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 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

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

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

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

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

Jan Busby-Whitehead, MD

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

Montika Bush, PhD

Research Assistant Professor, Emergency Medicine

Martin Casey, MD, MPH

Assistant Professor
Department of Emergency Medicine

Becki Cleveland, PhD

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

Leon Coleman, MD, PhD

Assistant Professor
Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies
Department of Pharmacology

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

Assistant Professor, UNC School of Nursing

Eran Dayan, PhD

Assistant Professor of Radiology

Brian Diekman, PhD

Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering

Keturah Faurot, PhD, MPH, PA

Assistant Professor Assistant Director of the Program on Integrative Medicine

Stefanie Ferreri, Pharm.D., BCACP, FAPhA

Chair, Henry L. Smith & James L. Olsen Distinguished Professor

Jason Franz, PhD

Associate Professor, Biomedical Engineering

Susan Gaylord, PhD

Research Associate Professor Director of the Program on Integrative Medicine

Kelly Giovanello, PhD

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

Zongchao Han, MD, PhD

Associate Professor, Opthamology

Adam Jacks, PhD

Associate Professor
Coordinator of Undergraduate Minor in Speech and Hearing Sciences

Brian Colwell Jensen, MD

Associate Professor of Medicine and Pharmacology, Division of Cardiology

Thomas Keyserling, MD, MPH

Professor, Division of General Medicine and Clinical Epidemiology

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

Mallory McClester Brown, MD

Assistant Professor, Department of Family Medicine

Michelle L. Meyer, PhD, MPH

Research Assistant Professor, Emergency Medicine
Associate Chair of Research

Karen L. Mohlke, PhD

Professor, Genetics
Associate Chair for Research

Zev Nakamura, MD

Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry

Amanda E. Nelson, MD, MSCR, RhMSUS

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

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

Kirsten Nyrop, PhD

MSTAR Program Advisor
Hematology/Oncology Research Associate Professor

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, 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

Ellen Roberts, PhD, MPH

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

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

Miriam Sklerov

Assistant Professor - Movement Disorders, Department of Neurology

Philip Sloane, MD, MPH

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

Karyn Stitzenberg, MD, MPH

Associate Professor, Division of Surgical Oncology

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

Til Stürmer, MD, MPH, PhD

Nancy A. Dreyer Distinguished Professor and Chair, Department of Epidemiology

Carolyn Thorpe, PhD, MPH

Associate Professor Pharmacy
Division of Pharmaceutical Outcomes and Policy

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

Mark Toles, PhD, RN, FAAN

Associate Professor and Beerstecher-Blackwell Distinguished Term Scholar

Jared Weiss, MD

Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Oncology

Blair Wendlandt, MD, MSCR

Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary Diseases and Critical Care Medicine

Alisa Wolberg, PhD

Professor Pathology

Zhanhong Wu, PhD

Associate Professor of Radiology Radiochemistry Program

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

MSTAR Research Opportunities & Selecting a Mentor

Currently Available MSTAR Mentors

Currently Unavailable MSTAR Mentors