Vitae 2025: People and Stories that Drive Our Research
Vitae 2025, a hallmark event recognizing research excellence across University of Utah Health, featured six rising-star faculty who are on the forefront of their professions. The researchers captivated listeners with stories of their science and how they got to where they are today.
The annual symposium was hosted by Vice Chair for Faculty Affairs and Development Michael Rubin, MD, PhD, in partnership with the Office of the Senior Vice President for Health Sciences Research Unit.
Jessica Osterhout, PhD
Assistant Professor, Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine, Dept. of Neurobiology
Title: In Sickness and in Health: How the Brain Controls Symptoms During Infection
Research Ambitions: Gain fundamental insight into immune-brain communication to understand how sickness symptoms arise and ultimately better control symptoms in maladaptive diseases characterized by an overactive or dysregulated immune system.
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During infection, the body generates a set of physiological and behavioral symptoms, including fever, loss of appetite, fatigue, increased pain sensitivity, and altered social interactions. There is strong evidence that these symptoms are beneficial and aid the immune system in fighting pathogens, decrease further exposure, and ultimately increase survival. While these symptoms are the result of an active immune system, they are generated in the brain. There, neural circuits regulate bodily set points for temperature, appetite, energy expenditure, and more. I am interested in understanding how the brain senses immune responses and generates sickness symptoms. My previous work uncovered neuronal populations in the brain that sense an immune response and then coordinate a subset of symptoms, such as fever and loss of appetite, through neural circuit connections to the body’s thermoregulatory and feeding centers, temporarily changing their set points. My current work focuses on identifying the cells and immune molecules used by the brain to detect different types of immune responses, uncovering the neural mechanisms responsible for generating chronic inflammatory symptoms such as increased pain sensitivity, and determining the factors that make some people get sicker than others.
Guillaume Hoareau, DVM, PhD
Associate Professor Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine, Dept. of Emergency Medicine
Title: Emergency Mode: Recharging Life After Severe Blood Loss
Research ambitions: To develop mitochondrial-targeted therapies that enhance survival and organ protection in trauma patients.
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Imagine your phone dropping to 1% battery at the worst possible moment. This happens inside our cells when the body loses too much blood. In trauma and emergency medicine, survival depends on energy. Mitochondria—the power plants of our cells—are critical to keeping organs functioning. However, in cases of severe hemorrhage, mitochondria rapidly lose their ability to generate energy. This can trigger organ failure even after a patient has received a blood transfusion. Current treatments focus on restoring blood volume but fail to protect cells from this underlying energy crisis. My research explores innovative therapies that stabilize mitochondrial function using small, protective proteins. My lab has discovered that these proteins can prevent mitochondrial collapse, reduce organ damage, and dramatically improve survival after severe blood loss. We aim to revolutionize trauma care from military battlefields to emergency rooms by targeting cellular energy production. I was drawn to this field by the incredible resilience of the human body and the challenge of bridging scientific discovery with real-world, life-saving solutions. By harnessing the power of mitochondria, we have the potential to redefine how we treat traumatic blood loss and give patients a better chance at survival.
Sara Bybee, PhD, LCSW
Assistant Professor, College of Nursing
Title: The Wealth-Health Connection: How Economic Factors Shape Wellbeing
Research ambitions: The goal of my research is to help individuals and families achieve health by addressing social and economic barriers—such as the cost of health insurance or having access to quality care—that contribute to healthcare disparities and differences in health outcomes.
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Wealth and health are inextricably linked. Lower wealth can negatively affect health by limiting accessibility and availability of healthcare. Research also shows that with worse mental and physical health outcomes can go beyond genetics, and are associated with experiencing financial strain. Health can also affect wealth; those with chronic illnesses often experience financial strain related to paying for ongoing care. My research examines the connections between health and wealth among those who have not yet achieved a complete state of physical, mental, and social wellbeing. By gaining a greater understanding of the bi-directional relationship between health and financial factors, we can lay the groundwork for future programs and interventions designed to reduce financial strain and thereby improve health outcomes.
Peter Fino, PhD
Associate Professor, College of Health, Dept. of Health and Kinesiology
Title: The Biomechanics and Neural Control of Balance after Brain Injury
Research ambitions: Through interdisciplinary collaboration, we improve the diagnosis, treatment, and functional rehabilitation of people with impaired balance and mobility.
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Humans are inherently unstable, yet we are remarkably good at staying upright. We resemble an inverted pendulum that is constantly being pulled to the ground, and we maintain balance by precisely activating our muscles—as in taking a step—to stop us from falling. Nevertheless, daily life requires us to do other things while standing and walking. Things like talking on a phone, navigating our surroundings, recalling a shopping list, or avoiding obstacles. For people with brain injuries, such as concussion, these common yet complex tasks are particularly challenging. Balance impairments after injury can be long-lasting. Our work examines the biomechanics and neural control of balance and mobility to understand how people walk in everyday life, and how neurological injury or disease affects tasks of daily living. With an interdisciplinary approach bridging kinesiology, engineering, neuroscience, psychology, and rehabilitation, our research team studies the basic mechanisms of balance control and daily mobility. We then translate that knowledge to improve clinical decisions—from returning an athlete to competition or a military service member to duty. We also develop a new rehabilitation approaches for people with brain injuries.
Aaron Petrey, PhD
Assistant Professor, Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine, Dept. of Pathology
Title: Inflammation Meets Coagulation: How Glycans Shape the Battle
Research ambitions: Improve human health by uncovering new immune pathways to develop therapeutics to combat life-threatening inflammation and coagulation.
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Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is an immune-mediated disorder that leads to relentless destruction of the gastrointestinal tract. Despite advances in treatment, many patients continue to struggle with inadequate therapeutic options, highlighting the urgent need for novel approaches. One promising area of research lies in understanding the role of glycans, complex sugar molecules that play crucial roles in regulating immune responses, inflammation, and coagulation. Glycan structures are involved in the pathophysiology of IBD, influencing how the body’s immune system contributes to the inflammatory response. My research aims to uncover how glycan structures influence inflammatory pathways that drive clot formation in IBD, a significant cause of morbidity. By studying the interactions between glycans and their receptors, we will better understand how these biomolecules regulate immune responses, inflammation, and clot formation. The challenges of understanding glycan function are immense and represent an untapped area of science. By bridging the gap between glycobiology, immunology, and clinical applications, my team’s work will contribute to developing novel strategies for managing IBD and other inflammatory conditions.
Elizabeth Keating, MD, MSPH
Assistant Professor, Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine, Dept. of Pediatrics
Title: Improving Outcomes of Pediatric Injury Patients in Northern Tanzania
Research ambitions: To develop interventions to decrease time to definitive care and improve outcomes of pediatric injury patients in Northern Tanzania.
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Every day, 1,900 children die from an injury. More than 95% of these pediatric injury deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries. Children in sub-Saharan Africa are disproportionately affected. In sub-Saharan Africa, pediatric morbidity and mortality could be minimized if children with serious injuries received timely quality care. My previous work showed that injured children in Northern Tanzania face many barriers in reaching life-saving care. They experience delays at various points in the health care system. My research aims to develop and pilot a tailored multicomponent health systems intervention to streamline the triage process for pediatric injury patients. This intervention will work at the first level of medical contact (e.g., health center and district hospital) to facilitate timely assessment and referrals and decrease time to definitive care. By working with local stakeholders, we will develop the intervention using implementation science methodology. By getting pediatric injury patients rapid access to the definitive care they need, this project will build capacity for systems-level trauma research in LMICs and has the potential to improve outcomes for injured children in sub-Saharan Africa.
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