News on the money and policy behind biomedical research. Covers foundation and career-development awards, endocrine and neuroscience funding, and university royalties.
The National Institutes of Health has awarded a $4.5-million supplemental grant to UCLA's Center for HIV Prevention and Research to develop microbicides combatting HIV transmission. This funding will support collaborative work with Johns Hopkins University, University of Pittsburgh, and CONRAD.
The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) is allocating $74 million to study the environmental causes of disease. The Exposure Biology Program will focus on developing innovative technologies to assess exposures to chemical and biological agents, dietary intake, physical activity, and psychosocial stress.
A nationwide team of researchers has discovered several new biochemical pathways that play a central role in post-trauma immune system and organ failure. The study identified the genetic and protein changes in specific immune cells that determine whether trauma is fatal, providing potential insights into many diseases involving human i...
The University of Minnesota's Center for Magnetic Resonance Research (CMRR) has received a $7.9 million NIH grant to expand its neuroscience research capabilities. The grant will enable more university researchers to access the center's state-of-the-art magnetic resonance equipment and methodology.
The Australian National University has secured $13.5 million in funding for its medical research initiatives, tackling key areas like cancer treatment and mental health policy. This funding boost reinforces ANU's reputation as a global leader in healthcare research.
Researchers at Monash University will use stem cell therapies to treat autoimmune diseases like MS and diabetes by targeting a rogue immune system. The $5.23 million program aims to develop new treatments without excessive immunosuppressive regimes.
Menzies School of Health Research has received $4.6 million in funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council to boost its research capability in Indigenous, remote, and tropical health. The funding will support six projects, including the Aboriginal Birth Cohort Study and scabies diagnosis development.
The University of Queensland has been awarded $40.2 million in National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) funding for various medical research projects. The university's researchers are working on spinal pain, cardiovascular and metabolic disease, and health economics evaluation.
Researchers aim to reduce genome sequencing cost to $1,000 using novel methods and computational tools. Meller's 'Opti-Pore' method uses electrons to decode DNA strands, while Weng focuses on bioinformatics to analyze data.
The study on MRI and CT imaging technology will investigate the relationships between availability, usage, patient outcomes, and health care spending. The device development study will document the regulatory and commercialization processes for new medical technologies.
The Kansas Bridges to the Future program, funded by NIH, aims to increase minority students' participation in biomedical sciences. Over 20 students have transferred to K-State since 2003, with more in the pipeline.
The NIH is launching a new round of competition for the Pioneer Award, which supports creative scientists tackling major biomedical challenges. The award provides $2.5 million in funding over five years and aims to stimulate innovative research directions.
A study at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh aims to predict transplant rejection using genetic factors. The goal is to tailor anti-rejection medications to individual patients, reducing rejection rates and drug-induced side effects.
Researchers have developed a new, simple, and rapid tuberculosis (TB) test called microscopic-observation drug-susceptibility (MODS). The test takes an average of seven days to complete and is more sensitive, faster, and cheaper than current culture-based tests.
The Burnham Institute for Medical Research will create a world-class neuroscience research center with a $12.7 million NIH grant. The center will bring together nearly 100 scientists from four San Diego institutions to study the nervous system and develop treatments for nervous system diseases.
Researchers at Rice University and Baylor College of Medicine have been awarded a $2.9 million NIH grant to develop a stem cell repair therapy for stroke damage. The project aims to regenerate damaged brain cells and blood vessels, providing a new source of neural and vascular cells that can be transplanted into the damaged brain.
A $500,000 USDA grant will enable researchers to develop a new course on the science of food for health, focusing on phytochemicals and antioxidants. The course will be taught to 20 students from three universities, who will receive hands-on training and lab work in various disciplines.
The NIH will provide $54 million over five years to Columbia University Medical Center to establish an Irving Institute for Clinical and Translational Research. This investment will enable the expansion of core resources available to clinical researchers, including biomedical informatics support and biostatistical analysis.
NHGRI aims to lower genome sequencing costs to $100,000 and eventually $1,000 or less, enabling personalized medicine. New grants support innovative sequencing technologies with potential to revolutionize biomedical research and healthcare.
Harvard University's Harvard Forest has received a $4.9 million grant from the National Science Foundation to study landscape change in New England. The six-year project will examine the drivers and consequences of forest responses to natural and human disturbances, with potential applications for regional land protection and management.
