News on the money and policy behind biomedical research. Covers foundation and career-development awards, endocrine and neuroscience funding, and university royalties.
Researchers at Einstein and Montefiore will focus on developing new therapies for Alzheimer's, diabetes, Parkinson's, ALS, and other conditions. They aim to create unique stem cells derived from patients with blood diseases like sickle cell anemia and hemophilia.
The John S. Dunn Research Foundation has awarded Rice University a $3 million grant to support collaborative research studies in biomedical science with potential clinical applications.
The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center has received a $52.7 million Cancer Center Support Grant from the NCI for five years, supporting 19 specific research programs and 24 shared-resource services. This renewal is part of two steps toward maintaining its comprehensive cancer center designation.
A study found that news articles rarely report pharmaceutical company funding and frequently use brand medication names, potentially introducing commercial bias. Despite editors' reports of always using generic names, actual newspaper articles often failed to do so.
The NIH Roadmap Epigenomics Program aims to understand how epigenetic processes control genes and affect health and disease. The program will provide reference data for the entire scientific community to study epigenetic regulation.
The Netherlands has secured 9 European Research Council (ERC) Advanced Grants for Physical Sciences and Engineering, ranking third in the country. The winners include researchers from prominent Dutch institutions such as Radboud University Nijmegen, Leiden University, and Delft University of Technology.
University of Iowa researchers are investigating the roles of the pituitary gland and sympathetic nervous system in interstitial cystitis inflammation. The study aims to identify potential causes of the painful bladder condition, which affects over 1 million Americans.
A study by UC Riverside predicts nearly all California elementary schools will fail to meet Adequate Yearly Progress requirements by 2014. The researchers emphasize the need for emphasis on ELA and support in mathematics, suggesting a more tailored approach to address each school's unique challenges.
The NIH's Genes, Environment and Health Initiative has awarded grants to six studies aiming to identify genetic factors associated with stroke, glaucoma, high blood pressure, prostate cancer, and other conditions. Genome-wide association studies will be conducted to rapidly scan DNA markers across large groups of people.
Research found that kidneys from older donors exhibit a 32% depression in glomerular filtration rate, leading to shortened survival after transplantation. The study suggests that selecting organs with more functioning glomeruli could improve graft survival rates.
The new center will foster collaborations among researchers with diverse expertise to tackle current biological problems using various tools and approaches. Researchers will be able to measure complex interactions and simulate events that cannot be studied experimentally, offering new insights into mechanisms.
A study led by the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine has found that acetylated resveratrol can protect cells from radiation damage in mouse models. The researchers hope to develop a small molecule radioprotector that can be easily administered in emergency situations.
UC San Diego assistant bioengineering professor Karen Christman receives a $1.5 million NIH grant to further her research on developing novel multi-layer patterning technique for cell and tissue development. The goal is to control cell fate and generate differentiated cell sources, with potential applications in regenerative medicine.
Researchers from four universities and five schools will study nanotechnology's impact on ecosystems, organisms, and the environment. The center aims to develop a risk assessment model and transfer results to policymakers and society.
Stuart A. Lipton will lead a center studying potential environmental causes of Parkinson's disease, examining chemical reactions that alter protein function and screening compounds to prevent disease progression. The center represents a collaborative effort between scientists at Burnham and other institutions.
The University of Tennessee at Knoxville has won two $3 million National Science Foundation grants to create graduate research programs focusing on computational biology and sustainable energy. The programs, STAIR and SCALE-IT, will support up to 15 graduate students each with significant stipends and tuition waivers.
Stevens Institute of Technology has been awarded two grants from the National Science Foundation to support research and training in micro/nanoscale sensors, actuators, and devices. The grants will enable the team to develop advanced acoustic emission sensors with high sensitivity and conformability.
The Lighting Research Center (LRC) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has received a $250,000 grant from the US Green Building Council to investigate the link between daylight design and student well-being. The project aims to quantify the impact of daylight on students' performance, sleep quality, and stress levels.
The NIH will award $4.6 million to expand its network of global health education programs at 12 new campuses in the US, China, and Mexico. These programs aim to raise awareness of global health among academics and support the development of new curricula and degree programs.
The number of residents training in graduate medical education programs increased by 8% between 1997 and 2007. International medical graduates accounted for the majority of growth, while subspecialization rates led to a decline in generalist physicians entering the field.
