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Exploratory Centers for Interdisciplinary Research DirectoryON THIS PAGE:
Exploratory Centers for Interdisciplinary Research are part of a trans-NIH Roadmap initiative designed to lower organizational barriers that impede research and enable scientists to conduct research across disciplines, creating solutions to biomedical problems that have not been solved using traditional, disciplinary approaches. Baylor College of MedicineHouston, TX Toward a Computation Center for Biomolecular Complexes
URL: http://ncmi.bcm.tmc.edu/ccbc
Grant No. 1-P20-RR020647-01
Principal Investigator Abstract (provided by applicant):The success in genome sequencing has led to new initiatives in structural genomics and proteomics. We anticipate a growth of research in the structural biology of large biomolecular complexes (>0.5 M Da). These types of specimens present new challenges in each step of the structure determination pipeline. Once the structures are determined there are significant challenges in archiving and visualizing the results. Every step requires significant investment in the development of appropriate computational algorithms, implementation of efficient codes and the creation of tools for use by biologists. In this P20 pre-center proposal, we have assembled a group of four investigators who have complementary expertise in electron cryo-microscopy, crystallography, data representation and archiving, visualization and computer science. We will develop a virtual Computational Center for Biomolecular Complexes (C2BC), which will provide an enabling computational environment as well as a strong interdisciplinary cadre of researchers beyond the current investigators for the structural biology of biomolecular complexes. In this P20 proposal, we will engage in two sets of activities: workshops and pilot studies. These activities are organized under three leadership teams on computational interface to experiments, data representation, and structural analysis and visualization. Each team leader will solicit and encourage community input through workshops and video-conferences that will come up with recommendations on the computational demands of the experimental data and user interface requirements of the scientific undertaking. Each team will conduct pilot studies on selected systems to demonstrate the mechanism of collaboration across disciplines and institutions among the four PI and Co-PIs. We will have a project manager to organize the workshops and communications among different investigators and institutions. There will be an external advisory committee to guide the formation of the proposed center.
Baylor College of MedicineHouston, TX Consortium for Research in Elder Self-neglect
URL: www.bcm.edu/crest/
Grant No. 1-P20-RR020626-01
Principal Investigator Abstract (provided by applicant):From a public health standpoint elder self-neglect is the most compelling form of elder mistreatment, which includes physical abuse, caregiver and self-neglect and financial exploitation. Self-neglect, the inability to provide for oneself the goods or services to meet basic needs is three times more common than physical abuse or caregiver neglect. Self-neglectors are vulnerable persons who have multiple deficits in a variety of social, functional and physical domains. It is the most commonly reported form of mistreatment, and is an independent risk factor for death. The death rate for self-neglectors is two times that of persons never reported to adult protective services. The Texas Elder Abuse and Mistreatment Institute (TEAM) at Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) is the first state adult protective services-medical school collaboration in the U.S. TEAM has one of the largest direct care experiences with mistreated elders and is involved in a number of clinical, education, and research projects. TEAM and other faculty from multiple BCM departments are forming a consortium to include the University of Houston Schools of Social Work, and the University of Texas Schools of Nursing and Public Health, the University of Texas Medical Branch (Galveston) and NASA called the Consortium for Research in Elder Self-neglect of Texas or CREST. Research in self-neglect is very limited. To increase understanding of self-neglect and lay the ground work for future intervention trials we have convened a diverse research group including: geriatricians, nurses, social scientists, epidemiologists, a statistician, a nutritional biochemist, a health economist and an immunologist. The specific aims are to: 1.) Establish a case definition for self-neglect; 2.) Describe the phenotype of self-neglectors, and 3.) Develop the models to explain the relationships among physical, cognitive, and socioeconomic factors. To achieve these aims we will conduct three pilot studies to validate a Self-neglect Severity Scale, assess the feasibility of comprehensive nutritional assessment using NASA methodology and measure muscle strength and APO e4 in self-neglecting elders. We will also form three interdisciplinary working groups, convene a national research conference and appoint a national external advisory board to inform the CREST of elder needs.
