January 2025 Grant Recipients
We are excited to announce the 11th round of Catalyst Grants recipients, rewarding the innovation and initiative of the following 34 proposals from caregivers throughout Cleveland Clinic. These grants are made possible by the combined gifts of more than $2M from thousands of generous donors.
Andrew Abboud, MD – Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute, Cardiovascular Medicine (Cleveland Clinic Main Campus)
Idea: Develop a new transcatheter leadless pacing system to overcome the issue of electrical damage to the heart after a TAVR procedure. The pacing system would include a leadless pacemaker implanted in the left ventricle that is directly connected to a pacing apparatus around the TAVR valve.
*Catalyst SPARK Award Recipient
Hany Aly, MD, MSHS – Cleveland Clinic Children’s (Cleveland Clinic Main Campus)
Idea: Develop a device and software that will automatically adjust oxygen supply to maintain stable oxygen saturation in ICU patients with breathing difficulties. In addition to being a more accurate and reliable method, the device will significantly decrease alarm fatigue for bedside nurses.
*Catalyst SPARK Award Recipient
Stephanie Ash, MSW, JD – Endocrinology (Cleveland Clinic Main Campus)
Idea: Support the Thr1ve Diabetes Program, a wraparound pilot program for 36 young adults (ages 18-30) with type 1 diabetes that addresses their medical, psychosocial and financial concerns. The Thr1ve Diabetes program will include support groups, access to safety nets for insulin, fresh produce, transportation, opportunities for diabetes-related education and collaboration with Licensed Social Workers to help address non-medical Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) for long-term stability.
Marylise Boutros, MD – Digestive Disease Institute (Cleveland Clinic Weston Hospital)
Idea: Establish the first-of-its-kind LARS Care Center in North America to provide targeted and comprehensive care to rectal cancer survivors. Our center will address gaps in current care, enhance overall patient quality of life, diminish caregiver burden and change the paradigm of how rectal cancer survivorship is treated at across Cleveland Clinic and elevate the standard of care for rectal cancer management worldwide.
JoAnne Carlo – Neurological Institute (Cleveland Clinic Main Campus)
Idea: Implement role play, distraction, sensory and calming resources for the over 2000 (and growing) pediatric/developmentally challenged population seen each year in the sleep lab. These resources will provide a reduction in anxieties and promote coping skills, leading to increased patient/family satisfaction. It will also improve study quality for the diagnostician, boost the confidence of the technical staff and increase the number of studies completed.
Weiqiang Chen, PhD – Lerner Research Institute, Infection Biology (Cleveland Clinic Main Campus)
Idea: Develop a bone-specific therapy for osteoporosis by delivering NS3p-BMP2 mRNA directly to osteoblasts using bone-targeting recombinant AAV9 vectors and CH6 aptamer-loaded lipid nanoparticles. This targeted approach seeks to enhance bone regeneration and fracture healing while minimizing systemic side effects.
Mitali Das, PhD – Lerner Research Institute (Cleveland Clinic Main Campus)
Idea: Investigate functional and mechanistic mechanisms of Filamin C-driven inherited cardiomyopathy. This will lead to the testing of alternative drugs for personalized treatments of patients.
Abigail Demianczyk, PhD – Children's Behavioral Health & Cardiology (Cleveland Clinic Main Campus)
Idea: Enhance neurodevelopmental care for infants undergoing surgery for congenital heart disease by providing essential resources and staff training in developmental care practices. By increasing the availability of supportive equipment and improving staff competencies, we seek to mitigate cognitive and motor delays in this vulnerable population.
Omolola Fakunle, MD – Orthopaedic Surgery (Cleveland Clinic Administrative Campus)
Idea: Improve surgical accuracy and reduce operative time in spinal deformity surgeries by developing a tool that streamlines spinal rod manipulation, bending and cutting.
*Catalyst SPARK Award Recipient
Kimberlee Fong, DO –Palliative Medicine (Ohio East Regional Hospitals)
Idea: Empower Alzheimer’s and dementia patients and their families to actively participate in determining their medical pathways by developing an educational toolkit utilizing gamification techniques such as choose your own adventure.
Linda Gardner, DNP, MEd, BA, RN, CNOR – Nursing (Cleveland Clinic Main Campus)
Idea: Develop and implement an innovative nursing pipeline program for middle and high school students. Our goal is to conduct educational boot camps that provide informative and immersive learning experiences designed to introduce the nursing profession.
