MD, CNSC Investigation of mucosa-associated microbiome and recurrent small intestinal bacterial overgrowth in short bowel syndrome patients
2021 Hassan Dashti, PhD, RD Assessing Metabolic and Sleep Consequences of Overnight Home Parenteral Nutrition
2020 David Williams, MD, MPH Role of Malnutrition and Nutrition Delivery on Surgical Outcomes in Underserved Patients
2019 Jayshil Patel, MD A Phase II Double Blind Randomized Controlled Trial of High Dose Vitamin B12 in Septic Shock
2018 James Davison, PhD Modulation of organ injury by Faecalibacterium prausnitzii in critical illness
2016-2017 Gregory Guthrie, PhD Synergy between phytosterols and inflammation to antagonize nuclear hormone receptor function in PNALD
2014-2015 Ajay K. Jain, MD Novel interventions modulating the FXR-FGF19 axis and the TGR5-GLP axis as therapeutic approaches for TPN associated pathologies
2013 Emma Tillman, PharmD Omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in parenteral nutrition associated liver disease
2012 Matthew Lungren, MD Bacteriophage antimicrobial-lock technique for staphylococcus aureus venous parenteral nutrition catheter-related infection: an in-vivo model evaluation
2011 Bianca Arendt, PhD Effect of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid lipid emulsion on parenteral nutrition associated liver disease
Charles Van Way III Nutrition Research Grant
2026 Ting Ting Fu, MD Affinity Binding Filtration for Human Milk Pathogen Reduction
C. Richard Fleming Grant
2026 Peter Gullickson, BA Skeletal Muscle Decline in VV-ECMO: A Foundation for Evidence-Based Nutrition Interventions
2021 Imre W.K. Kouw, PhD, MNutr, BDiet The effect of enteral feeding pattern on glycemic control and gastrointestinal function in critically ill patients
2019 Hassan Dashti, PhD, RD Assessing circadian misalignment from overnight parenteral nutrition.
2018 Charles Hong, MD Plasma amino acid profiles in neonates on extracorporeal life support
2017 Lisa Martin, MSc, RD Diagnostic criteria for malnutrition in overweight and obese cancer patients
2015 Ashley Hayden, MS, RD, LD, CNSC (by B. Lyman, MS, RN) Enteral feeding set handling techniques: A comparison of bacterial growth, time, labor, and material costs
2014 Michelle Nicolo, MS, RD, CDE, CNSC Clinical outcomes in criticallly ill patients associated with protein delivery
2013 Sarah Peterson, RD, CNSC Impact of bolus administration of enteral nutrition on autophagy and skeletal muscle synthesis in the ICU
2012 Allison Blackmer, PharmD, BCPS Neurodevelopmental outcomes of pediatric patients treated with modified intravenous lipid emulsion for the treatment and/or prevention of parenteral nutrition associated liver disease
2011 Yongjia Feng, PhD Modulation of glucogan like peptide-2 and epidermal growth factor signaling in intestinal epithelial cell proliferation and apoptosis in a TPN mouse model
2009 Matthew Koopmann, MD What is the optimal time to administer GLP-2  in SBS?
2004 Alisha Rovner, PhD Bone health in children with sickle cell disease.
2003 Robert Chang, MD Evaluation of serial enteroplasty: A novel bowel lengthening procedure
2002 Jennifer Muir Bowers, RD, CNSD Cytokine response in malnutrition and severe fatigue related to Coccidioidomycosis
2001 Todd W. Mattox, PharmD, BCNSP Usefulness of transferrin and prealbumin as predictors of nitrogen balance in the nutrition support of pateints after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT)
2000 Philip Y. Pearson, MD The role of leptin in intestinal adaptation after massive small bowel resection
2000 Rose Ann DiMaria (Ghalili), PhD, RN Comparison of weight changes in older and younger persons undergoing CABG surgery
1998 Elizabeth M. Lyman, MSN, RN Aseptic versus clean technique for Hickman Catheter care.
C. Richard Fleming/Daniel H. Teitelbaum Grant
2025 Sung-Min Cho, DO, MHS A Novel Method to Determine Individualized Energy Expenditure in Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (EE-ECMO)
2024 Sarah L. Andersen, Adv APD, PhD Prebiotic fibre supplementation during allogeneic stem cell transplantation, a pilot randomised control trial
2023 Gabriella A Ten Have, PhD Targeted nutritional approach to restore metabolic deregulations during recovery from sepsis as assessed by comprehensive metabolic phenotyping.
