Dr. Mary L. Garcia-Cazarin, Deputy Director of Extramural Research

Dr. Blackstone is a postdoctoral fellow and MD/PhD trainee studying immune dysregulation. Her research focuses on monogenic diseases affecting JAK-STAT signaling to uncover mechanisms of inflammation and fibrosis.

Ms. Buschman is Chief of Staff for Extramural Activities where she serves as the Guide Liaison where she oversees the publication of Funding Opportunity Announcements in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts.

Aswath Karai earned a B.S. in Chemistry from Michigan State University in 2026. From 2023 to 2026, he analyzed fungal cell wall polysaccharides with ssNMR in Dr. Tuo Wang’s lab. He joined Dr. Franco’s lab at NIAMS in 2026.

Abby investigates the in vivo function of the glucocorticoid receptor by designing assays to study its regulation. She focuses on how protein interactions affect DNA binding in response to glucocorticoid.

Mr. Edgerton is the Acting Director, Division of Extramural Activities