Cardiometabolic Health Seed Funding

We're investing in early-stage ideas that will foster bold collaborations to advance cardiometabolic health discovery and improve health outcomes. Through this seed funding program, we support exploratory and developmental research in its earliest phases in areas of basic, preclinical, clinical, translational, behavioral, and population research. 

2026 Seed Funding Awards

The following six research projects were selected for the 2026 Henry Ford + MSU Cardiometabolic Health Seed Funding program. Each project will receive nearly $60,000 to support early-stage research and foster new collaborations.

  • AI tools and Computer Modeling for Risk Predictions of Right Heart Failure in LVAD patients
    Principal Investigators: Lik-Chuan Lee, Ph.D. (MSU) and James Lee, M.D. (Henry Ford)
  • Investigating the Prevalence Of Neurological Disorders in Patients with Pre-Clinical and Clinical Obesity
    Principal Investigators: Evan Reynolds, Ph.D. (MSU) and Jamie Roberman, Ph.D. (Henry Ford)
  • Leveraging Kidney Endothelial Extracellular Vesicles Against Diabetic Kidney Disease
    Principal Investigators: Paulo Caceres, Ph.D. (Henry Ford) and Masamitsu Kanada, Ph.D. (MSU)
  • Cardiometabolic Health: Using Pregnancy Data to Inform Screening and Intervention
    Principal Investigators: Jean Kerver, Ph.D. (MSU) and Raminder Khangura, M.D. (Henry Ford)
  • Evaluation of Metaboreflex Activation Threshold and Strength During Active Exercise in Humans with Obesity
    Principal Investigators: Joseph Mannozzi, Ph.D. (Henry Ford) and Chad Wiggins, Ph.D. (MSU)
  • Cholesterol Crystal Emboli to the Brain as a Risk for Cancer
    Principal Investigators: George Abela, M.D. (MSU) and Abeer Tabbarah, M.D. (Henry Ford)

Questions?

Email us at CMHSeed@msu.hfh.edu.

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