ODU RESEARCHERS SHARE FUNDING AWARD
Five research teams involving 18 faculty members at Old Dominion University and six collaborators from other institutions will share nearly $400,000 in multidisciplinary seed funding awarded Thursday, Nov. 29, by the ODU Office of Research.
The grants were announced by Mohammad Karim, vice president for research, who said the 2007 competition attracted 15 proposals involving 44 ODU faculty members and 17 researchers from other institutions. This is round three of a program Karim initiated in 2005 to promote multidisciplinary research projects. The goal is to nurture projects to the point that they can attract external funding.
Projects selected for funding by the research office's panel of experts are (unless otherwise noted, the investigators are from ODU and are identified by the departments and/or centers they represent):
* "Disease-Specific Trapping of Human Cancer Cells"-Ali Beskok (PI), aerospace engineering, and Juergen Kolb, Frank Reidy Center for Bioelectrics. Consultants: Ravindra Joshi, electrical and computer Engineering, and Dr. Stephen Beebe, Frank Reidy Center for Bioelectrics. Award: $70,700
* "Elucidation of Protein Structure Networks and Beyond"-Lesley Greene (PI), chemistry and biochemistry, and Li-Shi Luo, mathematics and statistics. Consultants: Alex Pothen, computer science; Chris Osgood, biological sciences; Patrick Hatcher, chemistry and biochemistry, and Christine Orengo, University of London. Award: $80,000
* "The Role of Endogenous Retroviruses in Prostate Cancer"-Alex Greenwood (PI), biological sciences, Dr. Timothy Bos, microbiology and cellular molecular biology, Eastern Virginia Medical School (EVMS), and Dr. Tarek Kandil, Virginia Prostate Center, EVMS. Consultants: Dr. John Semmes, Virginia Prostate Center and microbiology and molecular cell biology, EVMS. Award: $80,000
* "Effect of Low Temperature Cold Atmospheric Plasma on Oral Biofilm"-Gayle McCombs (PI), dental hygiene, Michele Darby, dental hygiene, Wayne Hynes, biological sciences, and Mounir Laroussi, Laser and Plasma Engineering Institute. Award: $83,664
* "Dynamic Medical Measures: Creating a Model to Study the Neuropathic Process in Diabetes and Normal Aging"-Steven Morrison (PI), physical therapy, Sheri R. Colberg, exercise science, sport, physical education and recreation; Mira Mariano, physical therapy, and Dr Henri Parson, Strelitz Diabetes Center, EVMS. Consultants: Dr. Aaron I. Vinik, Strelitz Diabetes Center, EVMS; and Martha Walker, physical therapy. Award: $80,000.
The funds made available to the teams must be expended by June 30, 2008. Each team is required to provide a written report, make an oral presentation and follow up with an aggressive plan to attract external grants.