Peoria Research News: Spring 2026
Researchers Identify Potential New Target for Alzheimer’s Disease
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia, a condition characterized by progressive memory loss and cognitive decline. Despite its growing impact on aging populations, effective treatments or preventive strategies remain limited, largely because the underlying causes of AD are not fully understood.
In a recent study published in Frontier in Immunology, Junling Yang, PhD, and Ken-ichiro Fukuchi, MD, PhD, investigated the role of a small regulatory molecule called microRNA-34a (miR-34a) in AD. MicroRNAs are short, non-coding RNA molecules that regulate gene expression and influence the production of proteins in cells. MiR-34a has previously been linked to conditions such as obesity, diabetes, and atherosclerosis, known risk factors for AD. Using an AD mouse model, the researchers deleted miR-34a and observed notable behavioral and biological changes. Mice lacking miR-34a showed reduced anxiety-like behavior and improved memory compared with control animals. The team also found increased activation of microglia, the brain’s resident immune cells, along with enhanced nucleic acid sensing and type I interferon signaling in the brain. These findings suggest that targeting microglia-specific miR-34a may represent a promising strategy for preventing/slowing the progression of AD.
The work was supported by fundings from the National Institute of Health (NIH). Former medical student, George E. Tsourdinis (Class of 2021) contributed to the project, and Drs. Fukuchi and Yang served as co-senior authors.
Researchers Identify Potential New Target for Alzheimer’s Disease
Dodani Receives Community Health Advocacy (CHA) Award Grant
Sunita Dodani, MD, received a Community Health Advocacy (CHA) grant to more closely examine respite care for cancer patients and their caregivers. The award is to support a 12-month project titled, “Shared Voices in Respite Care: A Dyadic Approach to Cancer Patient–Informal Caregiver Needs and Preferences.” The research team will include Dr. John Shallat as the Co-PI, along with Jessica Schupp, APN. UICOMP Post-Doctoral Fellow Dr. Babatope Ayokunle Ogunjesa will work as a Co-PI.
The aim of this research is to examine how cancer patients and their caregivers utilize respite care. The goal is to contribute to evidence-based guidance on how healthcare professionals and policy makers can better support those faced with cancer diagnoses as it relates to the accessibility and utilization of respite care.
Community Health Advocacy (CHA) is a partnership between UIC and OSF HealthCare that brings together faculty researchers and health care professionals to develop innovative solutions to improve clinical outcomes, increase access, and improve quality of care within urban communities. UIC faculty and clinicians from OSF HealthCare may apply for funding through the Community Health Advocacy (CHA) partnership.
Dodani Receives Community Health Advocacy (CHA) Award Grant
Advancing Youth Mental Health and Substance Use Research
The research work of Sara Kelly, PhD, MPH, (Department of Pediatrics, Department of Research Services) focuses on understanding and improving youth mental health and substance use outcomes, with an emphasis on using large scale data and community engaged approaches to address pressing public health concerns. As a psychiatric and substance use epidemiologist, she studies how mental health conditions and substance use impact children and adolescents across diverse populations and healthcare settings, and how these patterns translate into disparities in care and outcomes.
Kelly’s recent work focused on cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS), a condition characterized by severe, recurrent vomiting associated with cannabis use. Despite increasing recognition of CHS in clinical settings, little has been known about who is most affected or how rates of CHS are changing nationally. To address this gap, Kelly partnered with Manu Sood, MD, head of the Department of Pediatrics in Peoria, and Niranjan S. Karnik, MD, PhD, director of the Institute for Juvenile Research in the Department of Psychiatry at the Chicago campus, to analyze nationwide health care data. This collaborative work, recently published in Pediatrics Open Science, revealed marked differences in CHSrelated health care encounters by race and gender, highlighting important equity concerns. Building on these findings, the next step includes a followup paper to identify predictors of CHS and inform future federally funded research aimed at prevention and early identification.
Complementary to this research, mentorship and collaboration are central to Kelly’s efforts as she regularly mentors medical students on projects examining pediatric mental health and substance use, with a particular focus on identifying unmet health care needs and barriers to care in local and regional communities. In addition, she leads a mixedmethods pilot study funded by the Center for Collaborative Health Research (C4HR) at UICOMP in partnership with the JOLT Foundation. This project combines data analysis with community perspectives to better understand substance use related needs and improve service delivery.
Advancing Youth Mental Health and Substance Use Research
Chegondi Recognized for PALISI Research Course
Madhu Chegondi, MD, Department of Pediatrics, was recently honored for his service as director of the clinical research course for the Pediatric Acute Lung Injury and Sepsis Investigators Meeting. In this role, he led the design and implementation of a full-day research program focused on trainees and early-career faculty in critical care medicine. In addition to development of the curriculum, Chegondi also identified and recruited national and international expert speakers and oversaw all aspects of course execution. He established a competitive process for trainee research proposal submissions and chaired the review and selection of the top two proposals for presentation awards.
