{"id":81742,"date":"2013-08-14T07:00:45","date_gmt":"2013-08-14T11:00:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/?p=81742"},"modified":"2015-10-12T16:35:00","modified_gmt":"2015-10-12T20:35:00","slug":"genomics-institute-awards-1-million-in-research-grants","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/2013\/08\/genomics-institute-awards-1-million-in-research-grants\/","title":{"rendered":"Genomics Institute Awards $1 Million in Research Grants"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"Affinity<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

The Institute for Systems Genomics at the University of Connecticut has awarded $1 million in funding to four collaborative research programs. The winning programs, being called Affinity Research Collaboratives, will each receive $50,000 per year for five years.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur goal in launching Affinity Research Collaboratives, or ARCs, is to spur cross-disciplinary and cross-institutional research programs. This creates new teams of talented investigators who can bring together their different areas of expertise to study important biomedical problems and cure disease. The ARC is also a way to organize research groups that are prepared to apply for larger federal and state funding opportunities,\u201d says Marc Lalande<\/a>, professor and chairman of Genetics and Developmental Biology<\/a> at the UConn Health Center, and director of the Institute.<\/p>\n

To qualify for the funding, the proposals had to meet specific criteria including interdisciplinary genomics research, integrate at least two disciplines, and consist of a team of at least four investigators with representation from both The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine<\/a> and UConn.<\/p>\n

The four winning proposals from among 14 submitted by research teams across the region were selected by an external panel. The three reviewers were nationally recognized researchers: Kevin White from the Institute for Genomics and Systems Biology at the University of Chicago and Argonne National Laboratory; Janine LaSalle from the Genome Center and MIND Institute University of California Davis; and Istvan Albert from the Departments of Bioinformatics Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Pennsylvania State University.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are proud\u00a0to be part of Connecticut\u2019s outstanding and highly collaborative community,\u201d\u00a0says Jackson Laboratory President and CEO Dr. Edison Liu. \u201cWorking together as\u00a0interdisciplinary and cross-institutional teams gives us the power to tackle\u00a0cancer, neurological disease, drug response, and other complex health issues.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Institute for Systems Genomics was launched last fall to develop a world-class program for research and training in genomics medicine; build relationships between the academic and corporate communities; and encourage students to pursue careers in genomics studies. Institute partners include the University of Connecticut, The Jackson Laboratory, the UConn Health Center, Connecticut Children\u2019s Medical Center, and other regional hospitals and health care organizations.<\/p>\n

“The ARC program provides a very exciting opportunity to strengthen collaborations we have developed with JAX investigators over the past year and enhance our long-standing partnership with UConn Storrs and Farmington scientists,” says Dr. Juan C. Salazar<\/a>, interim physician-in-chief and division head, Infectious Diseases & Immunology, Connecticut Children’s Medical Center and interim chair of Pediatrics, UConn School of Medicine.<\/p>\n

“These investments in world-class research partnerships are part of UConn’s commitment to become a leader in genomics-based biomedical research and disease prevention. With the strong support of the State of Connecticut, we intend to propel this institution into the ranks of the very best public research universities in the U.S.,” says Jeffrey Seemann, UConn’s vice president for research.<\/p>\n

Description of the Winning Affinity Research Collaborative Projects<\/b><\/p>\n