Oluwatosin Goje, MD – Ob/Gyn & Women’s Health Institute (Cleveland Clinic Main Campus)
Idea: Develop and pilot a culturally tailored, family-centered nutrition education program for Black and Hispanic postpartum patients diagnosed with hypertension or diabetes during pregnancy. This intervention will combine hands-on cooking classes and nutrition education, health (blood glucose and blood pressure) monitoring, and food supplementation to address social drivers of health that contribute to the differences in outcomes in hypertension and diabetes risk.
Chiara Graver, MA – Cleveland Clinic Children’s (Cleveland Clinic Children's Center for Autism)
Idea: Support families with young autistic children by providing training, resources, and community activities that enhance their child’s current services. By equipping parents with practical skills and fostering connections, we aim to alleviate stress and isolation, ultimately improving the well-being of both parents and their children.
Julie Honaker, PhD – Integrated Surgical Institute (Cleveland Clinic Main Campus)
Idea: Investigate accuracy of vestibular function outcomes across two objective eye movement tracking systems. Accurate vestibular testing is crucial for diagnosing and treating problems related to balance and orientation.
Sayuri Inoue, MD, MPH, MPP – Endocrinology (Cleveland Clinic Main Campus)
Idea: Develop and implement a medical nutrition therapy (MNT) program within a group visit setting for patients with obesity who lack access to MNT. This new program will be developed within the existing shared medical appointment (SMA) program at the Endocrinology Department (EMI).
Hyun Jung Kim, PhD– Lerner Research Institute (Cleveland Clinic Main Campus)
Idea: Develop a Multiplex Organ Chip Platform (EXORM) for advancing translational precision medicine.
*Catalyst SPARK Award Recipient
Jeongwu Lee, PhD – Lerner Research Institute (Cleveland Clinic Main Campus)
Idea: Develop a novel, non-invasive biomarker assay to predict therapeutic responses for GBM patients.
*Catalyst SPARK Award Recipient
Feng Lin, PhD – Lerner Research Institute (Cleveland Clinic Main Campus)
Idea: Based on an already identified nanobody, we will develop a novel PET-imaging agent for rapid, non-invasive cancer diagnosis.
*Catalyst SPARK Award Recipient
Victoria McMurrain, MSN, RN – Emergency Medicine (Cleveland Clinic Tradition Hospital)
Idea: Compare the effectiveness of the CIWA and mMINDS assessment tools in evaluating alcohol withdrawal symptoms in non-verbal, intubated, or unresponsive ICU patients. By identifying the most accurate assessment method, the project seeks to improve patient outcomes, reduce complications, and enhance care quality in critical care settings.
Jose Navia, MD – Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute, Cardiovascular Medicine (Cleveland Clinic Weston Hospital)
Idea: Develop a transcatheter device to treat patients with dilated cardiomyopathy, a condition that reduces the heart’s ability to pump blood effectively.
*Catalyst SPARK Award Recipient
Biance Nixon, PharmD – Pharmacy Department (Cleveland Clinic Hillcrest Hospital)
Idea: Assess the effects of tobacco cessation through pharmacist led class. Along with assessing the effectiveness of the class, we hope to improve the health of our community by helping patients quit tobacco.
Anny Reyes, PhD – Neurological Institute (Cleveland Clinic Main Campus)
Idea: Identify the key social determinants of health (SDOH) that influence epilepsy surgery and outcomes in order to develop and pilot-test an intervention to enhance patient understanding of how SDOH influence epilepsy care and treatments.
Beth Rollins, MEd – Cleveland Clinic Children’s (Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital for Rehabilitation)
Idea: Support childhood development by teaching families how to play effectively through a parent-child class that includes a toy kit and a detailed booklet on developmental benefits and play ideas. Developed in collaboration with Cleveland Clinic suppliers, the booklet will be distributed across pediatric departments as a lasting resource for families.
Noah Schwartz, MD – Cleveland Clinic Children’s (Cleveland Clinic Stephanie Tubbs Jones Health Center)
Idea: Incorporate video otoscopes (a medical device used in ear exams) into pediatric resident continuity clinics to improve education and diagnostic skillsets.
