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Dr. Belin de Chantemele's lab promo image - group photo
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Jump to: Lab Personnel  FEATURED ARTICLES Member Activities & News Past News & Events

Lab Personnel

photo of Simone Kennard

Simone Kennard

  • Lab Manager, Sr Research Associate

skennard@augusta.edu

photo of Galina Antonova, MD, PhD

Galina Antonova, MD, PhD

  • Research Associate

gantonova@augusta.edu

Jing Ma

  • Research Associate (2024-present)

Ben Wall

  • Research Associate (2024-present)
photo of Yoichi Ono, MD, PhD

Yoichi Ono, MD, PhD

  • Postdoctoral Fellow (2023 - present)
  • Funding:
  • AHA Postdoctoral Fellowship (2025-2026)

yono@augusta.edu

Adam Salon, PhD

  • Postdoctoral Fellow (2024-present)
  • Funding:
  • AHA Postdoctoral Fellowship (2025-2027)

asalon@augusta.edu

photo of Candee Barris

Candee Barris

  • Graduate Student - (2020 - present)
  • Funding:
  • T32 Training Grant

cbarris@augusta.edu

photo of Beryl Khakina

Beryl Khakina

  • Graduate Student (2023 - present)

bkhaina@augusta.edu

photo of Ishara M.G. Menik

Ishara M.G. Menik

  • PhD Candidate (2023 - present)
  • Funding:
  • AHA Predoctoral Fellowship (2025-2026)

IMenikHitihamimu@augusta.edu

Featured Articles

Dr. Belin de Chantemele

MCG researchers publish first explanation of HIV, hypertension correlation

A groundbreaking study conducted by researchers in the Vascular Biology Center at Augusta University’s Medical College of Georgia provides the first evidence of why people living with human immunodeficiency virus, more commonly referred to as HIV, are more likely to have hypertension, or high blood pressure.

MCG researchers publish first explanation of HIV, hypertension correlation
Drs. Kovacs & Belin de Chantemele

MCG researchers secure $5.7 million in new NIH grants

Two new National Institutes of Health grants, totaling $5.7 million, are aimed at helping scientists at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University better understand the mechanisms of two cardiovascular complications associated with HIV.

MCG researchers secure $5.7 million in new NIH grants
Drs. Hamrick, McGee, MacArthur, Shi, Chantemele

Putting the brakes on accelerated aging of bone, muscle from HIV infection, treatment

Antiretroviral cocktails can make human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV, undetectable and untransmittable, but both the virus and its treatment can also accelerate aging of bone and muscle.

Putting the brakes on accelerated aging of bone, muscle from HIV infection, treatment

Member Activities & News

Present & Past News

2024

American Heart Association’s Hypertension Scientific Sessions in Chicago | September 5-8, 2024

American Heart Association’s Hypertension Scientific Sessions in Chicago held September 5-8, 2024, in Chicago, Illinois

 

Beryl KhakinaBeryl Khakina, a Vascular Biology PhD student under the advisement of Eric Belin de Chantemele, received the award for Support of Underrepresented Minorities from the American Heart Association (AHA). She was selected for two oral presentations of her project, “HIV-derived proteins induce Neuroinflammation, Hypertension and Sympatho-activation via T-cell-dependent mechanisms in the Tg26 Mouse Model,” at the National Heart, Lung, Blood Institute (NHLBI) Trainee Session on September 4th, and at the New Paradigms in Brain Mechanisms of Hypertension session on September 7th.

 

 

Ishara MG MenikIshara MG Menik, a Vascular Biology PhD student under the advisement of Eric Belin de Chantemele, received the Trainee Advocacy Committee (TAC) Early Career award for the poster presentation project “Inappropriate Activation of the Leptin-Aldosterone-Endothelial Mineralocorticoid Receptor axis promotes Salt sensitivity of Blood pressure in Young female mice".

 

 

 

Yoichi Ono

 

Yoichi Ono, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow in Eric Belin de Chantemele’s lab, received a Hypertension New Investigator Travel Award for the oral presentation “Adrenal Zona Glomerulosa Long Form Leptin Receptor (LepRb) Protects from Leptin-Mediated Vascular Disorders in Female Mice” on September 5th.

 

 

 

 


Taylor Kress

 

Taylor Kress successfully defended his PhD dissertation "Role of HIV-Derived Proteins Expressed by CD4+ T Lymphocytes and of the Integrase Inhibitor Dolutegravir in the Development of HIV-Associated Cardiometabolic Disorders" on June 12th. Taylor has accepted a postdoctoral fellowship at Duke University in the laboratory of Dr. Stephen Crowley. 

 

 

2023

March 16-17, 2023 |38th Graduate Research Day Events

Grad Day Awards- 3 woman and one main pose for camera holding their awards

 

(middle right) Reem Atawia, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow who is mentored by Dr. Eric Belin de Chantemele, awarded 2nd place for Excellence in Research (poster presentation)

(middle left) Candee Barris, a candidate for PhD in Vascular Biology who is mentored by Dr. Eric Belin de Chantemele, received the Virendra B. Mahesh Award (poster presentation) for “Ovarian-derived sex hormones do not mediate the sex-specific mechanism of hypertension in obese mice”

 


April 20-23, 2023 | American Physiology Summit (APS) held in Long Beach, CA

Reem Atawia, PhD

Reem Atawia, PhD, was awarded the APS-Cardiovascular Section “Outstanding Trainee Award”

  Award description

Eric Belin de Chantemele, PhD

Eric Belin de Chantemele, PhD, received the inaugural award for “The APS Charles Bates Research Award”

Award description

2022

Candee Barris Military service

Candee Barris discusses her military service before becoming a PhD student in the JagWire article: Augusta University

Candee Barris is one of four students to receive NIH-funded, highly competitive T32 training grant currently supporting PhD work.

