Participants

Dr. Emily Adhikari is a clinical scholar at UT Southwestern and Medical Director of Perinatal Infectious Diseases at Parkland Health whose research focuses on infections in pregnancy, primarily syphilis and congenital syphilis. She investigates how maternal syphilis alters placental histopathology and transcriptomic pathways linked to adverse pregnancy outcomes including congenital syphilis and preterm birth. She seeks to elucidate immune-metabolic reprogramming of innate and adaptive immunity at the placental interface in the context of syphilis, in the hopes of contributing to vaccine development. She is attending the workshop to strengthen an early translational research program, refine career-development strategies and build collaborations.

Poster Title: Placental Treponema Pallidum Infection Alters the Human Placental Metabolome in Association with Congenital Syphilis and Preterm Labor

Dr. Jessica Bradshaw is a postdoctoral fellow studying how pregnancy-related exposures, aging, and biological sex influence maternal and offspring brain health across the lifespan. Trained in immunology and neuroendocrinology, her research integrates neuroimmune and behavioral approaches to understand long-term maternal and offspring brain health outcomes. Supported by an NICHD-funded K99/R00 award, her work examines how gestational hypoxia contributes to maternal brain vulnerability across the lifespan. Dr. Bradshaw is attending the NICHD Junior Investigator Workshop to strengthen grantsmanship and science communication skills, advance her development as an independent researcher, and build collaborations with peers, NIH program officers, and intramural investigators.

Poster Title: Parity-Associated Oxidative Stress Interacts with Aging to Influence Maternal Cognitive Decline

Dr. Campbell is an instructor investigating the role of B lymphocytes in hypertension and neurovascular dysfunction associated with preeclampsia. Trained in pharmacology, he focuses on identifying novel therapeutic approaches to improve maternal and fetal outcomes while safely reducing blood pressure during pregnancy. His research seeks to advance targeted treatment strategies that protect both maternal cardiovascular health and fetal development. By attending the NICHD Junior Investigator Workshop, Dr. Campbell aims to strengthen his grant-writing and scientific communication skills, facilitate his transition to independent investigator status, and establish collaborative relationships with fellow scientists and NIH program staff in the maternal-fetal health field.

Poster Title: The Role of CD20+ B Cells in Preeclampsia: Autoantibody Mediators of Endothelial Dysfunction and Hypertension

Dr. Yu‑Lun Chen is a research scientist whose work focuses on physical and mental health among individuals with developmental disabilities. Trained in occupational therapy, her patient‑centered research examines individual and environmental factors associated with physical activity and community participation among transition‑age youth on the autism spectrum. A complementary line of her work leverages electronic health records to identify clinical and social determinants of mental health conditions in autistic adults. Dr. Chen looks forward to building meaningful connections and exploring opportunities for professional development and collaboration with peers and NIH program staff at the NICHD Junior Investigator Workshop

Poster Title: Physical Activity in Transition Age Youth on the Autism Spectrum

Dr. Coggins' research interests include neonatal infectious diseases and the optimal use of antimicrobial therapy in infants at risk for infection. Her current research program combines epidemiologic methods and pharmacokinetic modeling to develop pharmacologically-based frameworks to improve the efficacy and safety of neonatal antimicrobial exposures. She is currently conducting a pharmacokinetic study integrating maternal and neonatal data to better understand perinatal transplacental antibiotic transfer. She is attending the NICHD Junior Investigator Workshop to build connection and collaboration with fellow investigators and NIH staff, as well as focus her career development towards a transition to independence.

Poster Title: Vancomycin and Clindamycin Concentrations in Umbilical Cord Blood Following Intrapartum Exposures

Dr. S. Christopher Derderian is a pediatric and fetal surgeon at Children’s Hospital Colorado and the University of Colorado School of Medicine, where he serves as Surgical Lead for the Colorado Fetal Care Center. His research focuses on impaired placentation in fetal growth restriction, with particular interest in trophoblast-derived extracellular vesicles, microRNA signaling, and impaired placental angiogenesis. His work integrates human placental tissue, trophoblast models, and translational approaches to better.

