Spring 2026 CCHRI Internal Award Recipients
1
Internal Award: Doris J. Biester, PhD Research Innovation Scholar Award (1st Year RISA)
Internal Award Recipient: Anna Janas, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor, Section of Critical Care Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, CU Anschutz School of Medicine, Children's Hospital Colorado
Research Project Title: “Cerebral Pathophysiology and Outcomes in Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury"
2
*Spring 2026 NIH K Award (Career Development Award) Recipient*
Internal Award: Child Health Research Innovation and Scholar Award (1st Year RISA)
Internal Award Recognition: Sarah Walker, MD, Assistant Professor, Section of Critical Care Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, CU Anschutz School of Medicine, Children’s Hospital Colorado
Research Project Title: “Using Trajectory Based Phenotypes to Target Treatment in Pediatric Septic Shock”
3
Internal Award: Child Health Research Innovation and Scholar Award (1st Year RISA)
Internal Award Recipient: Michael Cookson, MD, Assistant Professor, Section of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, CU Anschutz School of Medicine, Children’s Hospital Colorado
Research Project Title: “A Novel Paradigm of Endothelial Dysfunction in Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia: The Placenta —Lung Connection”
4
Internal Award: Owen McKinnon Pilot Award for Pediatric Pulmonary Hypertension Research
Internal Award Recipient: Caitlin Lewis, PhD, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Section of Critical Care Medicine, CU Anschutz School of Medicine, Children’s Hospital of Colorado
Research Project Title: “Maternal Redox Signaling as a Shield Against Offspring Pulmonary Hypertension”
5
Internal Award: Owen McKinnon Pilot Award for Pediatric Pulmonary Hypertension Research
Internal Award Recipient: Jamie Archambault, MD, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Section of Neonatology, CU Anschutz School of Medicine, Children’s Hospital of Colorado
Research Project Title: "Platelet Activation in Infants with Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia and Pulmonary Hypertension”
6
Internal Award: Welch Family Pilot Award
Internal Award Recipient: Erica Mandell, DO, Associate Professor, Section of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, CU Anschutz School of Medicine, Children's Hospital Colorado
Research Project Title: “3-D Printed Personalized Non-Invasive Ventilator Interface for Older Preterm Infants with Severe Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia to Prevent Tracheostomy”
7
Internal Award: CCHRI Pilot Grant Award
Internal Award Recipient: Hanan Elajaili, PhD, Research Scientist, Department of Pediatrics, Section of Critical Care Medicine, CU Anschutz School of Medicine, Children's Hospital Colorado
Research Project Title: “Extracellular Redox Regulation of Macrophage Metabolic Preconditioning in Pediatric Lung Fibrosis"
8
Internal Award: CCHRI Pilot Grant Award
Internal Award Recipient: Evgenia Dobrinskikh, PhD, Assistant Professor, Section of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, CU Anschutz School of Medicine, Children's Hospital Colorado
Research Project Title: “Pulmonary hypoplasia from a new angle”
9
Internal Award: LeClaire Family Research Pilot Award
Internal Award Recipient: Michael J. Tchou, MD, MSc, Associate Professor, Section of Pediatric Hospital Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, CU Anschutz School of Medicine, Children's Hospital Colorado and Jillian Cotter MD, MSCS, Assistant Professor, Section of Pediatric Hospital Medicine, CU Anschutz School of Medicine, Children's Hospital Colorado
Research Project Title: “Study of Pneumonia Antibiotic Routes for Kids (SPARK)”
10
Internal Award: Marion Esser Kaufmann Foundation Research Pilot Award
Internal Award Recipient: Claudia Staab-Weijnitz, PhD, ATSF, Associate Professor, Section of Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, CU Anschutz School of Medicine, Children's Hospital Colorado
Research Project Title: “In-depth characterization of pediatric lung fibrosis”
11
Internal Award: CCHRI Pilot Grant Award
Internal Award Recipient: Sarah A. Taylor, MD, Associate Professor, Section of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Department of Pediatrics, CU Anschutz School of Medicine, Children's Hospital Colorado
Research Project Title: “Defining the Mechanism of Activin A in Disease Pathogenesis of Biliary Atresia”
For more information about CCHRI Internal Awards, detailed eligibility requirements, submission instructions and access to the online application please visit the Children’s Hospital Colorado Research Funding Opportunities page.
Please direct any questions to Claire.Brendel@childrenscolorado.org