2022 Amber Hager, RD Serial evaluations of muscle mass, motor development and growth to determine sarcopenia expression and progression in young infants and children with end-stage liver disease before and after liver transplantation
2020 Debora Melo van Lent, PhD Relationships between the Dietary Inflammatory Index and MRI markers of brain aging and markers of cerebral small vessel disease, and PET imaging biomarkers of Alzheimer’s disease.
2016 Robert Bandsma, MD, PhD Identification of Severely Malnourished Children at High Risk for Death: A Metabolomics Study
Daniel H. Teitelbaum Grant
2026 Tyler J. Titcomb, PhD, RDN Malnutrition in Multiple Sclerosis: A Retrospective Study of Electronic Health Records
2021 Vikram K. Raghu, MD, MS Optimal Lipid Supplementation Strategy for the Prevention and Treatment of Parenteral Nutrition-Associated Liver Disease in Children with Intestinal Failure
2019 Minsuk Han, MD Serial L[1-13C]Methionine Breath Testing to Assess Longitudinal Changes in Liver Function in Patients with Intestinal Failure
2018 Courtney Rowan, MD Prospective Evaluation of Persistent Inflammatory, Immunosuppressed, Catabolic Syndrom in the Critically Ill Pediatric Population
2017 Liam McKeever, BA, MS, PhD student, RDN Feeding the criticallly ill during phases of altered redox status (FEDOX): a prospective randomized trial
Douglas Wilmore Grant
1994-1995 Robin Henderson, PhD, RD Nutrition and viral/immune status in HIV infected children.  NOTE: title might have been ” Effects of nutrition intervention on HIV positive children”
Fresenius Kabi Parenteral Nutrition Research Grant
2016 Darla Shores, MD Biomarkers of intestinal injury in infants
2015 Lori Bechard, PhD, RD, LDN (By A. Carey, MD) Safety and tolerability of intravenous fish oil lipid emulsion during hematopoietic cell transplantation in children
2013-2014 Hongyu Xue, MD Modulating cardiotoxicity and anti-cancer efficacy related to anthracycline chemotherapy by glutamine and n-3 PUFAs
Maurice Shils Grant by Baxter Healthcare & Nestlé Nutrition (1994-2009)
2007-2008 Barbara Stoll, PhD Parenteral Nutrition and Hepatic Insulin Resistance in Neonatal Pigs
2006 Valentina Todorova, PhD Dietary Glutamine and Protection Against Cardiotoxicity of Chemotherapy
2005 Catherine Crill, PharmD Effect of Parenteral Nutrition Light Exposure on Urinary Markers of Oxidative Stress In Preterm Infants
2005 Steven Steiner, MD Metabolic Response to Infliximad in Pediatric Ulcerative Colitis
2004 Hua Yang, MD, PhD  (Shils/Fleming) IL-7 modulation of intraepithelial lymphocytes with TPN.
2002 Paul Wishmeyer, MD Effect of Glutamine Administration to the Intact Rat on Myocardial Ischemia and Reperfusion Injury
2000-2001 N. Joseph Espat, MD Proposal to investigate anti-inflammatory therapies (Omega-3 fatty acids and Cyclo-oxygenase II inhibitors in the treatment of cancer-associated cachexia
1998-1999 Deborah A. Swartz-Basile, PhD Retinoid Modulation of Intestinal Epithelial Adaptation
1996-1997 Malcolm Robinson, MD Sepsis, Malnutrition and Liver Dysfunction: The Role of Glutathione.
1994-1995 W. Scott Helton, MD Nutritional Modulation of Macrophage Function
Mead Johnson Nutrition Grant
2025+2026 Melissa K. Thoene, MS, PhD, RD Evaluation of the Nutritional Antioxidant Content of Feedings for Hospitalized Infants Based on Standard Clinical Practices for Storage, Preparation, and Delivery
Nestlé Nutrition Institute Maurice Shils Grant
2026 Jordan D. Philpott, PhD Investigating the Impact of Enteral Nutrition Reintroduction following fasting and Inflammation on Gastrointestinal Motility and Enteroendocrine Cell Hormone Signaling in a Mouse Model.
