UNC MSTAR Mentors & Research Opportunities

Dr. Jan Busby-Whitehead and UNC former MSTAR student Kemi Was

NOTE: Mentor availability varies from year to year. Currently, we are surveying mentors for their summer 2026 availability. So this list may not reflect actual mentor availability. As a result, we request that you do not directly contact UNC-CH MSTAR mentors before contacting the program (MSTAR@med.unc.edu). Applications for 2026 are now CLOSED.

After contacting the MSTAR program, you will identify three areas of interest and submit the interest survey to MSTAR. We will contact you to connect you with potential mentors and answer any question you may have.

Currently Available MSTAR Mentors

C. Adrian Austin, MD, MSCR

Instructor, Division of Geriatric Medicine and Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine

M. Andrea Azcarate-Peril, PhD

Associate Professor, UNC Departments of Medicine and Nutrition
NC State Department of Plant and Microbial Biology
Director, Microbiome Core Facility

Tamara Baker, PhD

Professor, Department of Psychiatry

Leon Coleman, MD, PhD

Assistant Professor
Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies
Department of Pharmacology

Eran Dayan, PhD

Assistant Professor of Radiology

Brian Diekman, PhD

Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering

Tamryn Fowler Gray, PhD, RN, MPH

Assistant Professor, School of Nursing
Associate Member, Lineberger Cancer Prevention and Control Research Program

Lindsey Haynes-Maslow, PhD, MHA

Associate Professor and Director of Master’s Programs, Health Policy and Management
Adjunct Assistant Professor, Nutrition

Ming-Feng Hsueh, PhD

Assistant Professor
Department of Orthopaedics

Adam Jacks, PhD

Associate Professor
Coordinator of Undergraduate Minor in Speech and Hearing Sciences

Anna Kahkoska, MD

Assistant Professor, Department of Nutrition
Adjunct Assistant Professor of Medicine

David Lynch, BMBS

Assistant Professor of Medicine
Medical Director, Inpatient Geriatrics Service (Hillsborough)

Mallory McClester Brown, MD

Assistant Professor, Department of Family Medicine

Michelle L. Meyer, PhD, MPH

Research Assistant Professor, Emergency Medicine
Associate Chair of Research

Michael G. Rydberg, MD

Assistant Professor of Medicine

Philip Sloane, MD, MPH

MSTAR Program Co-Director
Distinguished Professor & Director of Academic Advancement, Department of Family Medicine

Carolyn Thorpe, PhD, MPH

Associate Professor Pharmacy
Division of Pharmaceutical Outcomes and Policy

Sheryl Zimmerman, PhD MSW

University Kenan Distinguished Professor
Co-Director, Program on Aging, Disability, and Long-Term Care, Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research
Director of Aging Research, School of Social Work

We are currently surveying mentors for their summer 2026 availability. Stay tuned!

Currently Unavailable MSTAR Mentors

Yash N. Agrawal, MD

Assistant Professor
Division of Oncology

Shawn Ahmed, PhD

Professor Cancer Genetics
Professor Department of Biology

Kelli Allen, PhD

Professor of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Allergy, and Immunology
Co-director of Methodology Core for Multi-disciplinary Clinical Research Center
Research Health Scientist, Durham VA Medical Cente

Alice Ammerman, DrPH

Mildred Kaufman Distinguished Professor, Department of Nutrition
Director, Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention

John A. Batsis, MD

Associate Professor, Division of Geriatric Medicine and Gillings School of Global Public Health

Victoria L. Bautch

Associate Professor
Cancer Cell Biology

Ronny Bell, Ph.D., M.S.

