Regenerative Medicine Minnesota (RMM) is proud to announce the following winners of the 2016 Research grants:
- Dr. Bruce Blazar, MD is a Regents Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Minnesota and an international leader in developing stem-cell based therapies for children with cancer and other rare diseases. Dr. Blazar’s Discovery Science grant will fund a study to improve the in vivo efficacy and safety of blood-forming cells, derived from induced pluripotent stem cells, to treat patients with a wide range of diseases. His co-investigator is Dr. Samantha Dunmire.
- Dr. John C. Burnett, Jr, MD is a Marriott Family Professor of Cardiovascular Research at Mayo Clinic who studies cardiovascular diseases. Dr. Burnett’s Translational Research grant will fund a study on the use of Mayo Clinic-engineered peptides in cardiac repair and regeneration. His co-investigators are Drs. Tomoko Ichiki, MD, PhD, an Associate Professor of Medicine at Mayo Clinic, and Sasantha Jeson Sangaralingham, MS, PhD, an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Mayo Clinic.
- Dr. Brian Fife, PhD is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Minnesota who studies autoimmune diseases which cause the immune system and T cells to attack healthy body tissue by mistake. Dr. Fife’s Translational Research grant will fund a study to identify and target the T cells that cause Type 1 diabetes.
- Dr. Daniel J. Garry, MD, PhD is a Professor of Medicine at the University of Minnesota who specializes in cardiology. Dr. Garry’s Discovery Science grant will fund a study of human organ generation in bioengineered pigs for cardiovascular research and potential heart disease cures. His co-investigators are Drs. Mary G. Garry, PhD, an Associate Professor at the University of Minnesota, and Naoko Koyano-Nakagawa, MS, PhD, an Assistant Professor at the University of Minnesota.
- Dr. Kimberly Holst, MD is a Joint General and Thoracic Surgery Resident at Mayo Clinic who is currently researching cardiovascular regeneration through the Clinical Investigator Training Program. Dr. Holst’s Clinical Trial grant will deliver bone marrow-derived cells into the hearts of patients with Ebstein anomaly (EA), a malformed heart valve that doesn’t properly close. Her co-investigators are Drs. Joseph A. Dearani, MD, a Professor of Surgery at Mayo Clinic, Timothy James Nelson, MD, PhD, an Associate Professor of Medicine and Pharmacology at Mayo Clinic, Patrick William O’Leary, MD, a Professor of Pediatrics at Mayo Clinic, and Muhammad Yasir Qureshi, MBBS, an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics.
- Dr. Jonathan S. Marchant, PhD is a Professor of Pharmacology at the University of Minnesota who studies cellular signaling, the process of cells receiving, processing, and sending signals to and from other cells to respond to environmental changes in the body. Dr. Marchant’s Discovery Science grant will fund a study of the NAADP signal messenger’s properties, which his team previously found help 1) stimulate regeneration and stem cell differentiation and 2) reverse cellular defects in patients with Parkinson’s disease, and assess their impacts. His co-investigators are Drs. Timothy F. Walseth, PhD, a Professor at the University of Minnesota, and Stanley Arlen Thayer, PhD, a Professor of Pharmacology at the University of Minnesota.
- Dr. Ann M. Parr, MD, PhD is an Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery at the University of Minnesota and a board certified neurosurgeon who is actively working on developing new therapies for spinal cord injuries. Dr. Parr’s Translational Research grant will fund a study to generate human organs in bioengineered pigs using human pluripotent stem cells. Her co-investigators are Drs. James Dutton, PhD, a Professor at the University of Minnesota, Walter C. Low, MS, PhD, a Professor at the University of Minnesota, and Daniel F. Carlson, PhD, the Vice President of Lab Operations at Recombinetics, Inc.
- Dr. Nathan P. Staff, MD, PhD is an Assistant Professor of Neurology at Mayo Clinic who studies disorders that damage the peripheral nervous system. Dr. Staff’s Clinical Trial grant will fund a study on the safety and efficacy of mesenchymal stem cell spinal injections as a regenerative therapy for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), an incurable condition that gradually degenerate nerve cells and reduce voluntary muscle function. His co-investigators are Drs. Andre J. Van Wijnen, MS, PhD, a Professor of Orthopedic Surgery & Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Mayo Clinic, Jayawant N. Mandrekar, PhD, a Professor of Biostatistics and Neurology at Mayo Clinic, Allan B. Dietz, PhD, an Assistant Professor of Laboratory Medicine at Mayo Clinic, and Anthony J. Windebank, MD, a Professor of Neurology at Mayo Clinic.
RMM is a joint venture between the University of Minnesota and Mayo Clinic, and funded by the Minnesota Legislature, with the goal of distributing millions of dollars to advance regenerative medicine in the state through research, education, healthcare, and business. The program, which was funded during the 2014 legislative session for ten years, is currently in its second year of operation. Click here to view summaries of the 2015 Research grant awards.
The Research grant applications, which were open from September 1, 2015 to November 2, 2015, allowed principal investigators to apply for one of three different types of grant funding opportunities: Discovery Science, Translational Research, and Clinical Trials. Discovery Science grants fund basic and preliminary research, Translational Research grants fund pre-clinical trial studies, and Clinical Trial grants fund trials in any post-translational phase. Each Discovery Science and Translational Research grant provides up to $250,000 over the course of two years, and each Clinical Trial grant allocates $500,000 over the same time period.
The RMM Education, Biobusiness, and Clinical Care grant applications opened on January 4, 2016 and close on March 4, 2016. More information on how to apply can be found here.
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