Columbia University School of NursingNew York, NY Interdisciplinary Research on Antimicrobial Resistance
URL: www.cumc.columbia.edu/dept/nursing/CIRAR/
Grant No. 1-P20-RR020616-01
Principal Investigator Abstract (provided by applicant):While much progress has been made to control preventable infectious diseases, infections remain a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Many of the traditional treatments for common infections are no longer effective because of the fast-growing problem of antimicrobial resistance, first associated with hospitals but increasingly widespread in the community. Antibiotic resistance is now a global problem of major concern. The ultimate goal of this proposed Center for Interdisciplinary Research on Antimicrobial Resistance (CIRAR) is to develop strategies to implement and evaluate a long-term collaborative program of interdisciplinary research on reducing antimicrobial resistance. The specific aims of the CIRAR are: 1.) To plan, implement, and evaluate outcomes of a core program and curriculum to prepare medical researchers to conduct interdisciplinary research; 2.) To develop the expertise of CIRAR investigators in interdisciplinary research; 3.) To conduct and evaluate outcomes of interdisciplinary demonstration projects related to the prevention and control of antimicrobial resistance; 4.) To implement dissemination and implementation strategies that maximize the sustainability and expansion of CIRAR's interdisciplinary research; and 5.) To formalize plans for a sustainable Interdisciplinary Research Consortium for Antimicrobial Resistance. The first component of the Center is the development and implementation of formal training for conducting interdisciplinary research that will be incorporated into several ongoing programs within the institution and made available by the Internet. In Years 2 and 3 the interdisciplinary research curriculum will be further disseminated. The second CIRAR component is the development of interdisciplinary demonstration projects designed to rationalize antimicrobial use and reduce antimicrobial resistance. In the final year, plans for a sustainable Consortium on antimicrobial resistance will be formalized.
Duke UniversityDurham, NC Duke Center for Geospatial Medicine
URL: www.nicholas.duke.edu/cgm/
Grant No. 1-P20-RR020782-01
Principal Investigator Abstract (provided by applicant):Despite an emerging consensus that many diseases are influenced by multiple gene-gene and gene-environment interactions, little is known about how genetic and environmental factors interact to influence outcomes in children. In addition, although psychosocial theory focuses on how socio-economic characteristics influence the health status of children, we have little information about how social factors interact with genetic and environmental factors to affect child well-being. Thus, methods to address the simultaneous and combined influence of social, environmental, and genetic factors are imperative. The mission of Duke's Center for Geospatial Medicine is to develop systematic, spatially-based methods for analyzing the pathways through which the environment, genetic, and psychosocial domains jointly shape child health and well-being. Specific goals of this Center are to: 1.) Develop an interdisciplinary center that supports research on how genetic, environmental, and social aspects of vulnerability combine to affect children's health and well-being; 2.) Promote interdisciplinary research interactions among programs in biomedicine, environmental health, statistics, and social sciences; 3.) Advance new methodologies for incorporating innovative spatial analysis into health research; 4.) Develop new and creative analytic approaches that address spatial/temporal variation, multiple comparisons, confounding, and effect modification; and 5.) Train young scholars in the resulting methods. We will leverage active partnerships among the Nicholas School of the Environment, the Duke University Medical Center, and Trinity College of Arts and Sciences. We will link social, environmental, and genetic vulnerability using advanced spatial statistical approaches in combination with techniques from genetics and genomics. Using neural tube defects as a prototype health endpoint, we will develop a generalized framework for applying these methods to a wide variety of health endpoints, including autism, asthma, ADHD, and obesity.
Emory UniversityAtlanta, GA Exploratory Center for Vaccinology Research
URL: www.medicine.emory.edu/id/ecirve.cfm
Grant No. 1-P20-RR020735-01
Principal Investigator Abstract (provided by applicant):In response to national efforts to develop, improve and deliver vaccines, Emory University requests P-20 grant support for an Exploratory Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Vaccinology (ECIRVE). Vaccines are the most cost-effective prevention known, but the introduction and use of vaccines has become increasingly slowed by a series of obstacles, including delays in identification of candidate antigens for vaccines; incomplete understanding of human immune correlates of protection; limited understanding of the predisposition to vaccine failures or adverse events; difficulty with immune response in the very young, the very old and immunocompromised; incomplete definition of the best strategies for the design of infectious and non-infectious disease vaccines; problems with use and acceptance of vaccines; and problems with vaccine supply and financing. The goals of this application are to develop a comprehensive program to better integrate new quantitative methodologies into vaccinology and to engage multidisciplinary science (genetics, bioinformatics, microbiology and human immunology, biostatistics and analytical epidemiology, behavioral research, economics, population biology, clinical medicine and engineering) in solving significant and complex problems in vaccine development, safety and adverse events, production and supply, and acceptance and use. Emory has made an exceptional commitment to vaccine research and has attracted or developed national leaders in basic vaccine sciences (immunology and molecular pathogenesis), vaccine development, vaccine trials, vaccine modeling, vaccine epidemiology, and vaccine policy. In the activities of this grant, this outstanding expertise will be combined with key leaders and centers in genetics, bioinformatics, behavioral sciences, economics, engineering, and population biology to plan new solutions to vaccine problems. The first aim will create a multidisciplinary scientific working council of national leaders and center directors to develop novel strategies for problem solving in vaccinology. The second specific aim will explore how to integrate new quantitative methodologies (genomics, proteomics, systems biology and other computational methodologies) for assessment of vaccine immune responses and reactogenicity, develop better dynamic methods for modeling of vaccine use, and plan integrative models for economic assessment of vaccines. The specific aims will be accomplished through a strong leadership structure, bi-weekly meetings of the multidisciplinary scientific council, yearly workshops, external advisory committee input, and two linked pilot feasibility projects to: 1.) Explore the design and limitations of quantitative methodologies to define molecular signatures of adaptive and innate immune responses to influenza vaccines; and 2.) Design novel approaches to influenza vaccine policy.
