Through a generous donation from the Asrican family, the Graduate Programs in Biosciences (GPB) is able to provide support to its PhD students who are pursuing research in areas related to cardiovascular science.  Research topics can range from basic science to translational clinical applications in cardiovascular sciences.  This award highlights your dedication, innovative mindset, and significant influence in enhancing our understanding of cardiovascular health and disease.

Eligibility Criteria

Students must be a 2nd year or higher PhD student in good academic standing in any GPB Home Area.  Successful awardees must be planning research in cardiovascular science, with preference for those who have already demonstrated effots in this area.

Award Information

Awardees will be fully funded at a level commensurate with current GPB funding.  The scholarship will be renewed annually, dependent on academic progress and research within cardiovascular science, for up to two years of funding.

Individuals who accept the award will be required to submit a 2-page written summary at the end of each year, describing their research and its (potential) impact.  Continued funding is contingent on submission and review of this report and ongoing academic good standing within UCLA and GPB.

Application Information

For this year, applications will be due on November 10, 2025. Please submit all applications to the Biosciences Application Portal.  The online application process requires submission of the following:

• A personal statement covering yoru interest in this award.
• A written document consisting of:
  • A clear set of specific aims for the research (up to 1 page)
  • A description of research methods (up to 2 pages) that must cover the project’s relevance to cardiovascular science and potential impact in research (e.g. knowledge discovery), healthcare delivery (e.g. patient care), or public health.
  • A timeline and milestones of the 2-year effort (up to 1 page).
• A letter of support from the sponsoring primary faculty mentor.
• A copy of the most recent academic transcript.

Awardees

Jenny Cheng, 2024 Awardee

Jenny Cheng earned her B.S. and M.S. in Physiological Science from UCLA. She is now a PhD candidate in Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Physiology at UCLA. She is co-mentored by Drs. Xia Yang and Aldons J. Lusis, leaders in the fields of systems biology, genetics, and cardiovascular disease. Her main dissertation project focuses on the effect of microbiome-derived metabolites in cardiovascular disease. She has proven a causal protective effect of the metabolite indole-3-propionic acid in abdominal aortic aneurysm and has linked trimethylamine-N-oxide to key hallmarks of atherosclerotic plaque instability. Jenny employs both experimental techniques and bioinformatic analyses, primarily centered on single cell/nuclei RNA-sequencing and network modeling, in her research. She is passionate about translational research and aims to contribute to the development of cardiovascular disease therapeutics.

 

Andeesh Kallapur, 2024 Awardee

Aneesh Kallapur is a Graduate Student in Molecular, Cellular and Integrative Physiology in the laboratory of Dr. Tamer Sallam in the Division of Cardiology at the David Geffen School of Medicine. He obtained his medical degree from JIPMER, Pondicherry, India in 2020. A quest to understand the fundamental mechanisms of cardiovascular disease brought him to the laboratory of Dr. Tamer Sallam at UCLA in 2021, where he spent two years as a research assistant prior to rejoining the lab as a graduate student. Aneesh’s current work focuses on understanding the role of chemical modifications on RNA in the progression of atherosclerosis, the leading cause of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality worldwide.  Aneesh’s research is also supported by an American Heart Association Predoctoral Fellowship. Outside of the lab, Aneesh enjoys exploring Los Angeles’ world-class food scene and is an ardent cricket fan. In the future, Aneesh would like to combine his research and clinical interests to become a Cardiology physician-scientist.

 

Rochelle Lai, 2024 Awardee

Aneesh Kallapur is a Graduate Student in Molecular, Cellular and Integrative Physiology in the laboratory of Dr. Tamer Sallam in the Division of Cardiology at the David Geffen School of Medicine. He obtained his medical degree from JIPMER, Pondicherry, India in 2020. A quest to understand the fundamental mechanisms of cardiovascular disease brought him to the laboratory of Dr. Tamer Sallam at UCLA in 2021, where he spent two years as a research assistant prior to rejoining the lab as a graduate student. Aneesh’s current work

focuses on understanding the role of chemical modifications on RNA in the progression of atherosclerosis, the leading cause of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality worldwide.  Aneesh’s research is also supported by an American Heart Association Predoctoral Fellowship. Outside of the lab, Aneesh enjoys exploring Los Angeles’ world-class food scene and is an ardent cricket fan. In the future, Aneesh would like to combine his research and clinical interests to become a Cardiology physician-scientist.

 

David Wong, 2024 Awardee

David earned his B.S in Molecular Biology from the University of Washington, where his research focused on engineering large-scale DNA logic gates using array-based DNA synthesis. His early work in synthetic biology sparked his interest in the molecular mechanisms underlying cellular function and tissue regeneration. Currently, David is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Integrative Biology at UCLA, where he is mentored by Dr. Pearl Quijada. His doctoral research employs lineage tracing and single-cell transcriptomics to investigate the role of epicardial cells in myocardial infarction. By dissecting cellular fate decisions and paracrine signaling mechanisms, his work aims to uncover novel therapeutic strategies that harness epicardial-derived factors to stimulate angiogenesis and promote cardiac repair following ischemic injury. His research has broad implications for regenerative medicine and heart disease treatment. Throughout his academic career, David has been recognized with several prestigious fellowships and awards, including the Mary Gates Research Scholarship and Eureka Award.