Federal funding cuts for physician training programs could lead to a shortage of physicians in community health centers, with potentially over 2,200 fewer staff members. Meanwhile, home blood pressure monitoring has been shown to be more effective than office measurements in predicting risk of death for patients with 'white coat hypert...
A team of researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine has been awarded a $9.3 million grant from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to investigate blood lipoproteins and their role in preventing coronary heart disease. The study aims to identify molecular events regulating cholesterol transport in blood.
Morphormics' proprietary technology enables the rapid creation of anatomical roadmaps, improving radiation treatment planning and delivery decisions. The grant will support marketing efforts to bring this UNC-developed technology to patients with prostate cancer worldwide.
The Montel Williams MS Foundation has awarded $325,000 in research grants to seven institutions studying new treatments for multiple sclerosis, including methods for early detection and restoring depleted myelin. The foundation aims to advance knowledge that will lead to more effective diagnosis and treatment of the disease.
Associate professor C. Erec Stebbins at Rockefeller University has been awarded a prestigious EUREKA grant to exploit a 'nanosyringe' technology for delivering proteins into specific cells. The grant aims to develop therapeutic applications, including restoring tumor-suppressing proteins and treating genetic diseases.
Dr. Yong Shi of Stevens Institute of Technology has been awarded a $300,000 NSF grant to design and test an umbrella-shaped micro-actuator for thrombus retrieval in stroke therapy. The actuator uses novel piezoelectric nanofibers to provide dynamic shear force on blood clots.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded Burnham Institute for Medical Research a six-year, $97.9 million grant to establish one of four comprehensive small-molecule screening and discovery centers in the US. The new facility at Lake Nona will enable the center to screen more than 2 million chemical compounds per day.
Researchers will study four groups of bacteria at a sulfur spring in southwestern Oklahoma to understand their metabolic capabilities and ecological role. The grant also funds an educational outreach component to engage high school students in the project.
A new study from Brigham Young University warns that the current DNA barcoding technique may be inaccurately identifying species, leading to overestimation of species numbers. The technique relies on a universal genetic marker, but errors can occur when 'numts' (inactive genetic code) are misinterpreted as unique species.
A consortium of researchers is undertaking a five-year initiative to improve diagnosis and treatment of mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI). The Department of Defense has awarded $35 million to support the project, which aims to develop innovative methods for diagnosing and treating MTBI. The research will focus on basic and clinical st...
A group of institutions, including Rutgers University, will conduct five-year research into complex computational problems, with potential benefits for cryptography and other fields. The study aims to unlock secrets of intractability, a branch of mathematics that seeks to understand why certain problems are hard to compute.
Five UCSF faculty members have received $13.7 million in funding from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine to explore fundamental questions about embryonic stem cells and develop treatment strategies for conditions such as cancer and liver disease. The researchers will investigate molecular mechanisms, cell specialization...
Rutgers University has received a $3.2 million grant from the NSF to equip experts in fields such as cell and molecular biology, computational modeling and biomaterials to move stem-cell breakthroughs from the biology lab into practical therapies. The program will also support training for underrepresented minorities and enhance divers...
The University of Texas at San Antonio has been awarded a five-year, $9 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to support 10 faculty research projects. The funding will increase participation of individuals from minority or underrepresented groups in scientific research.
Researchers Tao Lin and Steven J. Norris will investigate conflicting reports on the infectious nature of Southern-Tick Associated Rash Illness (STARI) in Texas. They aim to identify the causative agent using innovative approaches such as DNA amplification and high-throughput sequencing.
Michigan State University scientists are creating a genomic database to improve biofuel crops, with a focus on cellulosic ethanol. The database will centralize information on various crops and provide data-mining tools, making it easier for researchers to access and compare genetic data.
Dr. Edwin Monuki will study choroid plexus epithelial cells, which produce cerebrospinal fluid to promote normal nervous system health and function. Success in generating these cells could lead to clinical therapies and screens for new drugs for neurological disorders.
Researchers have developed irreversible electroporation (IRE), a minimally invasive technique that uses electric pulses to destroy cancer tissue without heat. The technology has shown promising results in laboratory testing and preclinical mouse models, with complete regression achieved in 92% of treated tumors.
Researchers at UGA are working to improve the efficiency of converting lignocellulose into ethanol using switchgrass and sunflower, with potential benefits for reducing carbon dioxide emissions and food costs.
Dr. Eric Lazartigues' research aims to understand the role of ACE2 in regulating blood pressure and developing new treatments for hypertension. With a $1.2M grant, his work has the potential to improve the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, which claim more lives than cancer combined.