Sarah Stanton, MA – Cleveland Clinic Children’s (Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital for Rehabilitation)
Idea: Investigate the success of objective feedback given in a caregiver education program on the development of foundational language skills for babies and young children.
Tyler Stimpert, BSBA, MPH – Cancer Institute (Remote/Community-Based)
Idea: Expand the annual LGBTQ+ Health and Wellness Day at the LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland by increasing accessibility, offering additional screenings, and enhancing event logistics, marketing, and recruitment to reach a broader population, particularly focusing on uninsured and underinsured LGBTQ+ individuals.
Wai Hong Wilson Tang, MD – Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute, Cardiovascular Medicine (Cleveland Clinic Main Campus)
Idea: Use a non-invasive imaging technique called optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) to study microvasculature in the eyes of heart failure patients. By analyzing changes in these vessels especially before and after treatment, researchers hope to gain insights into how to best optimize microvascular dysfunction in heart failure.
Roopa Thakur, MD – Cleveland Clinic Children’s (Cleveland Clinic Main Campus)
Idea: Provide blood lead level testing to uninsured patients as a part of the Lead Safe Cleveland Coalition Child Care Pilot Program. Additional funding will allow us to test all children who attend this pilot program’s participating childcare centers for free by covering the cost of testing and diagnostics.
Derrick Thompson, MSN – Nursing (Cleveland Clinic Main Campus)
Idea: Leverage ambient listening technologies to decrease documentation burden and transcription errors, while increasing caregiver efficiency.
Randall Turner, MBA – Community Health (Cleveland Clinic Marymount Hospital)
Idea: Establish a community resource space dedicated to offering programs and resources. This initiative aims to address and alleviate the social determinants of health affecting our patients and community members.
Aaron Uher, BS – Cleveland Clinic Children’s (Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital for Rehabilitation)
Idea: Develop an area for fitness to increase physical fitness, as well as overall well-being. This project would also promote and enhance life-long leisure and social skills.
Pratyusha Rama Kavya Vipparthi, PhD– Lerner Research Institute (Cleveland Clinic Main Campus)
Idea: Improve preventive care for BRCA2 mutation carrier women at high-risk for breast cancer by identifying mechanisms that lead to their DNA damage.
Robert Winkelman, MD – Neurological Institute (Cleveland Clinic Main Campus)
Idea: Acquire a commercial 3D printer to produce low-cost spine and cranial surgical simulators for Cleveland Clinic neurosurgical trainees to enhance mastery of critical surgical skills and improve the safety and quality of surgical care rendered by neurosurgery residents
Keren Zhou, MD – Endocrinology (Cleveland Clinic Main Campus)
Idea: Assess how adhering to a gluten free diet can improve the debilitating symptoms of Hashimoto's hypothyroidism.
July 2024 Grant Recipients
We are excited to announce the tenth round of Catalyst Grants recipients, rewarding the innovation and initiative of the following 33 proposals from caregivers throughout Cleveland Clinic’s locations. These grants are made possible by the combined gifts of more than $2M from thousands of generous donors.
William Albabish, PhD, MSc – Education Institute (Cleveland Clinic Main Campus)
Idea: Utilize virtual reality to introduce the world's first digital library of cadaver dissections, bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application.
Shahnawaz Amdani, MD – Children's and Pediatric Institute (Cleveland Clinic Euclid Hospital)
Idea: Develop an implantable device to better monitor heart failure in children.
*Catalyst SPARK Award Recipient
Liron Bar-El, MD – Ob/Gyn and Women’s Health Institute (Cleveland Clinic Main Campus)
Idea: Improve patient outcomes, reduce complications and address caregiver concerns about the current strategy for specimen bagging during laparoscopic procedures by developing an innovative bagging device.
*Hickey Innovation Impact Award and Catalyst SPARK Award Recipient
Kathryn Bash, MSN, MHS – Pulmonary & Critical Care (Cleveland Clinic Main Campus)
Idea: Based on patient demographics and morbidity, test the efficacy of a movement and ambulation program measuring the incidence, severity and duration of post-discharge sequelae, including ICU-acquired delirium.
Valeria Bruno, DPT – Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (Cleveland Clinic Weston Hospital)
Idea: Develop a Lymphedema and Wound Care center to help patients with lymphedema regain the confidence they need to live a healthier and more sustainable quality of life.