Poster Title: An In Vitro Model of Fetal Growth Restriction: Nutrient Restriction in Trophoblast Stem Cells Stimulate the Release of Anti-Angiogenic miRNA-141-3p via Extracellular Vesicles

I am a Postdoctoral Research Scientist in the Department of Epidemiology at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health (MSPH) and the Columbia Center for Injury Science and Prevention (CCISP), with a PhD in Brain, Cognition and Behavior from the University of Barcelona. My work is grounded in life course epidemiology, developmental science, violence prevention, cognition, and public health. I study the consequences of early life adversity, psychiatric epidemiology and developmental psychopathology, pathways to aggressive and suicidal behaviors, and cognitive health across the life span. In September 2025, I received an NICHD K99/R00 to examine the heterogeneity in the intergenerational transmission of violence and to identify the genetic, behavioral, cognitive, mental health, family, and social mechanisms involved. Dr. Faes is attending the NICHD Junior Investigator Workshop to strengthen grant-writing skills, improve his communication skills, and connect with peer investigators and NICHD program staff.

Poster Title: Adolescent Interplay of Adversity and Risk: An Ising Network Analysis

Hanim Ecem Diktas, Ph.D., MS, is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Pennington Biomedical Research Center. She received her master’s degree from Istanbul Medipol University and her doctoral degree from Pennsylvania State University. She leads NIH-funded work, including an NICHD F32 fellowship applying machine learning and ecological momentary assessment to identify contextual predictors of children’s energy intake, and a pilot study validating a smartwatch-based eating detection system in child–parent dyads. Dr. Diktas is attending the NICHD Junior Investigator Workshop to accelerate her transition to independence by refining her K99/R00 strategy, strengthening science communication, and expanding her NICHD network.

Poster Title: Machine Learning and Ecological Momentary Assessment Data to Identify Factors that Predict Children's Energy Intake

Dr. Susannah Engdahl is a postdoctoral fellow pursuing innovative solutions to empower people with limb loss. Her approach is informed by her training in biomedical engineering, experience with academic research and patient advocacy, and personal lived experience with congenital multi-limb differences. Dr. Engdahl plans to create a transdisciplinary research program that balances advancement in prosthetic technology with deep consideration of biopsychosocial factors related to limb loss, while emphasizing end-user engagement in the process. Attending the NICHD Junior Investigator Workshop will help prepare her to independently lead this work and to expand her network of peers.

Poster Title: Aligning Rehabilitation Research with the Lived Realities of Upper Limb Loss

Dr. Nisha Fahey is an Assistant Professor committed to improving health outcomes for mother-infant dyads. As a primary care pediatrician with global health training, her research focuses on promoting the practice of Kangaroo Care, featuring skin-to-skin, among mothers of low-birth-weight infants in rural India. She is pairing community engagement and implementation science with a multiphase optimization strategy (MOST) framework to develop a culturally adapted, multicomponent intervention tailored for resource-limited settings. Dr. Fahey is attending the NICHD Junior Investigator Workshop to learn about NICHD research priorities, gain insights about transitioning to independence, and expand her network among peer and NIH staff.

Poster Title: “The weight has increased, and the love has increased”: Mothers’ Perspectives on Community-Based Kangaroo Care after NICU Discharge in Gujarat, India

Dr. Ashley George is an Assistant Professor at the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine with expertise in endocrinology, mucosal biology, and immunology. Her lab investigates how sex-linked biology shapes immune responses in health and disease. Integrating systems immunology with high-parameter single-cell approaches, the George Lab seeks to define why immune programs differ between sexes and how these differences influence disease susceptibility, progression, and treatment outcomes. Dr. George is      attending NICHD Junior Investigator Workshop to strengthen her grant-writing skills, advance her research program, and build collaborations with peers and NIH program staff.

