News on the money and policy behind biomedical research. Covers foundation and career-development awards, endocrine and neuroscience funding, and university royalties.
EMBO has awarded 50,000 euro grants to 5 scientists to establish research groups in the Czech Republic, Poland, and Portugal. The grantees will join the prestigious network of EMBO Young Investigators and integrate into the European scientific community.
The NFL grant will support research on new materials to repair injured knees, with a focus on meniscal repair. Professor Kyriacos Athanasiou's laboratory at UC Davis is also working on tissue engineering of knee cartilage.
The Medical College of Georgia is accelerating diabetes research with a $1.8 million stimulus grant, which will support the development of animal models and sophisticated testing procedures. The grant also enables scientists to analyze large datasets and identify key missteps in prostate cancer progression.
Stand Up To Cancer is awarding $9.68 million to support innovative projects by next-generation research leaders. These projects focus on groundbreaking translational research and have the potential for significant advances in identifying complex mechanisms that cause cancers to occur and spread.
Researchers combined large datasets from Milwaukee and New York City to estimate swine flu severity, finding most deaths occur in non-elderly adults. The study suggests the autumn-winter pandemic wave should have a death toll only slightly higher than or lower than seasonal influenza.
Two Brown University faculty members are awarded federal funding to investigate brain development in infants and children with bipolar disorder. The research aims to identify biological and behavioral markers that distinguish between full-blown and sub-syndromal bipolar disorder, which could lead to more specific diagnoses and treatment.
Dr. Matthew Levy has received $700,000 in Stand Up To Cancer funding to develop self-guiding drugs that target only cancer cells, reducing serious side effects of current therapies.
A University of Michigan study found that women researchers are less likely than men to secure major funding for their careers, with only 19% of women attaining an R01 grant within 10 years. The study suggests that family demands and pressures to contribute to clinical work may be hindering women's success in research careers.
The University of North Carolina's Graduate Training Program in Translational Medicine has received a $700,000 HHMI grant to integrate medical knowledge into its Ph.D. programs. This program aims to train researchers to translate basic science discoveries into improved treatments for patients.
Two Kent State University assistant professors, Christopher Blackwood and Andrea Case, have received $890,000 in National Science Foundation grants to study the environment. Their research projects focus on understanding the importance of fungal communities during leaf decomposition and the factors that regulate the frequency of female...
Dr. Larisch's research links Parkin and ARTS proteins to excess brain cell death in PD, a progressive neurodegenerative disorder. This discovery may lead to better treatment of patients suffering from Parkinson's Disease.
A lack of quantity and quality of health data from poor settings threatens global research, warns Peter Byass. Alternative strategies to improve health data representativeness are discussed.
The article emphasizes the need for a more methodologically robust approach to evaluating eHealth systems. Researchers must recognize the importance of combined quantitative and qualitative work when assessing IT systems.
The NIGMS has awarded 14 GO grants to scientists across 13 states, totaling $42.3 million. These grants focus on various areas of biomedical science, including personalized medicine, gene expression, and drug development.
The Inner City Asthma Consortium, funded by the NIH, investigates novel treatments and causes of asthma in urban children. Key studies include evaluating environmental factors influencing immune system development and exploring anti-IgE therapy to decrease viral-induced seasonal asthma exacerbations.
Microbiologist Louis Tisa received nearly $500,000 to explore the symbiotic relationship between bacteria Frankia and actinorhizal plant Casuarina. The USDA grant aims to enhance the performance of these trees, providing a sustainable solution to soil enrichment.
NJIT researchers are awarded nearly $4.3 million in NSF funding to improve the Big Bear Solar Observatory and study various aspects of solar energy, including its impact on terrestrial telecommunications and power systems.
The NIEHS has awarded 13 grants to develop better methods to assess exposure and health effects associated with nanomaterials. This research is essential for harmonizing results, forming a scientifically sound basis for hazard assessment.
The Ohio Research Association for Public Health Improvement (RAPHI) aims to investigate how public health does what it does, with an initial focus on improving services using information technology. The RAPHI project will advance RWJF's efforts to enhance the evidence base for public health policy and practice.
Depleted uranium has varied applications but its molecular chemistry is poorly understood. The €1m grant will develop new compounds and understand actinide chemical bonding.