Scott Cameron, MD, PhD – Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute (Cleveland Clinic Main Campus)
Idea: Test and gather data on a groundbreaking drug that can target and stop aneurysms from growing to submit for an NIH (National Institutes of Health) and American Heart Association external grant.
Beatriz Coutinho de Oliveira, PhD – Lerner Research Institute (Cleveland Clinic Main Campus)
Idea: Improve outcomes from CAR-T cell therapy in B-cell cancers.
*Catalyst SPARK Award Recipient
Mohamed Dwidar, PhD, MSc – Lerner Research Institute (Cleveland Clinic Main Campus)
Idea: Use engineered, cancer-specific bacteria as a tool to deliver therapeutic immunomodulatory agents exclusively in the cancer site, allowing the immune system to better attack and eradicate the tumors while sparing other organs from the side effects of these agents.
Hallie Fetterman, PhD – Pediatric Behavioral Health (Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital for Rehabilitation)
Idea: Provide Saturday Treatment Program services, a weekly behavioral intervention for 40-90 children diagnosed with ADHD, ASD and related behavioral, emotional and learning challenges.
Kristel Geyer, PharmD, BCOP, BCPS – Pharmacy Department (Cleveland Clinic Main Campus)
Idea: Conduct a retrospective review of patients diagnosed with hepatitis C virus (HCV) who are not linked to care by utilizing a referral service to Cleveland Clinic Specialty Pharmacy (CCSP) and triage to appropriate specialist care.
Teagan Hayes, DO – Primary Care (Cleveland Clinic Madison Medical Office Building)
Idea: Create a virtual Hub on site at the Medical Office Building for our patients who cannot travel to Main Campus or other locations for their specialty care.
Stephen Jones, MD, PhD – Imaging Institute (Cleveland Clinic Main Campus)
Idea: Study quantitative brain connectivity measures to predict which patients with treatment-resistant bipolar disorder will respond to ketamine and demonstrate which brain networks are critical to ketamine response.
Paul Kambies RN, BSN – Innovations (Cleveland Clinic Main Campus)
Idea: Create an external catheter for both males and females to empower patients with a solution that is discrete, comfortable and confidential, allowing for urination without leaking and more mobility in bed.
Melissa Kasik, RN – Children's Hospital and Pediatric Institute (Cleveland Clinic Main Campus)
Idea: Create a video to provide preparatory information to help increase nursing efficiency during pre-op, decrease anxiety of patients and family members and provide realistic expectations of the procedural process.
Sobia Khan, MD, EdD – Ob/Gyn & Women’s Health Institute, Center of Specialized Women's Health(Cleveland Clinic Main Campus)
Idea: Investigate whether a Functional Medicine program designed specifically for women going through menopause facilitates the transition and improves physical, mental and emotional wellness, and addresses chronic disease prevention, improved quality of life, lowered health care costs and avoiding medications.
Claire Konys, PA – Digestive Disease Institute (Cleveland Clinic Hillcrest Hospital)
Idea: Develop educational information specific to patients with traumatic injuries to help patients and their loved ones better understand the care process and continuing recovery, be actively engaged with the caregiving team and foster communication with the Trauma Team.
Brianna P. Matthew, BS – Education Institute (Cleveland Clinic Main Campus)
Idea: Provide Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine students the opportunity to hone their knowledge of nutrition and gain experience crafting tailored dietary regimens for hypertensive patients and educate hypertensive patients about making informed dietary choices.
Jaroslaw Maciejewski, MD, PhD – Cancer Center (Cleveland Clinic Administrative Campus)
Idea: Conduct robotic in vitro tests directly on tumor cells to help select drugs which are effective for treatment of cancer/leukemia in a specific patient.
Jean Parrish, BS, MS – Operations (Cleveland Clinic Main Campus)
Idea: Provide clothing and essential care items for patients being discharged without them.
Silvia Elena Perez Protto, MD, MS, MBA, FCCM – Quality & Patient Safety Institute, Patient Experience, Clinical Transformation (Cleveland Clinic Euclid and Lutheran hospitals)
Idea: Assess the impact of standardizing Advance Care Planning to justify its expansion, assessing quality of life at the end of life, hospice referrals, concordance between preferred and actual place of death, and cost of care at end of life for high-risk patients at Euclid and Lutheran hospitals.
