We’re excited to announce two upcoming RMIP Research Spotlights.
Next quarter’s spotlight will feature Dr. Luis Garza of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Dr. Garza will present on his clinical trial of volar fibroblast transplantation into the stump site of lower-limb amputees. Register Today for the event on Thursday, June 25th at 1:00-2:00 PM ET.
Presentation Abstract: Amputees who use prosthetics may find them painful or result in skin problems at the stump site. In part, this arises because the skin at the stump site is not naturally designed to bear weight, making it difficult for the site to adapt to pressure or tolerate mechanical loads. Preclinical work demonstrated that volar fibroblast transplantation increases markers of volar skin such as keratin 9 expression, epidermal thickness, and extracellular matrix remodeling, leading to skin that is more pressure resistant and less prone to breakdown. This clinical research employs a regenerative strategy in which ectopic volar fibroblasts are extracted from the palm and sole of the foot and autologously transplanted into the stump site. Dr. Luis Garza of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine will present on an ongoing phase 2 clinical trial in lower-limb amputees testing the efficacy of this approach to reduce ulceration, pain, and prosthesis-related complications, thereby improving function and quality of life for amputees.
We hope that you will be able to join us for these spotlights.
Funding Opportunities
The NHLBI Catalyze Program aims to provide a comprehensive support framework to accelerate the translation of basic scientific discoveries into viable diagnostic and therapeutic products. There are currently two active opportunities supporting product definition studies and pre-clinical research and development. Applications for product definitions are due February 11th, 2026 and preclinical services are due February 13th, 2026. Investigators performing heart, lung, blood, sleep and chemical countermeasure research are encouraged to apply.
Congratulations to the following study teams for their recent publications or preprints:
Kong MD, Tsang SH, et al., Retained cone-responses in homozygous start codon variant in KIZ-associated retinitis pigmentosa. Doc Ophthalmol. 2026 Jan 20;. doi: 10.1007/s10633-025-10066-7.
Quinodoz M, Tsang SH, et al., De novo and inherited dominant variants in U4 and U6 snRNA genes cause retinitis pigmentosa. Nat Genet. 2026 Jan;58(1):169-179. doi: 10.1038/s41588-025-02451-4.
If you have recently submitted or published a manuscript related to your RMIP award, please submit the citation to jstratford@rti.org.
Meet with Us
BDC now has office hours each Wednesday from 2:00 to 3:00 PM ET to assist investigators with aggregating and harmonizing RMIP study data on the ecosystem.
We continue to coordinate one-on-one meetings with study teams to discuss a data linkage strategy. This strategy will ensure that the cell characterization data is prepared and formatted appropriately for seamless sharing with the study team. The goal is to facilitate efficient data transfer and analysis.
Jeran Stratford
February 2026 RMIP Updates
RMIP Research Spotlights
We’re excited to announce two upcoming RMIP Research Spotlights.
Next quarter’s spotlight will feature Dr. Luis Garza of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Dr. Garza will present on his clinical trial of volar fibroblast transplantation into the stump site of lower-limb amputees. Register Today for the event on Thursday, June 25th at 1:00-2:00 PM ET.
Presentation Abstract: Amputees who use prosthetics may find them painful or result in skin problems at the stump site. In part, this arises because the skin at the stump site is not naturally designed to bear weight, making it difficult for the site to adapt to pressure or tolerate mechanical loads. Preclinical work demonstrated that volar fibroblast transplantation increases markers of volar skin such as keratin 9 expression, epidermal thickness, and extracellular matrix remodeling, leading to skin that is more pressure resistant and less prone to breakdown. This clinical research employs a regenerative strategy in which ectopic volar fibroblasts are extracted from the palm and sole of the foot and autologously transplanted into the stump site. Dr. Luis Garza of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine will present on an ongoing phase 2 clinical trial in lower-limb amputees testing the efficacy of this approach to reduce ulceration, pain, and prosthesis-related complications, thereby improving function and quality of life for amputees.
We hope that you will be able to join us for these spotlights.
Funding Opportunities
The NHLBI Catalyze Program aims to provide a comprehensive support framework to accelerate the translation of basic scientific discoveries into viable diagnostic and therapeutic products. There are currently two active opportunities supporting product definition studies and pre-clinical research and development. Applications for product definitions are due February 11th, 2026 and preclinical services are due February 13th, 2026. Investigators performing heart, lung, blood, sleep and chemical countermeasure research are encouraged to apply.
https://nhlbicatalyze.org/about
https://nhlbicatalyze.org/faq/product-definition/funding-opportunities
Publications
Congratulations to the following study teams for their recent publications or preprints:
Kong MD, Tsang SH, et al., Retained cone-responses in homozygous start codon variant in KIZ-associated retinitis pigmentosa. Doc Ophthalmol. 2026 Jan 20;. doi: 10.1007/s10633-025-10066-7.
Quinodoz M, Tsang SH, et al., De novo and inherited dominant variants in U4 and U6 snRNA genes cause retinitis pigmentosa. Nat Genet. 2026 Jan;58(1):169-179. doi: 10.1038/s41588-025-02451-4.
If you have recently submitted or published a manuscript related to your RMIP award, please submit the citation to jstratford@rti.org.
Meet with Us
BDC now has office hours each Wednesday from 2:00 to 3:00 PM ET to assist investigators with aggregating and harmonizing RMIP study data on the ecosystem.
We continue to coordinate one-on-one meetings with study teams to discuss a data linkage strategy. This strategy will ensure that the cell characterization data is prepared and formatted appropriately for seamless sharing with the study team. The goal is to facilitate efficient data transfer and analysis.
Resources, Materials and Support
Slides and Video from RMIP Orientation
FAQs from the Orientation Sessions
BDC Resource Hub
Join the Community for full interaction with our support services
RMIP BDC Office Hours Wednesday 2:00-3:00PM ET
Velsera Seven Bridges Office Hours at on Tuesdays at 10:00-11:00 AM ET and Thursdays at 2:00-3:00 PM ET
BDC Powered by Seven Bridges Onboarding videos
Submit suggestions for future short-form videos
Submit a question or raise a ticket with our Help Desk
Navigating BDC YouTube Channel
If you use BDC in your work, don’t forget to cite us.
BDC Documentation or the Seven Bridges Knowledge Center
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