Poster Title: Viral-specific T Cell Responses at the Maternal-fetal Interface

Dr. Danielle Green is a pediatric intensivist and clinical pharmacologist at the University of Utah. Her research program integrates pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic modeling, biomarker science, and clinical trial data to improve drug dosing and therapeutic outcomes in critically ill children. Her current work centers on precision drug dosing in pediatric sepsis and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome. She is attending this workshop to strengthen her scientific communication skills, refine her career development plan, and foster collaborations to support her transition to research independence.

Poster Title: Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic Modeling of Intravenous Anakinra Exposure in Children

Dr. Heather L. Green is a research scientist in the Lurie Family Foundation Magnetoencephalography Imaging Center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. She received her PhD from Columbia University and holds an MS degree in speech-language pathology from La Salle University. She is a Pennsylvania-licensed speech-language pathologist and a member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. She uses multimodal imaging to study how the brain changes during infancy and early childhood, with a focus on language development and outcomes. Attending the NICHD Junior Investigator Workshop will help Dr. Green navigate the transition following her K award and provide opportunities to network with researchers across various career stages.

Poster Title: Resting-state Periodic and Aperiodic Brain Oscillations from Birth to Preschool Years: Aperiodic Maturity Predicts Developmental Course

Katherine Guttmann, MD, MBE is a physician scientist committed to improving communication between families of critically ill neonates and clinicians in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. To that end, she conducts research aimed at better understanding how doctors communicate with families. Her goal is to work towards better communication, better parent experience, and better outcomes for babies and their families. Dr. Guttmann is attending the NICHD Junior Investigator Workshop to learn more about preparation of a successful R01 submission, gain career advice and plan for her transition to independence, and learn from and network with peers and NIH program staff.

Poster Title: Multi-disciplinary Perspectives on Communication Quality in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

Dr. Esmeralda Hidalgo-Lopez is a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Michigan, investigating the neuroendocrine underpinnings of chronic pelvic pain (CPP) in female reproductive health conditions like endometriosis and dysmenorrhea. During her graduate training, she studied neuroactive effects of ovarian hormones and oral contraceptives on human brain function, mood and behavior. Currently, she applies person-specific approaches to elucidate neuroendocrine mechanisms underlying CPP across pubertal development, key window for diagnosis and intervention. The NICHD Junior Investigator Workshop will guide her transition to independence, foster engagement with peers and NIH program staff, and provide critical feedback to inform and improve her research.

Poster Title: Dysmenorrhea Severity is Related to Sensory Sensitivity and Widespread Pain in a Community Sample.

Dr. Melissa Horger is a postdoctoral fellow researching the impact of sleep on cognitive and motor development in infancy and early childhood. Her graduate training was in developmental psychology, primarily using behavioral outcomes, surveys, and objective data from wearables. As a postdoc, she gained experience with neuroimaging methods, including EEG and MRI. Dr. Horger has combined these domains to study the acute and chronic role of sleep EEG features in motor learning and development. Through the NICHD Junior Investigator Workshop, she hopes to grain insight into funding priorities and grantsmanship, build collaborations, and clarify her path to independence.

Poster Title: Corpus Callosum White Matter Integrity and Sleep EEG Features are Associated with Young Children’s Current and Later Motor Development

Dr. Irogue Igbinosa is an assistant professor in Obstetrics and Gynecology studying approaches to screening, treatment, and management of iron deficiency in pregnancy from preconception to time of delivery. Her background includes training in implementation science research, perinatal epidemiology, clinical trials, and community participatory based research. The goal of her research is to inform the pragmatic screening and management of iron deficiency in pregnancy for communities most at risk for adverse outcomes. Dr. Igbinosa is attending the NICHD Junior Investigator Workshop to strengthen grant writing skills, refine transition to independence, and build collaborative network with colleagues and within NIH.