The UCSF Institute will support innovative approaches in translational and clinical science across four schools, with a focus on accelerating the pace of scientific discovery into patient care. The institute's goal is to find more efficient ways to move basic research findings into the clinic.
The University of Pittsburgh is awarded a $83.5 million NIH grant to establish the Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI), aiming to transform clinical research and improve patient care. The CTSI will foster clinical and translational research, promote access to clinical trials, and develop novel methodologies.
The University of Virginia Health System has been awarded a $5.5 million grant to develop new contrast agents for detecting and treating atherosclerosis, a disease that increases the risk of heart disease and stroke. The researchers aim to create tiny ultrasound contrast agents that can be used during simple examinations to detect vuln...
The University of Pittsburgh is developing a multidisciplinary nanotechnology undergraduate course with a $200,000 NSF grant. The hands-on research-oriented course will introduce students to nanoscale devices and their applications, with a focus on publishing research in refereed journals.
The University of Virginia School of Medicine has received a $35.7 million grant renewal from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences to continue its Cell Migration Consortium research. The consortium, comprising nearly 40 researchers globally, aims to understand cell migration and its role in diseases like cancer.
The University of Texas at San Antonio has received a $225,000 National Science Foundation grant to support students pursuing doctoral degrees in physics. The grant will enable students to study optical and laser materials and characterize their properties.
The Indiana University Center for Bioethics has established a Program in Ethical, Legal and Social Issues in Predictive Health Research with a $750,000 grant. The program aims to address the ethical concerns surrounding large-scale health research projects, including informed consent and data ownership.
Three Stanford University School of Medicine researchers, Kwabena Boahen, Karla Kirkegaard, and David Relman, have won the NIH Director's Pioneer Award. They will receive $2.5 million over five years to pursue new research directions that are not already funded.
The National Institutes of Health has awarded $117 million to establish and continue 11 multidisciplinary centers focused on biomedical research excellence, enhancing the competitiveness of investigators in historically underfunded states.
Researchers have deepened understanding of mirror neurons' role in empathy, social behavior, and language acquisition. The studies found that mirror neurons play a key role in mental re-enactment of actions when linguistic descriptions are conceptually processed.
The University of Arizona has been awarded a $3.3 million grant from the National Science Foundation to increase women's participation in science and engineering careers. The five-year project aims to address subtle discrimination that hinders women's advancement in these fields.
A Florida Institute of Technology professor has earned a $177,000 grant over three years to investigate the historic carbon balance of Andean vegetation and soils. The researchers will use fossil pollen and charcoal evidence from lake sediments to reconstruct past changes in vegetation and determine fire.
The University of Miami Rosenstiel School has received a total of $1 million in NOAA grants to improve hatchery and offshore aquaculture technology. The program aims to develop ecologically sustainable aquaculture practices with minimal environmental impact.
The University of North Carolina has received a $21.3 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to develop new treatments for late-stage African sleeping sickness and visceral leishmaniasis. The project aims to create affordable therapies for diseases affecting hundreds of thousands of people in developing nations.
Researchers at Barrow will study neurons from HH tumors to understand why seizures occur and how GABA causes excitation instead of inhibition in some HH neurons. The study aims to develop new strategies for treating gelastic epilepsy.
The National Science Foundation has extended funding for Rice University's Center for Biological and Environmental Nanotechnology through 2011. The center, founded in 2001, is dedicated to studying the interaction between nanomaterials and living organisms and ecosystems.
The Consortium for Functional Glycomics, a group of scientists from around the world, has received a $40.7 million grant to unravel the mysteries of carbohydrates. The team plans to use this funding to uncover new biology and translate discoveries into treatments for disease.
Sven-Eric Jordt and Michelle L. Bell received the Outstanding New Environmental Scientist (ONES) Award for their research on environmental health, focusing on asthma, allergy, and dermatitis. Their studies will investigate the relationship between environmental exposures and human disease.
Researchers found that mice with reduced levels of the acetylcholine transporter had impaired object recognition and social recognition abilities. The study suggests that cholinergic deficits may contribute to cognitive decline in disorders like Alzheimer's disease and aging.
The University of Pittsburgh has been designated as an American Parkinson Disease Association Advanced Center for Parkinson's Disease Research. The center will focus on developing early diagnosis methods and understanding iron accumulation in the PD brain. Dr. J. Timothy Greenamyre will direct the center.