The University of Georgia has been awarded a $9.2 million grant to explore the molecular underpinnings of human embryonic stem cell differentiation, aiming to identify genetic and protein modification patterns that accompany this process.
A recent study found that the provision of psychotherapy by US psychiatrists declined significantly between 1996 and 2005, with a decline in both office-based visits and the percentage of patients receiving therapy. This shift is attributed to reimbursement policies favoring brief medication management visits over psychotherapy.
The University of South Florida has been awarded a seven-year, $128 million NIH grant to coordinate worldwide studies on the prevention and treatment of juvenile diabetes. The TrialNet project will screen over 150,000 children and adults to investigate new therapies for early signs of diabetes.
The DOE and USDA have awarded $10 million in grants to accelerate fundamental research on cellulosic biofuels, aiming to reduce dependence on imported oil and lower greenhouse gas emissions. The grants will support the development of cost-effective means of producing cellulosic biofuels from various plant materials.
Britt Glaunsinger's research using herpesvirus aims to understand cellular machinery for RNA stability, with potential implications for human health. The five-year grant supports her work on a mysterious viral protein that evades the immune response.
Two scientists, Gergely Szakács from Hungary and Monica Bettencourt-Dias from Portugal, will receive annual funding of €50,000 for three to five years. This grant supports their establishment of research groups in Hungary and Portugal.
The research aims to understand the role of inorganic molecules, particularly zinc, in signaling events surrounding fertilization and early embryonic development. The team will use advanced microscopy and imaging technologies to track metal ion movement and develop new fluorescent sensors.
Dan Shain's expeditions aim to study the reproductive behavior of giant earthworms and ice worms, shedding light on their unique adaptations. His research seeks to understand complex processes like cocoon secretion and movement patterns over geological time.
The US EPA has funded three interdisciplinary teams to explore the links between biodiversity and human health, focusing on Lyme disease and West Nile encephalitis. Research will investigate how environmental factors and people's behaviors contribute to disease transmission.
The Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNM) has awarded $170,000 in research grants to support nuclear medicine and molecular imaging research. This funding supports independent research projects, including the work of talented young scientists who will further advance diagnostic tools and treatments.
Researchers at Queen's University Belfast aim to discover improved treatments for nicotine dependence and symptoms of schizophrenia. The three-year fellowship will investigate the effects of nicotine and withdrawal on response inhibition and brain activity in smokers with and without schizophrenia.
Researchers at Broad Institute will explore ways to regenerate human cells lost in type 1 diabetes, using chemical biology and genomic tools. The goal is to find ways to replenish missing cells, potentially reducing or eliminating lifelong insulin therapy.
According to a report by Professor Bob Snow, funding for malaria control is severely inadequate, with many countries receiving less than $0.50 per person at risk. The research highlights regional disparities and shortfalls in funding, particularly in South East Asia and the Western Pacific regions.
Research finds that international malaria financing is insufficient to achieve the goal of halving the global burden of malaria by 2015. Funding commitments are largely tied to stable P. falciparum risk, leaving countries with high but low-risk populations poorly supported.
The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine has awarded a planning grant to Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute to support regenerative stem cell-based approaches for treating heart attacks, congestive heart failure, and pacing abnormalities. Researchers will use autologous stem cells derived from patients to replace damaged heart cells.
A team of researchers at Ohio State University received a $10.9M NCI grant to investigate how retroviruses cause cancer in white blood cells. The five-year project aims to define critical biological events that control lymphocyte alteration and identify therapeutic targets.
FSU will receive a fully automated cryo-electron microscope that provides rapid, 3-D imaging of frozen specimens around-the-clock via remote operation. This technology will advance cutting-edge studies of various diseases, including HIV/AIDS, heart disease, and cancer.
A $2 million computer will significantly boost Johns Hopkins researchers' efforts to diagnose and treat brain diseases, heart illnesses, cancer, and other medical ailments. The powerful computer, set to be installed in early 2009, is expected to accelerate experiments, comparisons, and data analysis, leading to potential breakthroughs.
Researchers will investigate fundamental mechanisms of SERS and develop high-performance substrates using optical antennas, laser nanostructuring, and theoretical chemistry. The goal is to improve the technology's practical use in detecting materials, including chemical and biological agents.
A study found visual impairment associated with increased suicide risk due to its negative effects on health and activities of daily living. Improved treatments for visual impairment and related health issues may help mitigate this risk.