Minority research program awarded $3.6 million

(April 6, 2005)--The UTSA Minority Biomedical Research Support (MBRS) program has received $3.6 million from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to fund a second round of research projects over the next four years. The funding supplements the original $10.4 million awarded, bringing the total to $14 million for 20 faculty research projects.

"As an Hispanic-serving institution, UTSA is a leader in training the scientists of tomorrow who will provide a well-educated and technologically advanced workforce to support San Antonio's growing $13 billion health care and biosciences industry," said UTSA President Ricardo Romo. "Federal funding for programs like this is essential to the university's pursuit to become a premier research university."

MBRS' Support of Continuous Research Excellence (SCORE) program award encompasses several disciplines including biology, chemistry, earth and environmental science, physics and mechanical engineering.

"I am very pleased with NIH's additional funding to support the multidisciplinary research efforts of our minority faculty and students," said Andrew Tsin, SCORE program director. "Through NIH's support, we will continue to build on our reputation and expand our research capabilities."

The SCORE program seeks to increase the participation of individuals from minority or underrepresented groups in scientific research by developing the biomedical research capabilities of faculty and students.

Toaccomplish this goal, researchers must increase the number of publications in peer-reviewed journals and increase the number and size of non-MBRS grants submitted and funded.

--Kris Rodriguez

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MBRS SCORE round 2 grantees and grants

Brian Derrick, Neurogenesis, Long Term Potentiation and Learning

Robert Renthal, Membrane Protein Folding

Dibyendu Sarkar, Novel Remediation Methods to Lower Human Health Risk from Exposure to Arsenic-Enriched Soils

Andrew Tsin, Pathways of the Cone Visual Cycle

Judith Walmsley, Polynuclear Metal Complexes and Host-Guest Complexes as Potential Therapeutic Agents

Cong-Gui Zhao, Can Aldehyde Dioxiranes be used for Oxidations

Liao Chen, Simulating Molecular Motors without neglecting their Inerta

Hai-Chao Han, The effect of Axial Stretch on Intimal Hyperplasia in the Aterial Wall

Luis Haro, Protein separation via Weak Base-Conjugate Acid

MBRS SCORE round 1 grantees and grants

Andy Martinez, Influence of Apolipoprotein E2 and E4 on Development of Hallmarks of Alzheimer's Disease

Bernard Arulanandam, The Role of IgA in CPAF-Induced Protection Against C.trachomitis Infection

Garry Sunter, Viral Gene Interactions with Cellular Pathways Regulating Defense Responses

Brenda Claiborne, Structure and Function of Single Neurons in Aged Mice

James Chambers, In Vitro Matrix Selection and Aptamer Characterization

George Negrete, Green Paradigm for Auxiliary-Mediated Asymmetric Transformations

Xiadodu Wang, Age-Related Changes in Collagen and Its Relationship to the Toughness of Bone

Hyunsoo Han, Rational and Comprehensive Approaches Towards the Steroselective Synthesis of Polyhydroxy Amines

Edwin Barea-Rodriguez, Dietary Restriction, Aging, Learning and LTP

Waldemar Gorski, Enzyme Electrodes Based on Chitosan Scaffoldings

Martha Lundell, The Role of Notch Signaling in the Differentiation of Serotonin Neurons