Anthony Polakowski, BS, MEng – Lerner Research Institute (Cleveland Clinic Main Campus)
Idea: Develop a catheter to remove air trapped in the heart after surgery.
*Catalyst SPARK Award Recipient
Ofer Reizes, BA, PhD – Lerner Research Institute and Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences (Cleveland Clinic Main Campus)
Idea: Develop novel treatments for ovarian cancer.
*Catalyst SPARK Award Recipient
Julie Rennison, PhD – Lerner Research Institute (Cleveland Clinic Main Campus)
Idea: Perform three different experiments in direct response to feedback from an R01 grant application to study mitochondrial structure in atrial fibrillation (AF) to prevent progression of AF.
Jonathan Sears, MD – Cole Eye Institute and Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences (Cleveland Clinic Main Campus)
Idea: Develop strategies to help prevent blindness in oxygen-deprived premature infants.
*Catalyst SPARK Award Recipient
Tilak Shah, MD, MHS – Digestive Disease Institute (Cleveland Clinic Weston Hospital)
Idea: Identify the high reliability process most likely to optimize patient safety during sedated procedures like endoscopy.
Stacy Sweeny, RN – Emergency Medicine (Cleveland Clinic Tradition Hospital)
Idea: Create a pediatric inclusion area at Cleveland Clinic Martin Tradition ED to provide the best care for pediatric patients and help alleviate stress for families.
Neha Vyas, MD – Primary Care (Cleveland Clinic Hillcrest Hospital)
Idea: Develop a team-based intervention to care for patients with prediabetes by implementing a 16-week pilot program to help them understand this disease and to make positive health changes.
Carol Whitmore, MSN – Birthing Services (Cleveland Clinic Fairview Hospital)
Idea: Decrease postpartum readmissions for high blood pressure and help decrease maternal mortality by providing education and blood pressure cuffs to at-risk patients.
Sundrea Wilcox, MA – Community Health Equity (Cleveland Clinic Euclid Hospital)
Idea: Establish a Community Resource Center for families to serve as a vital link between primary healthcare services and essential socioeconomic resources and expand our current partnership with the Greater Cleveland Foodbank to combat food insecurity and health disparities.
Aleta Wissner, RN, BSN – Nursing (Cleveland Clinic Fairview Hospital)
Idea: Build on the existing Fairview Cares Closet by building out the space and securing additional donations to provide clothing and hygiene items to patients in need.
Caitlin Wolf, MS – Nursing (Cleveland Clinic Main Campus)
Idea: Create intentional space for children with complex chronic illness (e.g., cancer, heart disease, congenital conditions) and their families to be celebrated and honored throughout their treatment journey – from diagnosis to end of treatment or end of life.
Nina Zobenica Moore, MD, MSE – Neurological Institute (Cleveland Clinic Main Campus)
Idea: Determine the mechanical properties of brain arteriovenous malformations (AVM) vessels, including the feeding arteries, nidal vessels and draining veins, in comparison to our existing normal vessel data sets. Use the data to determine the genetic mutations associated with differing appearance of the AVM radiographically and mechanically to refine our computational AVM model to simulate patient specific anatomy for rupture risk prediction.
January 2024 Grant Recipients
We are excited to announce the ninth round of Catalyst Grants recipients, rewarding the innovation and initiative of the following 35 proposals from caregivers throughout Cleveland Clinic. These grants are made possible by the combined gifts of more than $2M from thousands of generous donors.
Caregiver Catalyst Grants Recipients
Mariam AlHilli, MD – Ob/Gyn and Women’s Health (Cleveland Clinic Main Campus)
Idea: Improve post-surgical and cancer-related outcomes for geriatric patients with ovarian or pancreatic cancer through a physical therapy and nutrition prehabilitation program.
April Andler, BSN – Heart, Vascular and Thoracic Institute (Cleveland Clinic Mercy Hospital)
Idea: Encourage patients to actively participate in their care by providing essential monitoring tools to effectively manage heart failure at home.
Francois Bethoux, MD – Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (Cleveland Clinic Main Campus)
Idea: Establish a community-based exercise and wellness program designed for individuals with disability due to stroke or MS, targeting patients in underserved communities.
