West Virginia University and Marshall University have awarded $426,234 in grants to nine projects that promote health-related partnerships between the two schools. This collaborative program is coordinated through the West Virginia Clinical and Translational Science Institute (WVCTSI).

As announced in August 2015, both universities have each pledged $250,000 annually for a three-year combined effort of $1.5 million to support innovative clinical projects and/or translational research that will ultimately help faculty members at both schools better serve West Virginians and attract future external funding.

“We hope that West Virginians and others in the Appalachian region will ultimately benefit from the projects that we will fund with this first round,” said Joseph Shapiro, M.D., dean of the Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine. “It is very exciting to see the enthusiasm for collaboration between our faculties that this initiative has created.”

“I’m very proud of the faculty researchers at WVU and Marshall who have stepped up to the challenge and found partners at the other school to achieve what they want to do for our state,” said Clay Marsh, M.D., WVU’s vice president and executive dean for health sciences. “Dean Shapiro and I each realized that we can do more for the people of West Virginia by working together than we ever could apart. The quality of these initial research and healthcare projects is proof that we were right.”

The following clinical projects received funding:

• “Assessing the Effectiveness of Vitamin K2 and/or Vitamin D3 Supplementation on Neuromuscular Function, Muscular Strength, and Bone Density in Older Patients with Hip Fractures” – Jean McCrory, Ph.D., School of Medicine, West Virginia University and Frank Shuler, M.D., Ph.D., Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, Marshall University ($49,996)

• “Better Outcomes for Children through Safe Transitions” – Kamakshya Patra, M.D., School of Medicine, West Virginia University and Audra Pritt, M.D., Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, Marshall University ($36,120)

• “Effects of Two Simple 12-week Mind-body Programs on Indices of Inflammation, Cellular Aging, and Genomic Profiles in Older Adults with Early Memory Loss” – Kim Innes, Ph.D, School of Public Health, West Virginia University and Donald Primerano, Ph.D., Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, Marshall University ($50,000)

• “Childhood Antecedents of Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease; Implementing Findings from WV School Screenings” – Jeff Harris, M.D., Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, Marshall University and Lee Pyles, M.D., M.S., School of Medicine, West Virginia University ($50,000)

The following translational research projects received funding:

• “Long-term effects of e-cigarette vapor exposure on the respiratory system structure and function” – Piyali Dasgupta, Ph.D., Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, and Mark Olfert, Ph.D., School of Medicine, West Virginia University ($50,000)

• “Personalizing chemotherapy for treatment of AML for patients in West Virginia” – James Denvir, Ph.D., Joan C, Edwards School of Medicine, Marshall University and Lori Hazlehurst, Ph.D. School of Pharmacy, West Virginia University ($48,304)

• “Polypharmacy and its health consequences among West Virginia Medicaid beneficiaries” – Brittany Riley, Pharm.D., M.S.,School of Pharmacy, Marshall University and Xi Tan, Ph.D., Pharm.D., School of Pharmacy, West Virginia University ($41,814)

• “Using a whole exome sequencing approach to enhance the treatment of pregnant women with opioid use disorder and their neonates” – Richard Egleton, Ph.D., Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, Marshall University and Laura Lander, M.S.W., L.I.C.S.W., School of Medicine, West Virginia University ($50,000)

• “Adaptive metabolic rewiring in precision therapy lung cancer drug resistance” – W. Elaine Hardman, Ph.D., Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, Marshall University and Patrick Ma, M.D., M.S.C, West Virginia University Cancer Institute ($50,000)

Recipients were notified in late December and projects will begin as early as February 2016.

More information on the program can be found at: http://www.wvumarshallhealthgrants.org/.

-WVU-

sbc/lp/1/20/16

CONTACT: Stephanie A. Ballard Conrad, Strategic Operations Director
Clinical & Translational Science, West Virginia University Health Sciences
304.581.1843 or saballard-conrad@hsc.wvu.edu

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