2025 Brandon M. Kistler, PhD, RD The effect of preparation and storage on inositol phosphates and mineral accessibility in homemade supplements
2024 Mitchell L. Ramsey, MD Enteral hyperoxaluria among adults with pancreatic disorders: a novel biomarker to assess for exocrine pancreatic insufficiency.
2023 Jacob T. Mey, PhD, RD Breath Ammonia as a Malnutrition Screening Tool.
2022 Krista Haines, DO, MABMH Longitudinal Energy Expenditure in the ICU and Post-ICU Phases in Obese and Non-Obese Hospitalized Patients (LEEP-ON
2021 Lisa Martin, PhD, RD Implementing the Use of CT-images as Part of the Nutrition Care Process: A Feasibility Study
2020 Fatemeh Ramezani, PhD Can tributyrin supplementation protect intestinal health during recurrent Clostridium difficile colonization and antibiotic treatment?
2018 Hannah Piper, MD Targeted Probiotic Therapy to Improve the Gut Microbiota and Growth in Children with Short Bowel Syndrome
2017 Peter Abdelmalik, MD, PhD The  Safety and efficacy of volume-based feeding in critically ill patients with intracranial hemorrhage
2016 Adam Kuchnia, MS, RD Determination of protein requirements using a stable isotope multi-step feeding protocal and evaluation of an innovative ultrasound device and other bedside technologies for lean tissue assessment in individuals with head and neck cancer
2015 Kate Walton, PhD Towards therapeutic strategies to improve patient outcome with total parenteral nutrition: clues from cell signaling networks
2013-2014 Crystal Levesque, PhD A pilot study of systemic glucagon like peptide combined with oral epidermal growth factor and characterization of gut microbiome in short bowel piglets with and without ileum
2011-2012 Joseph Boullata, PharmD, BCNSP Drug compatibility and stability in enteral nutrition
2009-2010 Diana Mager, PhD, RD Altered postprandial lipid metabolism as a mediator to hepatic steatosis in overweight and obese children with non-alcololic steatosis (NASH)
Nestlé Health Science Enteral Nutrition Research Grant
2018 Zudin Amilka Puthucheary, PhD, MBBS, BMedSci., MRCP, EDICM, D. UHM, PGCME, FHEA, FFICM Assessment of differential amino acid uptake and metabolomics profiles between intermittent and continuous feeding protocols in the critically ill: an IVC trial (NCT02358512) sub-study
Norman Yoshimura Grant by B. Braun and the Aesculap Academy
2023 Erin A. Posey, PhD Regulation of muscle protein synthesis by β-hydroxy β-methylbutyrate (HMB) in a preterm piglet model.
2022 Ana T. Limon-Miro, PhD, RD Energy metabolism in patients with cirrhosis and obesity
2021 Gabriella A.M. ten Have, PhD Targeted nutritional approach to restore metabolic deregulations during recovery from sepsis as assessed by comprehensive metabolic phenotyping
2020 Marko Rudar, PhD Regulation of skeletal muscle protein synthesis in the preterm pig by intermittent leucine pulses during continuous parenteral feeding
2018-2019 Lori Bechard, PhD, MEd, RD The consequences of malnutrition in mechanically ventilated critically ill children- a multicenter prospective cohort study of nutritional practices and clinical outcomes in pediatric intensive care units around the world
2017 Chelsia Gillis, RD, MSc Prehabilitation intervention to improve patient-centered outcomes post-colorectoral surgery for cancer: A multicenter randomized controlled trial
2016 Kate Walton, PhD Towards therapeutic strategies to improve patient outcome with total parenteral nutrition: Clues from cell signaling networks
2015 Kenneth Christopher, MD Nutritional metabolome in critical illness
2014 Audrey LaJoinie, PharmD Influence of fish oil based intravenous fat emulsions on the epidermal barrier function
2012-2013 Christy Lawson, MD Cross-talk between insulin and angiotensin in burn trauma
2011 Yanfeng Li, MD Role of the “orphan” nuclear receptor, FXR, in parenteral nutrition associated cholestasis
2009-2010 Gerdien Ligthart-Melis, PhD The contribution of glutamine to citrulline and arginine synthesis, when alanyl-glutamine is supplied in an enteral dose of 0.5g/kg, in critically ill patients