Poster Title: Patient-reported Outcomes of Iron-deficiency Anemia Treatment in Pregnancy: A Mixed Methods Analysis

Kelsey Johnson is an Assistant Professor in the Center for Genetic Epidemiology at Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California. Dr. Johnson’s research uses computational genomics to better understand the biology of human lactation and its impacts on infant and maternal health. Previously, Dr. Johnson was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Minnesota and obtained her PhD from the University of Pennsylvania. This workshop will be a valuable opportunity to gain insight into cohort development, strategic planning, and NICHD research priorities and funding processes.

Poster Title: Maternal Genetic and Dietary Influences on the Human Milk Metabolome

Dr. Brandon Logeman is an Assistant Professor whose research investigates how gene expression changes in defined subcortical circuits shape neural activity and behavior. At the intersection of functional genomics, biochemical signaling, and systems neuroscience, his lab integrates animal behavior, single-cell ‘omics, and neural imaging to uncover molecular mechanisms underlying instinctive behaviors. His work aims to identify signaling pathways and gene regulatory programs that explain how evolutionarily conserved behaviors are established and modified. He is attending the NICHD Junior Investigator Workshop to strengthen grant-writing skills, refine his path to independence, and build collaborations with peers, mentors, and NIH program staff.

Poster Title: Mom Does It Best: How Hormone-Gated Enhancers Reconfigure Neuronal Circuits for Parenting

Dr. Sarah Lusk is a postdoctoral fellow studying conserved pathways of neurogenesis during regeneration. Her research seeks to understand the stem cell response to neural injury, identifying key molecules and cell lineages using a zebrafish spinal cord injury model. Dr. Lusk aims to lead a biomedical research program that leverages in vivo model systems and single-cell approaches to study neurodevelopment and regeneration. The NICHD Junior Investigator Workshop will support her transition to independence by strengthening grant writing skills, facilitating connections with program officers and investigators, and aligning future research with NICHD’s mission to advance child health and development.

Poster Title: Dissecting the Neural Stem Cell State during Zebrafish Spinal Cord Regeneration

Dr. Tatiana Padilla is an incoming Assistant Professor at Rutgers University's School of Criminal Justice and a T32 NIH Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Minnesota. She received her Ph.D. in Public Policy from Cornell University in 2023. Her research investigates how contact with the legal system affects child wellbeing, family stability, and maternal health, with particular attention to foster care entry, pediatric health utilization, and prenatal care. Dr. Padilla is attending this workshop to improve her understanding of the NIH funding landscape, identify opportunities to support her research agenda, and build the career planning skills needed as she transitions to independent faculty.

Poster Title: The Impacts of Interactions with Legal Systems on Prenatal Healthcare Utilization

Dr. Ryan Posh is completing his postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Michigan and transitioning to independence as an Assistant Professor at The Ohio State University. His research focuses on advancing bio-inspired lower-limb prostheses to improve function, usability, and comfort for individuals with amputation. His work aims to enhance quality of life by investigating and reshaping how bionic and passive prosthetic legs are designed, controlled, and integrated with the user. Dr. Posh is attending the NICHD Junior Investigator Workshop to strengthen his transition to independence, build connections with NIH program staff and peers, and further develop his grant-writing foundation.

Poster Title: Toward the Next Generation of Powered and Passive Prostheses Through Power Redistribution and Biomechanical Synergies

Dr. Sandipan Pramanik is a K99 Postdoctoral Fellow in Biostatistics at Johns Hopkins and an incoming Assistant Professor of Data Science at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. His research integrates Bayesian statistics and machine learning to address global health challenges, with contributions in uncertainty quantification, uncertainty propagation, and modular modeling. Through his K99 award, he is developing statistical frameworks and software to better understand disease burden among children under age five in LMICs. He is attending the NICHD Junior Investigator Workshop to strengthen his grant-writing skills, improve scientific communication, and build connections with NICHD program officers and peers.