Schepens Eye Research InstituteBoston, MA Planning Grant for Research on Blinding Eye Diseases
URL: www.theschepens.org/nih_roadmap.htm
Grant No. 1-P20-RR020753-01
Principal Investigator Abstract (provided by applicant):The high degree of specialization within ophthalmology has limited the flow of information and ideas from other disciplines. Motivated by the fact that many blinding diseases have mechanistically related pathologies in other organ systems, a diverse group of experts drawn from both vision and non-vision sciences, primarily from Harvard Medical School, propose to form a cluster of interdisciplinary teams to identify new strategies for addressing a spectrum of blinding eye diseases. Teams will be formed around cellular and molecular mechanisms that lead to blindness, but that also have corollary disease processes in other organ systems. The mechanisms include disordered angiogenesis, dysregulated inflammation, aberrant wound healing, and microbial toxin-induced pathology. The overall goal of this effort is to develop novel hypotheses to explain the pathogenesis of blinding eye diseases for which no cures or treatments now exist, and to design an Interdisciplinary Center to pursue these hypotheses. This goal will be achieved by accomplishing the following: 1.) For Year 1, the goal is to develop a set of new hypotheses for the pathogenesis of blinding eye diseases resulting from disordered angiogenesis, dysregulated inflammation, aberrant wound healing, and microbial toxin-induced pathology. This will be accomplished via a series of large and small workshops that will bring together scientists of varied disciplines. A large symposium will assemble top experts in research on blinding eye diseases, and in corollary diseases, to acquaint each other with the current state of knowledge. This meeting will be followed by smaller, more specialized exploratory workshops to allow in-depth discussion of the similarities and differences between ocular diseases and their non-ocular counterparts, with particular emphasis on their multifactorial pathogenesis. 2.) In Year 2, the workshop format will be used to identify pilot projects to be conducted to test the validity of hypotheses advanced. There will be focus on identifying emerging technologies and educational workshops will be organized to bring these new technologies to the problem of blinding diseases of the eye. 3.) During Year 3, results of the pilot projects will be reviewed and validity of the hypotheses assessed in order to identify cross-cutting, interdisciplinary programs that are most likely to advance knowledge on the pathogenesis of blinding diseases. Based on these findings, an application for an Interdisciplinary Center for Research on Blinding Eye Diseases will be prepared.
University of California, BerkeleyBerkeley, CA Exploratory Center for Behavioral Epidemiology
URL: http://iber.berkeley.edu/bee/
Grant No. 1-P20-RR-20817-1
Principal Investigator Abstract (provided by applicant):Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immuno-Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is an intractable health problem that has defied over 20 years of concerted approaches from a wide range of disciplines. In fact, despite massive multisectoral attempts to prevent its spread, HIV incidence continues to increase around the globe. Youth (young people between the ages of 15 and 24), particularly female youth, are at greatest risk for HIV acquisition. As sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in general, and HIV in particular, have become inextricably woven together and exacerbated by issues such as poverty, migration, labor market opportunities, and gender-based power disparities; it has become clear that any effective prevention program must address the underlying structural factors which shape individuals' vulnerability, most notably the economic circumstances that condition their risk-taking choices. What is needed is a truly interdisciplinary approach that integrates existing knowledge about youth HIV/AIDS risk behavior to generate new paradigms of risk behavior, and that will foster new approaches to the development and evaluation of effective interventions to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS among youth. We propose to integrate theoretical, methodological, and analytical aspects of the Economic Sciences, Population Sciences, and Behavioral Sciences to develop new pathways to discovery and intervention in youth vulnerability to HIV/AIDS, STIs, and unintended pregnancies. In particular, we aim to understand how structural factors such as poverty, gender-based power, labor market opportunities, and migration ultimately shape these outcomes. The ultimate goal of this work is to develop effective interventions for the prevention of HIV, STIs, and unintended pregnancies. We will develop this new discipline, called Behavioral Economic Epidemiology (BEE), through a three-year process of structured learning and critique of each other's disciplines, focused integration of theoretical models and methods, and validation and pilot-testing of tools and analytic methods. We will also explore strategies for expanding this new approach into a more formalized and enduring discipline by developing a sustainable market for its production and consumption.