Tricia Lulette Bravo, MD – Respiratory Institute (Cleveland Clinic Marymount Hospital)
Idea: Empower patients with the necessary knowledge and skills to confidently administer inhaled antibiotics at home.
Robyn Busch, PhD – Neurological Institute (Cleveland Clinic Main Campus)
Idea: Improve access to cognitive screening for Spanish-speaking Cleveland Clinic patients by translating the Brief Assessment of Cognitive Health (BACH) test, which discriminates between patients with and without cognitive impairment with 80% accuracy.
John Carl, MD – Children's Institute (Cleveland Clinic Main Campus)
Idea: Utilize Tyto, a new FDA-approved, HIPAA-compliant home device that enables parents to digitally record and upload pulse oximetry or pulmonary function tests to improve clinician decision-making during telehealth visits and increase frequency and quality of pediatric asthma care.
Michael Dakkak, DO, MBA – Orthopaedic & Rheumatologic (Cleveland Clinic Florida Weston Hospital)
Idea: Increase the safety of our surgical patients by decreasing prescribing rates of controlled substances and decreasing overall use and exposure to narcotics by using alternate methods to adequately treat pain and maintain functional outcomes.
Sarmishtha De, PhD – Lerner Research Institute (Cleveland Clinic Main Campus)
Idea: Test METTL16 effects on chemoresistance in triple-negative breast cancer.
Sarah Deininger, M.Ed., LPCC – Neurological Institute (Cleveland Clinic Fairview Hospital)
Idea: Develop mobile sensory carts that promote a patient-centered, trauma-informed approach for child and adolescent psychiatry inpatients to address stress and agitation, and increase their relaxation and cooperativeness.
Hallie Fetterman, PhD, BCBA-D – Children's Institute (Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital for Rehabilitation)
Idea: Provide Parent-child interaction therapy (PCIT) parent training services to treat disruptive behavior and provide better quality of life for families of children with high support needs.
Michaela Gack, PhD – Florida Research and Innovation Center (Cleveland Clinic Florida)
Idea: Develop broad-spectrum drugs to treat existing and emerging viruses.
*Catalyst SPARK Award Recipient
Bradley Gill, MD, MS – Glickman Urology & Kidney Institute (Cleveland Clinic Main Campus)
Idea: Develop a device to treat urinary leakage without damaging urethral tissue.
*Catalyst SPARK Award Recipient
Anas Hadeh, MD, FCCP – Respiratory Institute (Cleveland Clinic Florida Weston Hospital)
Idea: Establish the first comprehensive, multidisciplinary Nontuberculous Mycobacteria (NTM)/Bronchiectasis Clinic in South Florida to offer leading-edge treatments, facilitate research and deliver comprehensive care by uniting experts from various medical fields.
Masahiro Hitomi, MD, PhD – Lerner Research Institute (Cleveland Clinic Main Campus)
Idea: Establish a novel therapeutic sensitivity analysis using patient-derived cancer cells, which would help treatment selection for sarcoma patients.
Adam Keating, MD – Children's Institute (Cleveland Clinic Wooster Family Health Center)
Idea: Utilize a novel in-office lead screening collection method using filter paper to improve the process for lead screening in children and infants.
Vinod Labhasetwar, PhD – Lerner Research Institute (Cleveland Clinic Main Campus)
Idea: Develop nanoparticle-delivered treatments for stroke and other clotting diseases.
*Catalyst SPARK Award Recipient
Feng Lin, PhD – Lerner Research Institute (Cleveland Clinic Main Campus)
Idea: Develop a new, non-invasive diagnostic for auto-immune diseases caused by defective T-Cells.
*Catalyst SPARK Award Recipient
Susan Linder, DPT PhD – Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (Cleveland Clinic Main Campus)
Idea: Create the Cleveland Clinic Rehab Café – a satellite research lab kiosk staffed by patients who have completed traditional rehab, supervised by neurorehabilitation therapists to measure changes in balance, mobility, upper limb function, cognition, and quality of life versus traditional physical therapy and occupational therapy.
Melissa Lopez, DPT – Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (Cleveland Clinic Martin North Hospital)
Idea: Install nine Guldmann Ceiling lifts in patient rooms to reduce caregiver injury and increase patient care by providing greater mobility solutions.
