Grelet receives prestigious MERIT Award from NIH

The Grelet lab team, from left, Andrew Parton, undergraduate biology student; Shila Gilbert, lab technician and manager; Simon Grelet, Ph.D., assistant professor of biochemistry and molecular biology; Lizzy Davis, biomedical sciences graduate student; and Greg Hoover, lab technician.

By Carol McPhail

Simon Grelet, Ph.D., assistant professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at the Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine at the University of South Alabama, has received a National Institutes of Health (NIH) MERIT Award. The prestigious R37 grant is designed to provide long-term funding support to investigators whose research competence and productivity are distinctly superior and who are highly likely to continue to perform in an outstanding manner. 

Grelet’s award will support his research efforts to understand the contribution of the nervous system in promoting cancer progression, with a focus on the role of the nerve-cancer transfer of mitochondria in promoting cancer metastasis. He and his team will work to identify the key mediators involved in the transfers and assess the impact of inhibiting this process on cancer progression. 

“Our project investigates how cancer-infiltrating nerves transfer their mitochondria to breast cancer cells, leading to increased metabolism of cancer cells, signaling changes, and dissemination of cancer cells to distal sites,” said Grelet, who conducts research at the USA Health Mitchell Cancer Institute. “We aim to uncover the underlying mechanisms and consequences of inhibiting these transfers to aid the future development of novel approaches that inhibit cancer metastasis.” 

Richard E. Honkanen, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the Whiddon College of Medicine, called the award “a tremendous honor.” 

Honkanen pointed out that researchers cannot apply for MERIT awards directly. Rather, an investigator must first submit an R01 grant application, and the NIH program staff and the National Advisory Board must jointly conclude that the researcher has demonstrated competence and productivity at a level distinctly superior to others, he said. 

“To put this into perspective, securing an R01 grant from the National Cancer Institute at the NIH already requires ranking in the top 10% of all applications nationwide. Having that grant further recognized as distinctly superior places Dr. Grelet among the very best cancer researchers in the entire country,” Honkanen said. “This recognition is not only a profound honor for Dr. Grelet, but also for the department, the college, the Mitchell Cancer Institute and the University of South Alabama. 

Grelet’s research into how cancer cells exploit their microenvironment, especially nearby nerve cells, to grow and spread was published this summer in the scientific journal Nature. 

In that study, his team used innovative models to investigate how breast cancer cells interact with nerve cells and how that interaction contributes to cancer aggressiveness and metastasis. The researchers identified the metabolic dependencies on nerves through bioinformatic screenings, and further developed synthetic biology approaches, combined with flow cytometry and custom-coded tools to quantify the transfer of mitochondria between neurons and cancer cells in vivo. They found that mitochondria transferred from neurons helped cancer cells acquire metabolic plasticity, which enabled them to form distant metastases. 

“Following closely from the recent publication of his paper in Nature, the NIH MERIT award is another fitting recognition of Dr. Grelet’s remarkable achievements to date,” said Christopher Davies, Ph.D., associate dean for research at the Whiddon College of Medicine. “This highly prestigious award, made only to a select group of investigators nationally, is a clear demonstration of the high regard in which Dr. Grelet is already held by his peers in cancer research and a reflection of their confidence that he is poised to transform our understanding of cancer aggressivity and metastasis.” 

Grelet established the Cancer Innervation and Neurobiology Laboratory at the Mitchell Cancer Institute in 2021 and is one of six investigators at the Whiddon College of Medicine who hold NIH MERIT Awards since the award’s creation by the NIH in 1986. 

Read more about Grelet’s work. 

Sign up to walk, run or volunteer at GO Run

The 18th Annual GO Run 5K Race and 1-Mile Fun Run will be held on Saturday, Sept. 27, at the SGA Pavilion, located directly across from Hancock Whitney Stadium. The 5K starts at 8 a.m., and the Fun Run starts at 9 a.m. 

Proceeds from the GO Run support revolutionary gynecologic cancer research happening at the USA Health Mitchell Cancer Institute. Early detection, prevention, and treatment advancements are continuing thanks in part to the long-standing community support that GO Run receives.

Register to walk, run or volunteer: usahealthsystem.com/events/go-run

Rx for Success: Clerkship Edition prepares students for the next step

Third-year medical students participate in a workshop designed to help them transition to clinical clerkships.

On Friday, June 27, the Whiddon College of Medicine launched its first-ever Rx for Success: Clerkship Edition, a one-day workshop designed to equip rising third-year medical students with the tools, strategies, and confidence needed to thrive in their clinical clerkships. Fifty-five M3 students took part in the inaugural program, which, like its predecessor Rx for Success for incoming M1s, was entirely voluntary. The strong turnout reflected students’ eagerness to prepare for one of the most pivotal transitions in medical training.

The program was a collaborative effort of the Division of Medical Education, the Whiddon COM Simulation Program, the Office of Student Affairs, and the Office of Accreditation and Planning’s Academic Success Team. Together, these groups designed a day that blended evidence-based learning strategies with practical skill-building and peer teaching. 

“This program was intentionally developed using research and data on medical student success,” said David Williams, Ph.D., MPA, assistant dean for institutional and academic success. “We know that transition points in medical school can be especially challenging, so creating programming that eases these moments and equips students to thrive is central to our mission.”

A standout feature of the day was the involvement of 14 M4 student volunteers, who guided their M3 peers through discussions, skill stations, and reflection exercises. Their insights and encouragement helped bridge the gap between pre-clinical and clinical training. Sessions included Learning Science & Self-Management in Clinical Settings, Interpreting Feedback, and a lunch & learn that highlighted resources available during the third year. Students explored ways to balance time, apply proven learning strategies, and make the most of faculty and peer feedback in clinical environments.

The afternoon centered on hands-on learning in the Whiddon COM Simulation Lab. Students practiced head-to-toe physical exams with standardized patients and sharpened essential clinical skills such as knot tying, suturing, and sterile technique. “The simulation lab experience gave students the chance to practice, make mistakes, and learn in a safe environment before stepping into real clinical settings,” said Laura Boatright, M.D., assistant dean for medical education and director of clinical skills. “That hands-on readiness is invaluable.” A Pre-Rounding by Specialty session added further preparation by offering clerkship-specific insights from both faculty and upper-level students.

The day concluded with reflection, as students revisited questions they had posed to themselves at the start of the program, tying their new skills and insights into their longitudinal learning plans. “Supporting students through transitions is a responsibility I take seriously as both a teacher and a clerkship director,” noted Anna Foust, M.D., associate professor of internal medicine and pediatrics, and internal medicine clerkship director. “Because I work across multiple phases of the curriculum, I see how important it is to build continuity. Programs like this one create a smoother path for our students and strengthen their readiness for clinical learning.”

Wellness was also emphasized throughout the day. Becky Smith, Ph.D., director of COM health and wellness, reminded students of the importance of caring for themselves as they step into the demanding environment of clinical training. “Clerkships can be both exciting and stressful, and it is essential for students to have strategies to protect their well-being,” Smith said. “Being proactive about wellness not only helps students manage the challenges of medical school but also models the balance and resilience they will need as future physicians.”

The inaugural Rx for Success: Clerkship Edition underscores the Whiddon College of Medicine’s commitment to preparing students for every stage of their training, Williams said, and is planned to be offered again next year.