Skip to main content

MSTAR Research Opportunities & Selecting a Mentor

Dr. Jan Busby-Whitehead and UNC former MSTAR student Kemi Was
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 2024 availability. As a result, we request that you do not directly contact UNC-CH MSTAR mentors before submitting your interest form or meeting with our program advisor.

Use the MSTAR Research spreadsheet to explore descriptions of broad research areas under which mentors develop specific projects. 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

Alice Ammerman

Alice Ammerman, DrPH

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

Andrea Azcarate-Peril

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

Dr. Jeffrey M. Blumberg

Jeffrey M. Blumberg, MD, FACS

Associate Director, Head and Neck Oncology Fellowship
Assistant Professor, Department of Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery, Division of Head and Neck Oncology

Kelly Giovanello

Kelly Giovanello, PhD

Associate Director for Education and Outreach, Biomedical Research Imaging Center
Professor, Department of Psychology & Neuroscience
Professor, Director of Neuroscience Curricula

Adam Jacks

Adam Jacks, PhD

Associate Professor
Coordinator of Undergraduate Minor in Speech and Hearing Sciences

Joshua Niznik, PharmD, PhD

Joshua Niznik, PharmD, PhD

MSTAR Associate Program Director, Evaluator and Advisor
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Geriatric Medicine & Eshelman School of Pharmacy, Division of Pharmaceutical Outcomes and Policy

Casey Olm-Shipman

Casey Olm-Shipman, MD, MS

Assistant Professor, Departments of Neurology and Neurosurgery
Director of Quality Improvement
Associate Director, UNC Institute for Healthcare Quality Improvement

Darin Padua

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

Brian Pietrosimone, PhD

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

Joe Rossi

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

Jeff Sekelsky

Jeff Sekelsky, PhD

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

Miriam Sklerov

Miriam Sklerov

Assistant Professor - Movement Disorders, Department of Neurology

Joshua M Thorpe

Joshua M Thorpe, PhD, MPH

Associate Professor Pharmacy Division of Pharmaceutical Outcomes and Policy
Healthcare Scientist in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
Director of Analytics and Research in the VA’s National Center for End-of-Life Care

Currently Unavailable MSTAR Mentors

Kelli Allen

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

Dr. John A. Batsis

John A. Batsis, MD

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

Troy Blackburn

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

Dr. Jan Busby-Whitehead

Jan Busby-Whitehead, MD

MSTAR Program Director
Professor and Chief & Director, Center for Aging and Health
M. Andrew Greganti Distinguished Professor of Medicine

Leigh Callahan

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

Laura C. Hanson, MD, MPH

Laura C. Hanson, MD, MPH

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

Richard Loeser

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

Ellen Roberts, PhD, MPH

Ellen Roberts, PhD, MPH

MSTAR Associate Program Director, Evaluator and Advisor
Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Geriatric Medicine

Philip Sloane

Philip Sloane, MD, MPH

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

Sally Clark Stearns

Sally Clark Stearns, PhD

Professor, Department of Health Policy and Management
Adjunct Professor, Economics, UNC College of Arts and Sciences

Rick Stouffer

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

Nancy Thomas, MD, PhD

Nancy Thomas, MD, PhD

Irene and Robert Alan Briggaman Distinguished Professor, Dermatology
Melanoma Program
Cancer Epidemiology

Sheryl Zimmerman

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