Belin de Chantemele Lab
Lab Personnel
Yoichi Ono, MD, PhD
- Postdoctoral Fellow (2023 - present)
- Funding:
- AHA Postdoctoral Fellowship (2025-2026)
Adam Salon, PhD
- Postdoctoral Fellow (2024-present)
- Funding:
- ADA Postdoctoral Fellowship (2025-2028)
Beryl Khakina
- Graduate Student (2023 - present)
- Funding:
- T32 Training Grant (7/24-6/26)
Ishara M.G. Menik
- PhD Candidate (2023 - present)
- Funding:
- AHA Predoctoral Fellowship (1/25-12/26)
Featured Articles
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 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.
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.
Present & Past News
American Physiology Summit (APS)
American Physiology Summit (APS) held in Baltimore, MD.
Pictured: Beryl Khakina, PhD, Ishara Menik, PhD & Yoichi Ono, MD, PhD
Beryl Khakina, PhD - PhD student in Dr. Eric Belin de Chantemele’s lab, received the Best Oral Presentation for a Graduate Student at the breakout Conference for Black Physiologists.
Ishara Menik, PhD - PhD student in Dr. Eric Belin de Chantemele’s lab received the Research Recognition Award.
Yoichi Ono, MD, PhD - A postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Eric Belin de Chantemele’s lab was a finalist in the Cardiovascular Section for Out Standing Postdoctoral Trainee competition.
American Heart Association’s Hypertension Scientific Sessions
American Heart Association’s Hypertension Scientific Sessions in Chicago.
American Heart Association’s Hypertension Scientific Sessions in Chicago held September 5-8, 2024, in Chicago, Illinois.
Beryl 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 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, 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 - PhD dissertation
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.
38th Graduate Research Day Events
(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”
American Physiology Summit (APS)
American Physiology Summit (APS) held in Long Beach, CA.
Reem Atawia, PhD, was awarded the APS-Cardiovascular Section “Outstanding Trainee Award”
Eric Belin de Chantemele, PhD, received the inaugural award for “The APS Charles Bates Research Award”
Candee Barris discusses her military service before becoming a PhD student
Candee Barris discusses her military service before becoming a PhD student in the JagWire article: Augusta University.
NIH-funded, highly competitive T32 training grant currently supporting PhD work.
Candee Barris is one of four students to receive NIH-funded, highly competitive T32 training grant currently supporting PhD work.
Experimental Biology
APS Cardiovascular Section Clinical Science Young Investigator Award awarded to Reem Atawia.
Henry Pickering Bowditch award.
Dr. Belin de Chantemele recipient of the Henry Pickering Bowditch award at Experimental Biology.
American Physiology Summit (APS)
“Aldosterone and ENaC in Health and Disease: the Kidney and Beyond”
Conference travel award awarded to Dr. Jessica Faulkner.
AHA Hypertension Scientific Session
“Stephanie Watts Career Development Award” awarded to Thiago BRUDER DO NASCIMENTO.
Graduate Research Day
Augusta University Award for Excellence in Research by a Postdoctoral Fellow, 1st place (oral) to Jessica Faulkner, 2nd place (oral) to Thiago Bruder Nascimento.
American Physiological Society: Cardiovascular, Renal and Metabolic Diseases
Sex-specific Implications for Physiology Conference Award awarded to Jessica FAULKNER
Experimental Biology Meeting
APS-Cardiovascular Section “Outstanding Trainee Award” awarded to Jessica Faulkner.
APS-Cardiovascular Section “Clinical Science Young Investigator Award” awarded to Thiago BRUDER DO NASCIMENTO.