AXIS Center Pilot Projects
The CDU AXIS Center’s Investigator Development Core funds pilot projects to support Early Stage Investigators and Senior Postdoctoral Fellows with health disparities research relevant to the Los Angeles County Service Planning Area (SPA) 6 population. Each pilot focuses on diseases disproportionately impacting disadvantaged populations or addresses health disparities in basic mechanisms, clinical, health services, epidemiology, policy, or behavioral topics.
Juan Carlos Rivera Camaño, PhD
Assistant Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine
Assistant Professor, Department of Health & Life Sciences, College of Science and Health
Assistant Professor, Department of Preventive & Social Medicine, College of Medicine
Principal Investigator
Juan Carlos Rivera Camaño, PhD
Assistant Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine
juancarlosriveracam@cdrewu.edu
Learn more about Dr. Rivera Camaño
Abstract
This pilot project examines how electronic cigarette use and obesity may affect skeletal muscle health, growth, and performance, particularly among youth and young adults. Electronic cigarette use and obesity are major public health concerns, and both are highly prevalent among younger populations.
The study focuses on whether skeletal muscle dysfunction caused by electronic cigarette aerosol exposure is linked to inhibition of AMPK, a key regulator of metabolism. The project will also examine whether electronic cigarette exposure reduces the muscle’s ability to grow and adapt, especially in the context of a high-fat diet.
Preliminary findings suggest that mice exposed to electronic cigarette aerosol and a high-fat diet show signs of skeletal muscle dysfunction, reduced AMPK activation, smaller muscle size, and reduced markers related to muscle growth. These findings raise concerns about the long-term effects of vaping on muscle health, physical activity, and chronic disease risk.
The research team will use laboratory and animal models to evaluate how electronic cigarette exposure affects AMPK signaling, skeletal muscle mass, hypertrophy pathways, muscle performance, and satellite cell activity. Findings from this study may help inform future interventions and public health education about the potential risks of electronic cigarette use during adolescence and young adulthood.
Principal Investigator
Susana Cavallero, PhD
Assistant Professor, Department of Health & Life Sciences, College of Science and Health
susanacavallero@cdrewu.edu
Learn more about Dr. Cavallero
Abstract
This pilot project investigates how exercise protects vascular health and helps prevent cardiometabolic disease. Although physical activity is widely recommended for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease, many people face barriers to regular exercise because of disability, limited access, or unfavorable living conditions.
The long-term goal of this research is to identify molecular pathways that mimic the protective effects of exercise and may be used to develop new therapeutic strategies for vascular protection.
Dr. Susana Cavallero’s research focuses on the endothelium, the inner layer of blood vessels, and how exercise may regulate lipid metabolism to reduce inflammation and protect against vascular disease. The study will examine whether exercise-related pathways can help prevent lipid accumulation in endothelial cells, a process associated with atherosclerosis and high blood pressure.
The project will use “exercise in a dish” approaches that combine multiple cell types and mechanical forces to recreate the vascular environment. The research team will use molecular biology, imaging, and metabolomic analysis to identify pathways involved in lipid droplet formation, lipid breakdown, and vascular protection.
By identifying exercise-induced molecular pathways, this study may help support the development of future treatments that improve cardiovascular and metabolic health, especially for individuals who experience barriers to regular physical activity.
Principal Investigator
Jianwei Zheng, PhD
Assistant Professor, Department of Preventive & Social Medicine, College of Medicine
JianweiZheng@cdrewu.edu
Abstract
This pilot project examines racial and population-level differences in electrocardiogram, or ECG, patterns among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and heart failure. The goal is to improve predictive tools for heart failure and reduce healthcare disparities through more accurate, personalized diagnostic approaches.
Heart failure affects millions of people in the United States, and type 2 diabetes significantly increases the risk of developing heart failure. These conditions often occur together and contribute to substantial illness, mortality, and healthcare burden.
Dr. Jianwei Zheng’s research uses large-scale ECG datasets and artificial intelligence to identify ECG variation among patients from different population groups who have type 2 diabetes and heart failure. The study will use data from MIMIC-IV ECG, along with independent validation datasets from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study and the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis.
The project will evaluate whether ECG pattern differences and clinical context can improve AI-based prediction of heart failure risk. The research team will use causal inference methods and machine learning to examine how population-level differences may affect predictive accuracy and contribute to systematic errors in AI tools.
Findings from this study may support future research and intervention studies aimed at improving heart failure prediction and reducing the disproportionate burden of diabetes and heart failure among diverse populations.
Completed Pilot Projects
Year 14: 2022-2024
- Ke Wu, MD, PhD: “TOMM40 links dysregulated lipid metabolism-induced obesity with breast cancer risk “
- Qiongyu Hao, PhD: “CircRAD54L2 promotes triple-negative breast cancer progression by regulating the miR- 888 family/PDK1 axis”
- Juan Carlos Rivera Camaño: “Adverse effects of electronic-cigarettes on skeletal muscle and a potential therapy.”