University of California, IrvineOrange, CA Transdisciplinary Imaging Genetics Center URL:
Grant No. 1-P20-RR020837-01
Principal Investigator Abstract (provided by applicant):The overriding goal of the proposed Transdisciplinary Imaging Genetics Center, an exploratory center, is to enhance our understanding of brain function in health and disease, through facilitation of development of a new discipline, referred to as imaging genetics. The Center does this by assembling an interdisciplinary team of experts from U.C. Irvine and the University of Toronto with experience in genomics, imaging analysis, statistical methods, and complementary areas viewed as key to this goal. These experts, complemented by the Center's consultants and External Advisory Board, have developed novel methods in their respective fields. The major focus of this project is to develop methods for combining imaging and genomics. It is clear that mental illness involves brain dysfunction that can be visualized with advanced brain imaging techniques. Mental illness as well as normal brain function also has a hereditary component; therefore, it is essential that the genes related to aspects of brain development, mental function and dysfunction, be considered. The integration of the imaging data with the rich genetic data resulting from the human genome project will enhance our understanding of brain function and mental illness. The value of this integration is illustrated in our initial studies that demonstrated an association between brain metabolism, clinical response, and DRD1 alleles (Potkin, et al, 2003), and between brain metabolism, risk of tardive dyskinesia, a motor side-effect on antipsychotic treatment, and DRD3 alleles (Potkin, et al 2003; Basile, et al, 2002). The Center proposes the facilitation of an ongoing dialogue among the various fields involved by sponsoring annual, international symposia and the development and implementation of a roadmap or work plan for this emerging discipline. The work plan for the Center will be guided by a trans-disciplinary collaboration between the Center investigators, their Steering Committee, the Center consultants, and the External Advisory Board. The Steering Committee and External Advisory Board are also charged with evaluating the Center's research progress and suggesting alternative solutions, as well as guiding the overall development of the Center. If the aims of the Center are achieved, the emerging field of genetic imaging will be positioned to enhance understanding of the biologically complex problem of mental illness, individual differences, and the interplay between genetics, environment, and brain function. Study of these fields individually has provided important revelations regarding brain dysfunction. Their integration and interaction, however, will provide new knowledge that would not be otherwise available. These goals could not be achieved without a unifying Center focused on a single integrative theme. The new knowledge generated by the Center holds considerable promise for improving diagnosis and treatment of mental illness.
University of California, Los Angeles - Neuropsychiatric InstituteLos Angeles, CA Cognitive Phenotyping for Neuropsychiatric Therapeutics URL:
Grant No. 1-P20-RR020750-01
Principal Investigator Abstract (provided by applicant):The exploratory Center for Cognitive Phenomics (CCP) aims to accelerate identification and efficient measurement of cognitive phenotypes across syndromes and across species to advance interdisciplinary research on neuropsychiatric therapeutics. Cognitive abnormalities have been identified in all major neuropsychiatric disorders, offer quantitative phenotypes for genomic studies and clinical trials, and provide strong bridging relations to neural systems models. The CCP will iteratively refine cognitive phenotypes in interdisciplinary research using neurobehavioral, neuroimaging, and neuropsychopharmacological approaches to provide translational validation of physiological endophenotypes. The CCP will coordinate activities of a large group of experts at UCLA and elsewhere to: 1.) Generate cross-disorder and cross-species catalogs of phenotypes; 2.) Develop a phenotype selection algorithm to identify the most promising candidates for research; 3.) Design a phenomics database for empirical data representation, data mining, and hypothesis testing; and 4.) Support proof-of-concept pilot projects. To advance these aims, the CCP will initiate core services for: High-Throughput Cognitive Phenotyping; Neuroimaging; and Translational Neuropsychopharmacology. The CCP will initially leverage UCLA campus-wide resources to provide bridging infrastructure and expertise in: Genomics, Pharmacogenomics, and Statistical Genetics; Biostatistics and Psychometrics; Bioinformatics; Clinical Trial Design and Regulatory Affairs; and Bioethics. The CCP aims to overcome bottlenecks in the discovery of treatments for neuropsychiatric syndromes that are caused by the use of traditional behavioral "symptom" phenotypes, which are heterogeneous, overlapping, and difficult to translate to basic research. The long-term goal is establishment of a mature CCP that will provide the international research community with efficient, well-validated phenotype assays; a cognitive phenomics data repository linked to genomics, proteomics, and other biological knowledge-bases; and novel strategies for interdisciplinary research on neuropsychiatric therapeutics.