Gabriel Mandel, MD – Children's Institute (Cleveland Clinic Main Campus)
Idea: Study states of resistance to chemotherapy in osteosarcoma cell lines by treating the cells with front-line chemotherapy until resistance develops and test for biological markers that may correlate with sensitivity and resistance.
Lori Matich, MSN, RN – Nursing (Children Clinic Tradition Hospital)
Idea: Develop carts filled with a variety of sensory tools including fidgets, weighted items, and other resources for pediatric and adult patients who have autism or other neurodiversities and provide education to caregivers about working with patients with autism and related developmental disorders.
Sarah McGee, Genetic Counselor – Center for Personalized Genetic Healthcare (Cleveland Clinic Main Campus)
Idea: Create an educational video about the importance and impact of genetic testing for patients newly diagnosed with certain types of cancer where timely genetic testing is vital.
Imad Najm, MD – Neurological Institute (Cleveland Clinic Main Campus)
Idea: Implement a HoloLens training program specifically designed for the needs of the Epilepsy Center to provide an immersive and interactive training experience for caregivers.
Lindsay Ondrey, MS, PA – Neurological Institute (Cleveland Clinic Main Campus)
Idea: To reduce pain and anxiety in the immediate post-operative inpatient setting after spinal surgery, use daily sessions of virtual reality followed by a 5–10-minute guided meditation/relaxation segment.
Vinnet Punia, MD, MS – Neurological Institute (Cleveland Clinic Main Campus)
Idea: Create novel and seminal knowledge about aging's effect on hippocampal brain rhythms and their correlation with memory decline by leveraging intracranial electroencephalogram (iEEG) monitoring of epilepsy patients undergoing pre-surgical evaluation and recording electrical rhythms in the brain.
Jun Qin, PhD – Lerner Research Institute (Cleveland Clinic Main Campus)
Idea: Develop a novel approach to treat triple-negative breast cancer.
*Catalyst SPARK Award Recipient
Andrea Schlegel, MD, MBA, FEBS – Digestive Disease & Surgery (Cleveland Clinic Main Campus)
Idea: Assess the role of mitochondrial biomarkers in predicting organ function and recipient outcomes after transplantation.
Nabin Shrestha, MD, MPH – Respiratory Institute (Cleveland Clinic Main Campus)
Idea: Study the reliability of self-administered audiograms using a smartphone application to detect hearing loss.
David Snipelisky, MD – Heart, Vascular and Thoracic Institute (Cleveland Clinic Florida Weston Hospital)
Idea: Assess how “real life” daily activity captured by various physical activity endpoints on a smart watch compares with traditional markers, and how daily activity can aid in prognostication over time.
Dena Stuart, BSN, RN – Nursing (Cleveland Clinic Hillcrest Hospital)
Idea: Address systemic factors such as differences in outcomes, poverty, inadequate social support and access to resources―which all play a significant role in infant and maternal mortality―by providing car seats and breast pumps to pregnant mothers in need.
Joan Tamburro, MD – Children's Institute (Cleveland Clinic Hillcrest Hospital)
Idea: Provide shared medical appointment to care for infants that suffer with infantile atopic dermatitis, while decreasing their risk for food allergies.
Anna Valujskikh, PhD – Lerner Research Institute (Cleveland Clinic Main Campus)
Idea: Develop efficient and safe desensitization strategies to allow more life-saving organ transplants, reduce wait list time for many patients and increase rejection-free survival.
Andrew Zeft, MD, MPH – Children's Institute (Cleveland Clinic Main Campus)
Idea: Establish an innovative, collaborative pediatric rheumatology consultative service between Cleveland Clinic Main Campus and Cleveland Clinic Florida Pediatrics through physician and provider education and training.
Judy Zhang, BA, BS; Katherine Beshears, BS; Samantha Stallkamp Tidd, BS – Education (Cleveland Clinic Main Campus)
Idea: Develop a program that allows medical students to learn about the lived experiences of people with disabilities through interaction with an adult with a disability or a family who has a child with a disability.
Jun Zhao, PhD – Florida Research and Innovation Center (Cleveland Clinic Florida)
Idea: Further optimize and evaluate Cyclin G-associated kinase (GAK) and Phosphatidylinositol phosphate kinases (PIPKs) inhibitors as novel therapeutics against drug-resistant- and virus-associated lymphomas in vitro and in vivo.