A comprehensive program at Johns Hopkins has reduced the need for emergency airway surgery by 67% by providing a standardized cart with essential supplies and training staff on its use. The program's success story highlights the importance of organization and teamwork in improving patient outcomes.
The Rice University-M.D. Anderson Cancer Center program provides incoming graduate students with early exposure to translational research and clinical practice. The HHMI funding renewal will allow the program to expand to include students from M.D. Anderson's Department of Imaging Physics.
Two UNH assistant professors, Vaughn Cooper and Christopher White, received NSF CAREER grants to explore beneficial mutations in bacteria and the flow dynamics of liquefied biomass. Their research has implications for understanding adaptation, evolution, and sustainable energy solutions.
The new center will connect IU's expertise with Moi University and hospital to increase electronic health record capacity in one of the world's poorest regions. Trained locals will use electronic tools to solve healthcare problems, enhancing outcomes and public health.
ASU professors Stuart Lindsay and Paul Westerhoff will lead two innovative projects to tackle challenges in rapid DNA sequencing and nanotechnology health risks. The projects aim to simplify DNA sequencing like the invention of the transistor simplified electronics.
Research published in PLoS Medicine found associations between local rainfall and temperature with cases of dengue fever, but no significant link with El Niño-Southern Oscillation. Large outbreaks occur every few years in many tropical countries, with temperature and rainfall varying strongly on an annual scale.
The institution has been awarded over $42 million for research projects focusing on cancer, heart disease, kidney disease, autism, neurodegenerative diseases, and diabetes. The grants support the work of researchers like Dr. Joseph Hill, Dr. Craig Powell, and Dr. Elizabeth Maher.
Researchers at Imperial College London will develop new applications for metamaterials, including optical invisibility cloaks that render objects invisible to the human eye. The technology also enables flat lenses for imaging tiny objects smaller than the wavelength of light.
The K-State Environmental Leadership Program develops an interdisciplinary course curriculum addressing water quality issues and civic engagement in watershed restoration. The program aims to build capacity in addressing environmental issues through a $114,000 grant from the US Department of Agriculture.
The project aims to address barriers to adopting dust control technologies in the construction industry. Researchers will target three components: workers, small firms, and large firms with tailored interventions. The goal is to reduce respiratory disease risks and improve worker health.
A study at Tufts University found that training local leaders in research practices, especially human subjects protections, improves university-community relationships. Community-based participatory research partnerships strengthened the ability of local organizations to seek additional funding and conduct independent research.
The EU has funded a 3-year project called CAMbrella to study complementary medicine, with TUM university hospital coordinating the 12-nation initiative. The network will focus on building international cooperation and fostering patient needs, legal conditions, and terminology.
Between 1997 and 2006, median wait times increased by 36%, with emergent patients waiting 87% longer to be seen. The percentage of patients seen within the triage target time declined an average of 0.8% per year, particularly for emergent patients.
Researchers aim to understand how the JC virus attaches to host cells, with potential treatments for progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML). The five-year grant will explore the virus's interaction with serotonin receptors in the brain.
Researchers at Rice University are developing a rapid saliva test for oral cancer that can be performed by a dentist in under 30 minutes. The test uses a novel microchip, known as a lab-on-a-chip, to detect specific biomarkers in cells, allowing for early diagnosis and improved patient outcomes.
Keystone Symposia has received a three-year, $2.7 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to support global health conferences and provide travel awards to scientists from developing countries. The funding will also enable the organization to expand its conference program with new topics and locations.
Rhode Island Hospital has received a $11 million NIH grant to study stem cell biology and tissue regeneration in lung and marrow diseases. The research will focus on determining the true phenotype of marrow stem cells and their fate as tissue.
Scientists at Michigan State University are using a $3 million NIH grant to study the synthesis of medicinal compounds in popular plants. The goal is to understand how genes contribute to this process, leading to cheaper and more effective drug development.
Kent State University has been awarded a $2.7 million NSF grant to train doctoral students in environment sensing technology for freshwater resources protection. The program, EARS, aims to prepare students for careers relevant to freshwater resources.
Researchers at Montana State University aim to understand how Adeno-associated Viruses (AAV) assemble and enter cells. They will use this knowledge to build specialized AAVs for targeted gene therapy applications.
