Miami CTSI Welcomes New K12 Scholars, Celebrates Two Advancing to NIH Awards

Published: September 30, 2026

The Miami Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) is pleased to welcome Lauri Bishop, PT, DPT, Ph.D., and Kashyap Tadisina, M.D., as its newest K12 Scholars. Through the Mentored Research Career Development Program in Clinical and Translational Science, the scholars will receive advanced training, collaborative mentorship and structured career-development support designed to help early-stage investigators build independent research careers.

Along the way, they strengthen skills in clinical and translational research, team science, leadership and mentoring, while building a foundation for future funding success.

This year’s newest K12 Scholars — from the Department of Physical Therapy and the Department of Surgery’s Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery — will put that support into action through two projects focused on significant rehabilitation challenges.

The program’s broader impact can be seen beyond the newest cohort, with current K12 Scholars now reaching important milestones by securing NIH career development awards.

FY27 K12 Scholars

Lauri Bishop, PT, DPT, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Department of Physical Therapy
Primary Mentor: Tatjana Rundek, M.D., Ph.D.

Dr. Bishop’s project examines how different types of brain damage caused by stroke affect a person’s ability to walk and recover walking function over time. She will analyze how damage to key movement pathways and brain structures relates to walking ability in people at various stages of stroke recovery.

The findings could help improve rehabilitation strategies and lead to more personalized treatments that support better walking outcomes for stroke survivors.

Kashyap Tadisina, M.D.

Assistant Professor, Department of Surgery, Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
Primary Mentor: Devinder Singh, M.D.

Dr. Tadisina’s project explores whether sensory nerves, which are more abundant than motor nerves, can be used to help restore muscle function after a peripheral nerve injury that often causes lasting weakness, pain and loss of function in patients.

He will evaluate how sensory nerve transfers affect nerve regeneration, muscle preservation, and recovery.

Ultimately, this research could provide a novel, scalable solution to address the challenges of peripheral nerve injury recovery and significantly enhance patient outcomes.

CTSI K12 Scholars Advance to NIH Career Awards

As Miami CTSI welcomes its newest scholars, it also congratulates two K12 Scholars who are advancing to individually funded NIH career-development awards.  

Christian Agudelo, M.D., has received an NIH Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award (K23), while Sonya S. Kaur, Ph.D., has received an NIH Mentored Clinical Scientist Research Career Development Award (K08), both from the National Institute on Aging.  

Their success offers a look at what the CTSI K12 experience is designed to make possible, as scholars build competitive applications and move closer to independent scientific leadership.

Dr. Agudelo’s new K23 project will investigate whether subtle changes in the brain’s gray matter can serve as an early marker of Alzheimer’s disease before memory symptoms emerge, and how modifiable sleep patterns may relate to those brain changes.  

The K23 extends the research direction Dr. Agudelo pursued as a Miami CTSI K12 Scholar.  “For me, the K23 is an aspirational milestone and an opportunity to pursue meaningful research that inspires me,” said Dr. Agudelo. “With the K23, I can complete my formation into a clinical scientist dedicated to uncovering how sleep mechanistically influences the pathophysiology of dementia.” 

He credits the CTSI as being a a cornerstone in his journey as a researcher. Through the Miami CTSI, Dr. Agudelo has developed not only as a researcher, but as a multidisciplinary translational scientist.  

With the CTSI’s training, mentorship, support and resources, he has gained the expertise to integrate sleep science, neuroimaging and Alzheimer’s disease research. He is also building the leadership, communication and collaborative skills needed to translate scientific discoveries into meaningful advances in patient care. 

Dr. Kaur’s K08 project continues her investigation of the complex relationship between sleep health and brain aging in Latino middle-aged and older adults. Her earlier K12 research examined sleep patterns in relation to Alzheimer’s disease biomarkers.

Through the Miami CTSI, Dr. Kaur has been able to dedicate protected time to developing her research program while gaining the skills and professional network needed to advance as an independent investigator.

CTSI training in leadership, team science, and grant writing helped her build new collaborations, refine her successful K08 application, and strengthen her ability to lead multidisciplinary research efforts.

Support from mentors and fellow K12 scholars also provided a collaborative learning environment that fostered both personal and professional growth.

As her career progresses, Dr. Kaur is applying these experiences not only to expand her own research program, but also to mentor future scientists and prepare for the next stage of academic leadership.

“This award will hopefully cement my path to becoming an independent clinical scientist. The CTSI has provided me with amazing resources and support at every stage of my journey,” said Dr. Kaur.

Learn more about the K12 program here.