- Shan-Pin Fanchiang, PhD: “Preventing and Managing Cognitive Impairment”
Year 13: 2021-2023
- Lucy Kibe, DrPH: “COVID-19 Attributes and Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors on Older African Americans”
Year 12: 2020-2022
- Sharon Cobb, PhD, RN, MSN, MPH, PHN: “Cancer Survivorship and Caregiver Leadership Education for Clergy Wives & Widows”
- Noe Chavez, PhD: “Promoting Youth Mental Health in Inequitable Contexts: Applying Participatory Action Research”
- Cheryl Wisseh, PharmD: “Diabetes Specific Medication Regimen Complexity and Diabetes Outcomes”
Year 11: 2019-2021
- Qiongyu Hao, PhD: Identification of a Novel Akt/mTOR Pathway Inhibitor and Exploration of Its Anti-tumor Mechanism
- Rajan Singh, PhD: Novel role of follistatin (Fst) – induced adipose browning in protection against the development of atherosclerosis
- Suhui Yang, PhD: Design, Development, and Biological Evaluation of Novel Small-Molecule Protein Disulfide Isomerase Inhibitors for Treatment of Breast Cancers
Year 10: 2018-2020
- Cynthia Davis, MPH, DHL: PrEP and PEP: Knowledge, Attitudes, Beliefs, and Behaviors (KABB) Among At-Risk African American Adults and Youth
- Piwen Wang, PhD: Targeting cytidine metabolism in prostate cancer chemoprevention and treatment
- Seyung Chung, PhD: Dual Targeting Cancer Stem Cells and Telomerase for the Treatment of Colorectal Cancer
- Chizobam Ani, MD, PhD: Heart Failure Progression and Diet: Racial Disparities
- Nestor Gonzalez-Cadavid, PhD: EMT/oncogenic induction or malignant stimulation of human breast epithelial cells
Year 9: 2017-2019
- Jorge Espinoza Derout, PhD: Targeting Mitochondrial Dysfunction to Reduce Hepatic Steatosis Induced by Nicotine and High-fat diet
- Cynthia Gonzalez, PhD: Watts Community Studio: A Community Health Assessment
- Pranabananda Dutta, PhD: Role of MCP-1 in cellular invasiveness in TNBC and its regulation by PARP1
- Eric Houston, PhD: Cognitive training for ART adherence among African American and Latino YMSM.
- Kamrul Hasan, PhD: Role of CARF, a p53 pathway protein, in fatty liver disease and beyond
Year 8: 2016-2018
- James Tsao, MD: Pharmacological modulation of ischemic muscle repair by stem cells in diabetes
- Eva McGhee, PhD, MS: HPV and Health Disparities
Year 6: 2014-2016
- Yanyuan Wu, MD, MSCR: “Association of lncRNA MALAT1 and breast cancer progression.”
- Piwen Wang, PhD: “Enhanced chemoprevention by combining apigenin with green tea in prostate cancer.”
- Kruttika Bhat, PhD: “Limiting GROa-induced triple negative breast cancer metastasis by PARP inhibition.”
- Yong Wu, MD, PhD: “Targeting metabolic stress and adaptation: the combination of 2-Deoxyglucose and compound C synergistically induces breast cancer cell death.”
- Seyung Chung, PhD: “Constitutively activated STAT3 induces pro-inflammatory IL-6 signaling and poor prognosis in HER2 overexpressing human breast cancer.”
- Hamed Yazdanshenas, MD: “Improving Aged Minorities’ Adherence to Medication by Mobile Health Technology”
Year 4: 2012-2014
- Seyung Chung, PhD: “Constitutively activated STAT3 induces pro-inflammatory IL-6 signaling and poor prognosis in HER2 overexpressing human breast cancer.”
- Silvana Constantinescu, PhD, MS, MA: “Cross-talk between adipose tissue and skeletal muscle.”
- Thomas Magee, PhD: “Metabolic Regulation of Programmed Nephrogenesis”
Year 3: 2011-2013
- Bita Amani, PhD: “Health impact of incarceration on Los Angeles Youth.”
- Yanyuan Wu, MD: “The role of maspin in regulation of EMT and inhibition of tumorigenesis in HER2 overexpressing breast tumor.”
- Stanley Hsia, MD: “Exergaming in the treatment of adult patients with type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Extension of final assessments.”
- Satyesh Sinha, PhD: “Effect of M-CSF/GM-CSF ratio on macrophage polarization in Diabetic Nephropathy.”
- Homero Del Pino, PhD: “Exploring Social Support for Gay Latino Men in Sobriety”
Year 2: 2010-2012
- Nestor Gonzalez-Cadavid, PhD: “Preclinical Proof of Concept for the Therapy of Diabetes-Related Critical Limb Ischemia With Muscle-Derived Stem Cells Combined with Nitric Oxide Donors”
- Suzanne Porszasz- Reisz, PhD: “Mighty Myostatin: Lean or Obese: Activating Signaling Pathway”
- Magda Shaheen, MD, PhD: “The Effects of a Nutritional and Physical Activity intervention in Licensed Child Care Centers in South Los Angeles.”
- Paul Robinson, PhD: “Environmental Determinants of Dash Diet Adherence”
Year 1: 2009-2011
- Jorge Artaza, MS, PhD: “Vitamin D stimulates cardiac differentiation and ameliorates fibrosis associated with cardiovascular disease.”
- Matthew Ho, MD, PhD: “Regenerative anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic properties of human multipotent stem cells and their therapeutic applications in diabetic and renal disease.”
- Sheba George, PhD: “Evaluating the acceptability of cell phone-based sexual health communication among young men who have sex with men in Los Angeles.”
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