IPM Research Grant Winner: Cody Juguilon

While working towards an undergraduate degree in biotechnology, Cody Juguilon discovered the world of research at Northeast Ohio Medical University.

A shift of interest from biotechnology to pharmaceutical medicine led Juguilon to NEOMED’s College of Graduate Studies Integrated Pharmaceutical Medicine Program (IPM).

Dissecting disease

Now in his second year, Juguilon is studying coronary collateral growth within the context of metabolic diseases in the lab of Liya Yin, M.D., Ph.D., an associate professor of integrative medical sciences.

“Our lab is looking at the mechanisms governing blood vessel growth in the heart, which can prove protective following a heart attack. These processes are blunted in patients with diabetes and metabolic syndrome, so we aim to understand why with the hope that stimulating vessel growth may become an effective treatment.”

Through his research, Juguilon was recently named the 2019 recipient of the IPM Research Grant award. The $2,000 stipend will help him continue his research and complete his dissertation.

Juguilon says applying for the IPM Research Grant was a great opportunity to practice grant writing early on in his career.

As for the Department of Integrative Medical Sciences, in which his Dr. Yin’s lab resides, Juguilon is appreciative of the collaborative climate.

“I like how we all look at different aspects of disease, but we can all find a way to tie it together.”