Four Pilot Grants Awarded to Innovative UH Researchers and Early-Stage Investigators

For Immediate Release: May 19, 2025, Houston TX 

By Alison Medley 

To nurture the career paths of University of Houston researchers and early-stage investigators, four pilot grants have been awarded through NIH/NIMHD in partnership with HEALTH Center for Addictions Research and Cancer Prevention (HEALTH-RCMI). 

The project entitled “Microneedle Biopsy: An Objective Tool for Minimally Invasive Melanoma Screening” is led by UH researcher, Jingy Luan, Ph.D. Luan’s initiative explores how the microneedle "biopsy" can be effectively utilized for melanoma screening. This minimally invasive tool promises to distinguish between malignant and benign melanoma skin cancers. Luan is an assistant professor at the Cullen College of  Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering.  This project has been awarded $49,917 through NIH/NIMHD and HEALTH-RCMI. 

“We are developing an objective, less invasive method for patients,” Luan said. “The initiative is to test if this low-cost test can be used remotely, potentially in combination with smartphone apps, for prescreening and early detection. We’re very excited about this opportunity through HEALTH-RCMI. It’s a good opportunity to collaborate with many different principal investigators to strengthen the study.” 

Aliye Cepni, Ph.D. will lead a pilot project, which promises to combat obesity in adolescents with a $44,609 pilot grant by NIH/NIMHD in partnership with HEALTH-RCMI. Cepni’s project is entitled Leveraging Summer Youth Employment Programs to Prevent Obesity in Adolescents.  

Through Cepni’s extensive research into healthy eating and physical activity behaviors among children and adolescents, Cepni hopes to evaluate summer youth programs that effectively promote youth health and well-being, organically tackling obesity issues through this initiative. 

“This is an opportunity to help humanity and community—and it really excites me,” Cepni said. “This summer, we have designed a youth employment opportunity that gives adolescents structure and routine. The kids will work as summer day camp counselors—actively engaging with the kids and engaging with healthy behaviors. Since it’s an existing project, we know the benefits of the program. The work itself will provide a structure—and, therefore, this will keep them healthy.” 

Two UH researchers were selected for implementation and dissemination awards for their research initiatives, including Chakema Carmack, Ph.D and Lorra Garey, Ph.D. Both researchers were funded $10,000 through NIH/NIMHD and HEALTH-RCMI.  

Carmack’s project focuses on the dissemination of critical cervical cancer prevention materials within the Houston community and beyond. Her project is entitled Get Your Pap: Dissemination of a Cervical Cancer Prevention Edutainment Webisode for African American Women. Carmack’s objective is to design a cervical cancer prevention toolkit and facilitation manual that will accompany the webisode for community health workers. 

“I’m really excited about developing this manual on cervical cancer prevention,” Carmack said. “We plan to test this out with community health workers, and it’s so important that people have their voices heard in the development of prevention materials they’re expected to use. My model is promoting a culture of health. I want to create a culture of health in these communities so that it is normal to talk about health issues.”  

Garey’s project is entitled A Smartphone-Based Application to Reduce Cannabis-Related Disparities Among Black Individuals Who Use Cannabis. Garey’s RESTORE Lab has developed a mobile intervention which promises to curb cannabis use among African Americans.  

The mobile app targets cannabis use as a false safety behavior to mitigate stress, anxiety and depression. In the dissemination and implementation aspect of this trial, Garey hopes to engage more with community providers and share more information about cannabis cessation and behavior change based upon the findings from this mobile intervention. 

“We’re excited to work directly with community providers and also get feedback on some of the information we’re sharing,” Garey said. “We’ll be working with different agencies to get provider feedback on some of the overall issues that they would have with implementing or adopting mobile app intervention for cannabis cessation in their clinics.” 

--Alison Medley 

If you would like more information about this topic, please contact Alison Medley at 713.320.0933 or email aemedle2@central.uh.edu