Chegondi Recognized for PALISI Research Course
Advancements in Migraine Understanding
While nearly 40 million Americans suffer from migraines, a startling number remain undiagnosed or mismanaged. A new clinical initiative is working to change that narrative by bringing specialist-level diagnostic precision directly into the community. The MIGRO (Migraine Referral Optimization) project, led by Yelena Nersesyan, MD, PhD, and Hrachya Nersesyan, MD, PhD, has officially entered its field-testing stage. Unlike traditional tools, MIGRO is being rigorously validated in both semi-urban and rural settings to ensure it performs effectively across diverse clinical environments. The project’s expansion is fueled by a Community Health Advocacy (CHA) Phase 2 Award, a grant program from OSF HealthCare and the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC). This funding supports the translation of high-level neurological expertise into accessible digital solutions for underserved populations.
The central philosophy of the MIGRO project is a simple but vital clinical truth: not all headaches are migraine. Misdiagnosis is a leading cause of treatment failure, often resulting in patients using ineffective medications that can actually worsen their condition. Moreover, over half of patients with migraine undergo unnecessary neuroimaging studies with no diagnostic benefit, but with subsequent expenses. “There is a pervasive myth that any severe headache is a migraine,” says Yelena Nersesyan. “By using a precise algorithm based on the ICHD-3 (International Classification of Headache Disorders), MIGRO helps providers differentiate between primary migraines and other types of headaches. This ensures that patients aren’t just being treated for pain, but for the correct underlying condition. MIGRO digitizes headache specialists’ expertise into an interactive and user-friendly tool.”
While the MIGRO app focuses on digital diagnostic optimization, the Nersesyans are also looking toward the biological future of headache medicine. In a pioneering collaboration with Bradley University, the team is working to uncover the physiological “signatures” of migraine.
This research aims to correlate vascular changes—the dilation and constriction of blood vessels—with specific salivary markers, serving as composite biomarkers for migraine. The goal is to identify objective biological indicators in saliva that can provide an early, definitive diagnosis. This advancement will assist with transitioning migraine diagnosis from a purely subjective “history-taking” process to one supported by hard biological data.
MIGRO is currently being deployed in a pilot phase across several OSF HealthCare primary care sites. By testing in both semi-urban and rural clinics, the researchers are ensuring the app can handle the unique logistical challenges of different communities. The dedicated Innovation Technology team is continuously helping improve MIGRO’s performance and features, including a Spanish version of the application.
“All migraineurs live with constant fear of unpredictability of attacks and disruption of daily life. By empowering primary care doctors with these tools, we can cut down the years it typically takes for a patient to find relief,” Nersesyan says.
Advancements in Migraine Understanding
Unlocking the Mysteries of Autism: From Big Data to Local Discovery
While the NIH recently launched a landmark $50 million Autism Data Science Initiative to uncover the root causes of the autism epidemic, UICOMP is making its own significant strides with the launch of the Autism Project.
Led by Lusine Demirkhanyan, PhD, this new initiative bridges the gap between high-level data and tangible medical solutions. Using zebrafish as a sophisticated biological model for autism, Lusine and her team are exploring how the brain responds to various stimuli and potential treatments.
A key focus of the project is the evaluation of natural molecules, such as psilocybin and CBD, and other innovative strategies to determine their effectiveness in autism management. By studying these interactions at a molecular level, the team also hopes to identify biomarkers that allow for the early detection of autism, paving the way for earlier, life-changing interventions for children and their families.
Unlocking the Mysteries of Autism: From Big Data to Local Discovery
Supporting Nutrition, Food Literacy and More in Communities
Amy Christison, MD leads the Department of Pediatrics’ research initiatives in nutrition and population health with two funded projects focused on communityengaged interventions. These include implementing a mobile fresh market at Head Start and after-school programs to evaluate impacts on nutrition security, and implementing the Fit Together program in collaboration with a local YMCA. She also submitted a USDA application for Growing Health Futures, a project designed to strengthen cardiometabolic wellness for atrisk youth by integrating regional food systems, nutrition security, and food literacy. The long-term goal of Growing Health Futures is to increase access to locally produced, nutrient-dense foods, promote consistent and coordinated nutrition education, and ultimately reduce diet-related chronic disease in Central Illinois through integrated research, education, extension, workforce development, and policy efforts.
Supporting Nutrition, Food Literacy and More in Communities
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