Fred Eshelman Distinguished Professor and Chair, Division of Pharmaceutical Outcomes and Policy
Senior Advisor, UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center

Troy Blackburn, PhD, ATC

Adjunct Associate Professor, Orthopaedics Professor, Exercise and Sport Science Adjunct Associate Professor, Physical Therapy Associate Dean and Director, Undergraduate Research Assistant Department Chair, Exercise and Sport Science

Montika Bush, PhD

Research Assistant Professor, Emergency Medicine

Leigh F. Callahan, PhD

Associate Director, UNC Thurston Arthritis Research Center
Mary Link Briggs Distinguished Professor of Medicine
Professor, Departments of Social Medicine and Orthopedics
Director, Osteoarthritis Action Alliance

Martin Casey, MD, MPH

Assistant Professor
Department of Emergency Medicine

Becki Cleveland, PhD

Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Immunology

Todd J. Cohen, PhD

Associate Professor, Neuroscience Research

Lorinda Coombs, PhD, CNS, FNP-BC, AOCNP

Assistant Professor, UNC School of Nursing

Maureen C. Dale, MD

Assistant Professor of Medicine
Director for Education and Clinical Care, Geriatric Fellowship Program

Mohanish Deshmukh, PhD

Professor UNC Neuroscience Center, Cell Biology and Physiology
Co-Director UNC MD/PhD Program

Keturah Faurot, PhD, MPH, PA

Assistant Professor Assistant Director of the Program on Integrative Medicine

David Fleischman, MD, FACS

Assistant Professor, Glaucoma

Jason Franz, PhD

Associate Professor, Biomedical Engineering

Susan Gaylord, PhD

Research Associate Professor Director of the Program on Integrative Medicine

Zongchao Han, MD, PhD

Associate Professor, Ophthalmology

Laura C. Hanson, MD, MPH

Professor, Division of Geriatric Medicine
Medical Director, UNC Palliative Care Program
Associate Director, Geriatric Fellowship Program

Brian Colwell Jensen, MD

Associate Professor, Medicine, Division of Cardiology
Associate Professor, Pharmacology

Puneet Jolly, MD, PhD

Professor of Dermatology
Director of Cutaneous Oncology

Richard Loeser, MD

MSTAR Program Co-Director
Director, UNC Thurston Arthritis Research Center
Joseph P. Archie, Jr. Eminent Professor of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Allergy & Immunology

Christopher Mack, PhD

Professor Pathology

Karen L. Mohlke, PhD

Professor, Genetics
Associate Chair for Research

Zev Nakamura, MD

Assistant Professor
Department of Psychiatry

Amanda E. Nelson, MD, MSCR, RhMSUS

Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Immunology

Kirsten Nyrop, PhD

MSTAR Program Advisor
Hematology/Oncology Research Associate Professor

Darin Padua, PhD, ATC

Professor & Chair, Department of Exercise & Sport Science
Adjunct Professor, Department of Orthopaedics; Biomedical Engineering; Allied Health Sciences
Associate Director, MOTION Science Institute

Brian Pietrosimone, PhD

Adjunct Associate Professor, Orthopaedics
Associate Professor, Exercise and Sport Science
Adjunct Assistant Professor, Physical Therapy

Joseph S. Rossi

Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Cardiology
Director, Cardiac Catheterization Lab
Program Director, Interventional Cardiology Fellowship
Co-Director of Cardiology Clinical Trials

Isabel Roth, DrPH, MS

Assistant Professor in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

Jeff Sekelsky, PhD

Professor, Biology
Professor, Genetics
Director, Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology

Rupali (Pali) Shah, MD

Assistant Professor, Division of Voice and Swallowing of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery

Shehzad Z. Sheikh, MD, PhD

Professor of Medicine & Genetics

Miriam Sklerov, MD, MS

Assistant Professor - Movement Disorders, Department of Neurology

Patrick J. Smith, PhD, MPH

Associate Professor of Psychiatry

Rick Stouffer, MD

Ernest and Hazel Craige Distinguished Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine
Chief, Division of Cardiology
Co-Director, McAllister Heart Institute
Physician in Chief, UNC Heart & Vascular Service Line