The 2022 T32 student researchers include, from left, Candee Barris, Drew Speese, Katie Anne Fopiano and Karl Diaz-Sanders.

Reem Tarek Atawia stands with her award

Experimental Biology 2022:

APS Cardiovascular Section Clinical Science Young Investigator Award awarded to Reem Atawia

 

 

 

2021

Henry Pickering Bowditch Award - Eric Belin De Chantemele

Experimental Biology 2021:

Dr. Belin de Chantemele recipient of the Henry Pickering Bowditch award.

 

Ji Cheng Memorial & Phi Kappa Phi Award for Excellence in Research by a Biomedical Sciences student in the early years of training to Candee BARRIS
2021 Au Research Day- Reem Atawia
Augusta University Graduate research Day 2021

Augusta University Graduate research Day 2021

(picture 1) Ji Cheng Memorial & Phi Kappa Phi Award for Excellence in Research by a Biomedical Sciences student in the early years of training to Candee BARRIS

(picture 2) Augusta University Award for Excellence in Research by a Postdoctoral Fellow, 1st place (oral) to Reem ATAWIA

(picture 3) Augusta University, The Graduate School Award for Excellence in Research by a Graduate Student to Taylor KRESS

 

2019

 

2019 APS award JEssica Faulkner

 

 

 

2019 APS “Aldosterone and ENaC in Health and Disease: the Kidney and Beyond”

Conference travel award awarded to Jessica FAULKNER

2019 AHA  Hypertension Scientific Session   “Stephanie Watts Career Development Award” awarded  to Thiago BRUDER DO NASCIMENTO

2019 AHA  Hypertension Scientific Session   “Stephanie Watts Career Development Award” awarded  to Thiago BRUDER DO NASCIMENTO with Dr. Belin de Chantemele

 

 

2019 AHA Hypertension Scientific Session

“Stephanie Watts Career Development Award” awarded

to Thiago BRUDER DO NASCIMENTO

 



Graduate Research day 2019 Augusta University Award for Excellence in Research by a Postdoctoral Fellow,

Augusta University Award for Excellence in Research by a Postdoctoral Fellow, 1st place (oral) to Jessica Faulkner, 2nd place (oral) to Thiago Bruder Nascimento

 

 

Graduate Research day 2019

Augusta University Award for Excellence in Research by a Postdoctoral Fellow, 1st place (oral) to Jessica Faulkner, 2nd place (oral) to Thiago Bruder Nascimento.

2018

picture of 2018 American Physiological Society: Cardiovascular, Renal and Metabolic Diseases:  Sex-specific Implications for Physiology Conference Award awarded to Jessica FAULKNER

picture of 2018 American Physiological Society: Cardiovascular, Renal and Metabolic Diseases:  Sex-specific Implications for Physiology Conference Award awarded to Jessica FAULKNER

2018 American Physiological Society: Cardiovascular, Renal and Metabolic Diseases:

Sex-specific Implications for Physiology Conference Award awarded to Jessica FAULKNER

picture of 2018 American Physiological Society: Cardiovascular, Renal and Metabolic Diseases:  Sex-specific Implications for Physiology Conference Award awarded to Jessica FAULKNER

 

 

Experimental Biology Meeting 2018

APS-Cardiovascular Section “Outstanding Trainee Award” awarded to Jessica FAULKNER

APS-Cardiovascular Section “Clinical Science Young Investigator Award” awarded

to Thiago BRUDER DO NASCIMENTO

2017

Experimental Biology Meeting 2017 APS-Cardiovascular Section “Outstanding Trainee Award” awarded to Thiago BRUDER DO NASCIMENTO

 

 

Experimental Biology Meeting 2017

APS-Cardiovascular Section “Outstanding Trainee Award” awarded to Thiago BRUDER DO NASCIMENTO

Experimental Biology Meeting 2017 Caroline tum Suden/Frances Hellebrandt Professional Opportunity Award  to Jessica FAULKNER (Postdoctoral Fellow)

 

Experimental Biology Meeting 2017

Caroline tum Suden/Frances Hellebrandt Professional Opportunity Award to Jessica FAULKNER (Postdoctoral Fellow)

 

 

 

 

 

2017 Augusta University Graduate Research Day Award for  Best Oral Presentation to Jessica FAULKNER (Postdoctoral Fellow)

 

2017 Augusta University Graduate Research Day Award

Best Oral Presentation to Jessica FAULKNER (Postdoctoral Fellow)

 

 

2013

2013 Annual High Blood Pressure Research Conference Award  for New Investigators to Anne-Cécile HUBY (Postdoctoral Fellow)

 

 

2013 Annual High Blood Pressure Research Conference Award

for New Investigators to Anne-Cécile HUBY (Postdoctoral Fellow)v

 

 

 

 

 

Great Doctors, Great Medicine Since 1828. 

 

 

 

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