Montana Clinical and Translational Research Center

Dr. Hall is research faculty at the University of Montana and a pediatrician by training.

The objective of this pilot project is to determine the readiness of parents and medical providers in rural Montana to implement group well child checks. A group well child check is a healthcare delivery redesign from the traditional medical provider - parent - child encounter to a group format with similar age children addressing parent concerns with a medical professional team.

This format is more common Internationally and has demonstrated impact in urban underserved but has not been studied or sustainably implemented in a rural context.

Through this pilot work, we will quantify and determine the readiness and capacity of pediatric medical providers and parents in rural Montana.

Dr. Abdelwahab is a Research Associate Professor at the University of Montana in the Center for Translational Medicine, where he leads the Formulations Group.

With a PhD in Chemistry and extensive experience in vaccine adjuvant development and pharmaceutical research, his work focuses on translating novel vaccines, immunomodulators, and delivery systems from early discovery through clinical and regulatory readiness. His research interests center on strategies to enhance the precision and durability of immune responses across infectious disease and cancer indications. Dr. Abdelwahab actively collaborates with academic, industry, and global health partners to accelerate the development of next-generation vaccines and immunotherapies.

There are currently no approved cancer therapies targeting Mincle, a key receptor on tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) that promotes immune suppression and resistance to treatment. This project aims to enhance the efficacy of radiation therapy (RT) by targeting Mincle, a key driver of TAM–mediated immunosuppression. We will evaluate the novel Mincle antagonist UM-5133—alone and in combination with RT—in murine tumor models using advanced delivery systems. By reversing macrophage-driven immunosuppression and enhancing the immune effects of radiation, this work has the potential to improve treatment outcomes for patients with solid tumors and lay the foundation for a new class of immunotherapeutics.

Dr. Debuysscher is a Research Professor at the University of Montana in the Center for Translational Medicine.

As humans age, so does their immune response, which can increase severity of infections as well as decrease vaccination efficacy. RSV is a virus that is known to have a high risk of severity in older adults or immunocompromised individuals due to factors associated with weakening of the immune system. 

Preliminary findings from my lab suggest that when vaccinated against RSV, aged mice have similar levels of antibody titers compared to young mice, however these antibodies fail to effectively neutralize RSV. Because approved RSV vaccines target the induction of protective antibodies as the main mechanism of protection, we hypothesize this will limit the efficacy and durability of RSV vaccination in aged adults. By targeting this phenomenon, we aim to better understand the decrease of function seen in aged mice and apply that knowledge to human therapeutics. This work will lead to isolating and producing monoclonal antibodies for potential use as treatment to aid the aged immune system during RSV infection.

Dr. Stierle is a Research Professor at the University of Montana in the Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences Department.

The Stierle and Priestley Research Labs are advancing development of a novel family of antibiotics, the berkeleylactones.

Berkeleylactone A (BPLA), first isolated from extremophilic fungi in the Berkeley Pit Lake in Butte, Montana, exhibits potent antibacterial activity with a unique mechanism of action. It targets multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MDRSA), including vancomycin-insensitive strains (VISA), and both disrupts and prevents biofilm formation—one of the greatest challenges in treating persistent infections.

Because BPLA is not stable in plasma, the team synthesized a more durable lactam analog (BPLmA) with improved pharmacokinetic properties.

Their current goals are to produce sufficient quantities of BPLA and BPLmA for testing, generate new analogs informed by structure-activity relationships, and assess absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion. Advancement of this work could establish the berkeleylactones as a new class of antibiotics against resistant bacterial pathogens.

Received $5,000 for project development and partnership with the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services and Providence Health to develop a coordinated post-stroke aphasia care pathway in Montana.

Received $5,000 for project development and partnership with the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services to work on a program to assess and mitigate the cumulative effects of wildfire smoke exposures in local communities.

Received $5,000 for project development and to work on the project: Tolerability and Dosing of Amphetamine-based Psychostimulants when Co-prescribed with or without a CYP450 2D6 inhibiting Antidepressant: A Retrospective Review

Received $5,000 for project development and partnership with the Montana Department of Health and Human Services to work on the project: Virtually Assisted Schools Teams (VAST) tele-mental health.

Received $5,000 for project development and partnership with Logan Health to train for point of care ultrasound for rural Montana.

Received $60,000 for a feasibility study to help evaluate the operational, clinical, and regulatory feasibility for a future clinical trial with Dr. Alex Kraev researching the utilization of deep parasternal intercostal plane blocks for postoperative pain management during sternotomy.

Received $5,000 to help project development and partnership with Providence for the project, ARCHES: Addressing Rural Community Health and Emergency Services

Received $5,000 to help create partnerships,mentorship, and project development opportunties with Providence Oncology for Translational Cancer Research

Received $5,000 to support of a psychology internship in the Medical Genetics Department at Shodair Children's Hospital.

Received $5,000 to help project development and partnership with the University of Montana for the project, ARCHES: Addressing Rural Community Health and Emergency Services