Standout Scientists Earn Funding

Springtime brings daffodils, tulips, redbud trees and another round of grant-making from the K-INBRE. Listed below are some of this year’s recipients.

 

Major Starter Grants are awarded to new faculty with outstanding research proposals in the scientific focus of the K-INBRE: cell and developmental biology. An NIH grant submission is expected by the end of the 2.5 year award. After a competitive review, the K-INBRE Scientific Steering Committee has awarded major starter grants to investigators Ok Jin Kim of the University of Kansas – Lawrence, Dingbo Lin of Kansas State University, Bin Shuai of Wichita State University and Gaurav Chaturvedi of the University of Kansas Medical Center. Here is a brief summary of their studies:

Ok Jin Kim
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology
University of Kansas - Lawrence
Cellular & functional characterization of dopamine receptor interacting proteins

 

These studies will provide a better understanding of D2DAR expression by ZIP1 and begin to elucidate how D2DAR is regulated by ZIP1. These findings would be important, because it would allow, for the first time, to provide a novel D2DAR interacting protein to regulate the expression of D2DAR in the dopaminergic neuronal cells and further dopaminergic neuronal development.  These studies will contribute to an NIH proposal that will be investigating the underlying mechanisms of endocytic/trafficking of D2DAR and examining the role of ZIP1 in regulating D2DAR expression and function.

Dingbo Lin
Department of Biochemistry
Kansas State University
The role of gap junctions in oxidative neurodegeneration in cerebellum

 

This information will be used to develop potential methods for therapeutic delivery of C1B1 peptides or gap junction inhibitors to control the gap junctions and to prevent oxidative stress damage in the brain. Regulation of gap junctions is necessary for proper control of cell-to-cell communication. This data will be used to submit a grant proposal to NIH/NINDS to extend these studies.

Bin Shuai
Department of Biological Sciences
Wichita State University
Understanding the role of small RNAs in Arabidopsis pollen development

 

The objective of this research is to identify small RNAs expressed in four different developmental stages of Arabidopsis male gametophyte. This project will be an important step toward understanding the role of small RNAs in pollen development.

Gaurav Chaturvedi
Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology
University of Kansas Medical Center
Directed differentiation of human embryonic stem cells toward renal lineage

 

This grant will enable us to identify unique markers for detection of kidney specific cells and assist in the formulation of a synthetic media which could specifically direct the differentiation of human embryonic or adult stem cells toward kidney lineage, thus setting the stage for renal regeneration therapy.

Previous Major Starter Grant recipients are Michael Johnson of the University of Kansas – Lawrence and Chris Thorpe of Kansas State University. David Davido of KU - Lawrence and Hiroshi Nishimune of KU Medical Center successfully leveraged their Major Starter Grants for external funding.

 

The Faculty Scholar program was designed to retain outstanding mid-level faculty, who are often targets of recruiting efforts by other institutions. These Faculty Scholar awards comprise $10,000 in flexible funds for academic/scholarly expenses allowable by NIH, such as travel to scientific meetings, purchase of books and computers.

2008 recipients:

James Bann, Wichita State University
Jeffrey Burns, University of Kansas Medical Center
Bryan Copple, University of Kansas Medical Center
Sherry Fleming, Kansas State University
Jeffrey Krise, University of Kansas – Lawrence
Audrey Lamb, University of Kansas – Lawrence
Dennis O’Malley, Haskell Indian Nations University
Margaret Petroff, University of Kansas Medical Center
Quize Wei, Kansas State University
Thomas Wiese, Fort Hays State University

 

Pilot Grant and Bridging Grant proposals are reviewed by external reviewers, with the major criteria being the importance and strength of the science and the likelihood of developing successfully into an NIH-funded project.

2008 recipients:

Juan Bruses, University of Kansas Medical Center, Pilot and Bridging
Soumen Paul, University of Kansas Medical Center, Pilot
Dolores Takemoto, Kansas State University, Bridging
Larry Takemoto, Kansas State University, Bridging
Thu Nguyen, Kansas State University, Pilot
Michael Detamore, University of Kansas - Lawrence, Bridging
William Dentler, University of Kansas - Lawrence, Pilot

 

Core Facility grant proposals are evaluated in terms of importance to cell and developmental biology research initiatives.

David VanderVeld, University of Kansas – Lawrence
Acquisition of Data Analysis Capability for NMR-Based Metabolomics on Biofluids and Cell Extracts

Xinkum Wang, University of Kansas – Lawrence
Genomics Facility Upgrade for Whole-Genome Genotyping (PCR System/Tehrmal Cycler)

William Hendry, Wichita State University
Light Microscopy Upgrade for the Cell Imaging Core Facility

William Chen, University of Kansas – Lawrence
Transgenic & Knockout Mouse Facility Proposal

 

Recruitment Packages are awarded to institutions to attract outstanding scientists to Kansas, with the goal of increasing competitiveness for NIH funds.

2008 recipients:

James Triplett, Pittsburg State University, to recruit Xiaolu Wu
Roy Jensen, University of Kansas Medical Center, to recruit Philippe Prochasson
Patricia Thomas, University of Kansas Medical Center, to recruit Nikki Cheng
Curtis Klaassen, University of Kansas Medical Center, to recruit Udayan Apte

 

The K-INBRE Star Trainee program is designed to identify outstanding prospective biomedical researchers who intend to pursue graduate school. Identified in their senior year of undergraduate studies, students in this program are supported with a scholarship and an additional stipend for their mentors. When accepted into Kansas graduate school, the university graduate program will receive a $10,000 scholarship for the student’s first year of graduate training.

2008 recipients:

Emily Walters, Pittsburg State University
Tanner Welsch, Fort Hays State University
Jennifer Booth, Wichita State University
Tyler Goetz, Washburn University

 

Summer Scholars are selected based on proposals submitted by outstanding undergraduates from any of the 10 K-INBRE campuses.

2008 recipients (as of May 14):

Emporia State University
Aniesa Stack
Anthony Westby
Elsie Haynes

Fort Hays State University
Sarah Rogers
Randi Welch

Haskell Indian Nations University
William Bennett

Kansas State University
Ryan Gallagher
Miguel Martinez
Heather Wilkins
Abraham Scott McCall

Langston University
Stacy Bean
Stephanie Wimberly

Pittsburg State University
Carrie McDowell
Emma Hayes
Kylie Quick
Nathan Woodward

University of Kansas – Lawrence
Philip Adam
Stephen Sai Folmsbee
Brandon Hidaka
Stephanie Hill

University of Kansas Medical Center
Katherine Jones
Eric Hamilton

Washburn University
Samson Smith
Michelle Cox
Scott Ashley

Wichita State University
Alisa Nola