Poster Title: VA-Calibration: A Comprehensive Statistical Framework to Enhance Verbal-Autopsy-Based Mortality Surveillance for Children Under Age Five

Dr. Sanders’s career focuses on enhancing the lives of patients with neurodevelopmental disabilities (NDD) across the lifespan, combining her background in special education and medicine. She the 6-year NDD residency, which included two years of pediatrics and four years of adult and child neurology and NDD. Dr. Sanders founded an adult neurodevelopmental clinic and oversees the Transition to Adulthood Clinic. Her research aims to improve communication and care between clinicians and adults with Down syndrome, and also how employment impacts health outcomes. This workshop will prepare her for larger grant applications and expand her network for valuable peer mentorship.

Poster Title: Joint Opportunities for Bridging Wellness, Integration of Community Services, and Supported Employment (JOBWISE) – Preliminary Pilot Data

Dr. Natasha Shylo is an Assistant Professor at Rowan University with a research vision to investigate the evolution of early developmental processes and morphological adaptation in amniotes, using veiled chameleons as a research organism, with a long-term goal of informing the study of human disease. Dr. Shylo received her PhD from Yale University and did her postdoctoral work with Paul Trainor at Stowers Institute. In this workshop she is looking forward to better understanding the mechanisms of the funding process at NIH and meeting her colleagues, who are at a similar career stage.

Poster Title: Genetic and Genomic Tools in Veiled Chameleons (Chamaeleo calyptratus)

Dr. Bethany Sloane is a pediatric physical therapist and Associate Professor at Oregon Health & Science University. She completed her PhD in Kinesiology at Oregon State University in 2024, where her dissertation and KL2-funded work focused on a home-based, caregiver-led power mobility intervention for young children with motor disabilities. Her current NICHD K23 award focuses on implementing power mobility interventions within early intervention systems using implementation science and community-engaged approaches. She is attending this workshop to support her transition to independence by strengthening grant writing skills, refining her trajectory towards an R01, and connecting with NICHD program officers and peers.

Poster Title: Understanding Power Mobility use in Early Intervention Systems: A Community-Engaged, Mixed-Methods Implementation Assessment

Dr. Huilun Wang is a postdoctoral fellow studying how defects in protein quality control contribute to neurodevelopmental disorders. Her research focuses on the SEL1L-HRD1 ER-associated degradation (ERAD) pathway, one of the most conserved ER protein quality control mechanisms. By integrating cell biology, physiology, and genetics, she seeks to uncover mechanisms underlying human neurodevelopmental disease and identify therapeutic opportunities targeting proteostasis pathways. Dr. Wang is attending the NICHD Junior Investigator Workshop to build collaborations, gain mentorship in career development, and engage with investigators advancing child health and neurodevelopmental research.

Poster Title: Functional Rescue of a Disease-linked ERAD Pathway Mutation via Alternative Splicing

Dr. Xiaoxu Yang is an Assistant Professor studying human development, (reproductive) health and disease using genomic mosaicism in adult samples. Trained in information science and technology (undergrad before transfer), biological science (BS) and bioinformatics (PhD), their work integrates machine learning-based computational algorithms and single cell, single molecule deep genome sequencing experimental techniques invarious human tissues. Their research aims to improve male factor genetic health and understand human early development using adult tissue samples. Dr. Yang is attending the NICHD Junior Investigator Workshop to strengthen grant writing skills and build collaborations with peers and NIH program staff.

Poster Title: Understanding Human Early Development and Health Implications through Mosaic Mutations in Adult Tissues

Dr. Justin Yu is an Assistant Professor whose research focuses on better understanding and improving the health and well-being of children with medical complexity (CMC) and their families. He is a physician with training in Pediatrics, Internal Medicine, and Hospice and Palliative Care Medicine. Dr. Yu's current research program aims to refine and test a psychological intervention which integrates meaning-centered psychotherapy and problem-solving skills training, and aims to improve the emotional well-being of family caregivers of CMC. He is attending the NICHD JI workshop to better collaborate with NIH program staff and prepare for his transition to research independence.

Poster Title: Using Human-Centered Design to Co-Develop MAPS (Meaning and Problem-Solving) – A Novel Psychological Intervention for Family Caregivers of Children with Medical Complexity