Dr. Jennifer Brodbelt receives $734,068 NIH grant to develop chip-based method for rapidly analyzing blood samples. The new approach could identify patterns correlated with aging and obesity.
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases has awarded approximately $208 million to two programs that support research on the human immune response to emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases. This funding aims to identify new vaccines and drug targets, with a focus on developing prevention tools and therapeutics.
Researchers at Thomas Jefferson University have received $3.9 million in Challenge grant funds to tackle specific scientific and health research challenges in biomedical and behavioral sciences. Drs. Flemming Forsberg, Laura N. Gitlin, Maurizio Pacifici, and Scott Waldman will study portal venous pressure, depression treatment, Heredit...
A team of researchers aims to create a new papaya variety with only hermaphrodite offspring, eliminating the need for costly and labor-intensive seed selection. This breakthrough could significantly improve papaya health while reducing fertilizer and water usage.
A national research resource discovery network will allow biomedical scientists to quickly find previously invisible but potentially valuable resources. The eagle-i Consortium, founded with a $15 million ARRA grant, aims to make invisible resources visible to researchers nationwide.
The National Institutes of Health has awarded $67.4 million in EUREKA grants to support highly innovative research projects that promise significant scientific breakthroughs. These grants will fund research in various fields, including gene therapy for neurological diseases and the study of circadian clocks.
A randomized clinical trial of five different smoking cessation therapies found that a nicotine patch plus a nicotine lozenge was the most effective combination in helping smokers quit. The combination resulted in higher success rates and longer periods of abstinence from smoking compared to other treatments.
The university's partnership with UCLA will enhance its capability to conduct high-quality cancer research, recruit more investigators, and strengthen outreach programs. The grant will also enable the university to add students and clinical fellows as future cancer researchers.
Two UCSF teams, one for diabetes and one for brain tumors, have received grants from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine to advance stem cell-based therapies. The goal is to file new drug applications with the FDA within four years, driving potential therapies toward clinical trials.
Physician-researchers at USC have received a nearly $16 million grant to develop a stem cell-based treatment for age-related macular degeneration. The four-year study aims to replace damaged retinal cells with healthy ones derived from human embryonic stem cells.
Clemson University researchers have received a $195,000 grant to study breast cancer reconstruction using engineered tissue with anti-cancer properties. The project aims to improve reconstructive surgery performed on breast tissue following a lumpectomy by combining healthy cells with a degradable biomaterial.
A team of Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute researchers, led by Eduardo Marbán, received a $5.5 million grant to develop cardiac stem cell therapies for strengthening and healing damaged heart muscle caused by cardiac arrest. The goal is to create new treatments for heart attack patients in four years or less.
A recent study published in PLoS ONE found that French brown bears are at risk of extinction due to a lack of females. The researchers suggest that relocating new bears could not only boost the population size but also reverse some of the causes of the decline by introducing more females.
Tufts Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) has received four NIH supplemental grant awards, totaling $1.73 million, to expand its community engagement program, improve BPD predictors, search for Lyme disease persistence, and develop a pilot project mechanism.
Researchers will develop a computer simulation model to predict the effects of prenatal risk factors like obesity and diabetes on infant health in African-American, Hispanic, and non-Hispanic white populations. The study aims to identify potential disparities in disease development and continuation across ethnic groups.
Scientists will study switchgrass varieties under drought conditions to improve forecasts on productivity and identify genetic mechanisms of drought tolerance. The research aims to develop models predicting how climate change affects switchgrass production in North America.
Carbon monoxide may have therapeutic benefits in treating cancer, bacterial infections, and organ rejection in kidney transplant patients. Researchers aim to harness CO's powers to create new therapies with low-dose exposure.
The Northwestern Physical Sciences-Oncology Center will study genes and their role in cancer, aiming to understand healthy cells to control cancer. The center brings together physical scientists and cancer biologists to use non-traditional approaches.
The Great Diseases curriculum, funded by a $1.35 million NIH grant, introduces current global health threats through laboratory learning, multimedia, and case-based studies to 11th and 12th graders in three Boston high schools. The program aims to teach students how to think like scientists and generate interest in biotechnology careers.
A consortium of institutions, including Scripps Research Institute, has received a $12.2 million grant to develop a national network for researchers. The VIVO network will link researchers across the country and world, making it easier for them to find each other and collaborate on scientific breakthroughs.