The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine has received a $1.3 million grant to produce a promising avian flu vaccine that could protect against the deadly H5N1 virus. The vaccine, developed by Dr. Andrea Gambotto's team, has shown complete protection in mice and chickens against infection.
Researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center are working to reverse paralysis and lessen spinal cord injury effects through new projects funded by speeding fines. The grants support studies into nerve regeneration, astrocyte role, and remyelination.
The Yale Center of Excellence in Genomic Science will receive a five-year, $18 million grant from the National Human Genome Research Institute. The team aims to refine technologies for analyzing gene regulation and exploring inflammation, with potential applications in understanding diseases like heart disease, arthritis, and allergies.
Researchers have created a surgical robot that can be controlled remotely, enabling surgeons to perform complex procedures on patients in areas inaccessible to traditional medical care. The technology has the potential to save lives in remote or combat zones by providing specialized surgical skills and expertise.
The NIH is providing funding for cutting-edge research equipment to advance biomedical research and increase knowledge of the underlying causes of human disease. High-end instruments supported include supercomputers, nuclear mass resonance spectrometers, magnetic resonance imaging systems, and cryo-electron microscopes.
The College of Engineering at UC Santa Barbara has received a $2.75 million Partnerships for Research and Education in Materials (PREM) award from the National Science Foundation to partner with Jackson State University (JSU). The grant aims to develop new materials research in organic semiconductors and optical nanosystems, while focu...
Researchers continue studying aging and cognition decline with a $6.2 million grant to investigate biological changes that contribute to age-related cognitive decline. The study will focus on hormones such as human growth hormone and IGF-1, which have shown to improve learning and memory in older animals.
A $14.6 million NIH grant will fund an international, multidisciplinary effort to leverage recent genetic discoveries into possible treatments for AMD. The investigation aims to explore the role of complement factor H and factor B genes in the immune system and develop diagnostic tools and treatments.
A Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health study found that low-income countries are more likely to rapidly use Global Fund grants. Countries with higher incomes or developed health systems were less likely to utilize the funds.
The University of Leeds is developing a new material for mosquito nets that uses its structure to kill mosquitoes, reducing the need for chemical-treated nets. This approach has the potential to break the cycle of insect resistance to insecticides, making it a safer and cheaper method of protection.
A survey found that public funding for cancer research is inadequate in Europe, with an average of €2.56 per person spent compared to $17.63 in the US. The US spends four times as much on cancer research as a percentage of GDP.
A $2.8M NIH grant enables researchers to explore a harmless bacteriophage, nicknamed the 'Bronx Bomber,' that disrupts the biofilm coating of Mycobacterium smegmatis, potentially leading to more effective TB treatments.
ARP/wARP software has been upgraded to handle lower-resolution data, enabling researchers to study complex problems in cancer, cardiovascular, and neurodegenerative diseases. The new grant will allow scientists to focus on structure analysis rather than building models, potentially leading to revolutionary therapeutic strategies.
Researchers aim to determine if metabolic changes in 'hibernating' heart cells limit their ability to recover after revascularization. The grant builds on previous work using a novel pig model with hibernating myocardium.
The Mount Sinai Global Health Center has received a $1 million grant to develop faculty and finance curriculum, conduct international research, and build partnerships with NGOs. The grant will help train medical students in global health and provide humanitarian aid support.
A $5 million grant will establish an Asthma and Allergic Diseases Cooperative Research Center at Indiana University School of Medicine. Researchers aim to identify diagnostic biological markers for eczema and asthma, leading to better treatment and prevention strategies.
The ESF launched EuroBioFund to bring together funding bodies and life sciences researchers for coordinated research strategy development. The initiative aims to facilitate joint research initiatives, organize research communities, and shape a new funding way in Europe.
The International Association for Dental Research (IADR) presented several awards and fellowships to recognize outstanding contributions in dental research. The IADR Honorary Membership was bestowed upon Robert V. Blanden, while the E.W. Borrow Memorial Award went to Poul Erik Petersen. Fellowships were also awarded to Janet D.C. Kan, ...
The HHMI Physician-Scientist Early Career Award program provides flexible funding and time for young physicians to pursue research careers. Thirteen awardees have made impressive contributions to various fields, including genomics, proteomics, and cancer research.
Abdominal aortic aneurysm affects 78.8 million baby boomers, with over half at risk by age 50; researchers seek pharmacological solution with $8.5M NIH funding.