2006 Renee Stapleton, MD, MSc Anti-inflammatory effects of enteral n-3 fatty acids in patients with acute lung injury
2005 Julian Spallholz, PhD Selenium dietary supplements in the mitigation of arsenicosis and associated skin cancers
2004 David Foster, PharmD The effects of green tea polyphenols on intestinal hyperpermeability.
2002 Roland N. Dickerson, PharmD Predicting extent of catabolism in critically ill patients by use of artificial intelligence.
2001 Alexander Dzakovic, MD Protective effect of increased hepatic glutathione during TPN
Nutrition and COVID-19 Research Grant
2021 Gail Cresci, PhD, RD, LD Does Enteral Feeding Impact Gut “Omics”, Intestinal Integrity and Clinical Outcomes in Critically Ill COVID-19 Patients?
Pat Anthony Disease-Related Malnutrition Research Grant
2026 Barbara C. Santos, PhD Omics signatures of protein requirements throughout cancer trajectory
Reckitt/Mead Johnson Nutrition Research Grant (2022-2024)
2024 Caitlin E. Vonderohe, DVM, PhD Efficacy of Citrulline Supplementation to Prevent Necrotizing Enterocolitis in Neonatal Preterm Pigs.
2022-2023 Yimin Chen, PhD, RDN Effect of early-life feeding types on neurodevelopment mediated by the gut-brain axis.
Small Research Project Grant
2015 Nicole Gavin, PhD (c) The safety of parenteral nutrition regarding microbial growth and vascular catheter-related infection (The FACT Study)
2014 Allison Buti, MPH Investigating the Mediating Roles of Sirtuin 1 and PPAR-y in the Relationship between Maternal  Dietar Niacin Intake and Infant Adiposity
2012 Tanis Fenton, PhD, RD Hypophosphatemia and the risk of poor glycemic control among very low birth weight infants
2010 Lindsay Weitzel, PhD Effect of Glutamine on HSP-70 expression in ICU patients
2001 Rebecca L. Persinger-Soultanakis, MD, RD Evaluation of Catabolic and Anabolic Cytokines in Skeletal Muscle Tissue from Cachectic Individuals with Chronic Heart Failure (CHF)
1998 Bobbi Langkamp-Henken, PhD Effect of Dietary Supplementation of Arginine on Immune Function in Nursing Home Residents with Pressure Ulcers.
1997 Charlene W. Compher, MS, RD Dietary Wheat Bran’s Protection Against Colon Cancer. Note – A.S.P.E.N. records show: Effects of intracolonic butyrate infusion on abberant crypt foci in male fischer 344 rat exposed to azoxymethane.
1997 Catherine J. Klein, MS, RD Magnesium and Zinc Balance in critically Ill patients treated with continuous renal replacement therapy.
1996 Jill Lindeman- Castle, MS, RD Zinc status and balance in Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplant Patients
1996 Kelly A. Tappenden, PhD, RD The Effect of SCFA Supplemented TPN on Multi-organ Response to Intestinal Resection
1995 Stephanie Brooks, MS, RD Comparison of muscle function testing in HIV infected subjects and non-infected controls as an index of nutritional status.
1995 Mary Chan, MD Effect of glutamine on HIV-associated intestinal disease and skeletal muscle wasting. NOTE: Title may have been : Effect of Glutamine Supplementation on Small Bowel Regeneration, Protein Metabolism, and Quality of Life in Cachectic Patients with AIDS.
1994 Deborah Andris, BSN, RN The Impact of Antibiotic Lock on Microbial Surface Colonization of Silicone Catheters
1994 Carol L. Braunschweig, PhD, MS, RD The Metabolic Role of Zinc in Acute Phase Response
1994 Lisa Freeman, PhD, DVM The role of cytokines in canine cardiac cachexia
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