University of FloridaGainesville, FL Diagnosis and Therapy of Drug and Chemical Toxicity URL:
Grant No. 1-P20-RR020654-01
Principal Investigator Abstract (provided by applicant):The diagnosis and therapy of drug and chemical toxicity is a significant public health problem and impacts millions of Americans with medical expenditures >$3 billion/year. This intractable public health threat remains for several reasons including a diverse number of toxic agents in multiple locations and patient classes, barriers to interdisciplinary research at the college and university level, and mechanisms of federal research support limited to single-investigator, hypothesis-driven, organ- or disease-specific studies. This proposal's overall objective is to develop interdisciplinary research teams to address this intractable public health threat using art adapted engineered systems method of research advocated by the National Science Foundation. To our knowledge this paradigm of physical research has not heretofore been applied to these types of biomedical problems. This objective will be achieved by accomplishing the following specific aims: Specific Aim 1: Create a planning structure through which individuals from a variety of relevant disciplines can interact, develop research strategies, and address institutional barriers to collaborative research. Specific Aim 2: Identify and minimize institutional barriers to interdisciplinary collaboration. Specific Aim 3: Identify specific problems in the diagnosis and treatment of toxicity, and develop research strategies to solve them. Specific Aim 4: Conduct pilot research to test the feasibility of selected research strategies identified in Aim 3 and to validate the planning approach. A secondary objective of this project is to cause evolution at the University of Florida with respect to the financial, scientific, and other barriers to interdisciplinary research by employing management, administrative, and psychological teams. Successful achievement of this objective will enable additional activities similar to those described herein in order to advance the public health of the citizens of this nation not only for drug and chemical intoxication, but also for other seemingly intractable health problems.
University of MiamiMiami, FL Vector-Borne Disease Control in Urban Environments
URL: www.intervector.org/
Grant No. 1-P20-RR020770-01
Principal Investigator Abstract (provided by applicant):Vector-borne diseases, like malaria, dengue, West Nile, and Rift Valley Fever are major public health problems in cities throughout the world. The extent of disease in each city varies largely as a function of the environment that regulates the dynamics of insect vector populations. Poverty, urban farming, water and sanitation availability, increased population movement, deteriorating infrastructures, overcrowding in urban areas, and natural disasters all contribute to the development of conditions that modify the natural habitats of insect vectors. These complex problems can best be addressed through interdisciplinary approaches, as history has shown that medical and entomological approaches alone are not sufficient. An INTERVECTOR Exploratory Center for Interdisciplinary Research will be developed through the Global Public Health Program of the University of Miami (UM). Partnerships will be developed between UM faculty and international collaborators to study the ecology and control of mosquito-borne diseases at 7 selected cities in 3 regions: East Africa (Kenya), the Middle East (Israel, Egypt), and Latin America-Caribbean (Trinidad and Costa Rica). There are 4 specific aims: 1.) Construct study designs that incorporate interdisciplinary approaches for problem-solving strategies that are relevant to the ecology and control of vector-borne diseases in urban environments; 2.) Assess current and future risks of vector-borne diseases at each selected city through interdisciplinary assessments of entomological, epidemiological, environmental, and demographic parameters; 3.) Conduct small-scale field studies in each of the selected cities to obtain further interdisciplinary information on key factors affecting the spatial and temporal risks of mosquito-human contact and vector-borne diseases; and 4.) Strengthen capacity for harnessing the power of interdisciplinary approaches for controlling vector-borne diseases in urban environments. A major outcome will include new testable interdisciplinary approaches for controlling vector-borne diseases in urban environments.
University of MichiganAnn Arbor, MI
Health Disparities: Leaders, Providers, and Patients
URL: www.med.umich.edu/obgyn/HealthServicesResearch/nihp20.htm
Grant No. 1-P20-RR020682-01
Principal Investigator Abstract (provided by applicant):The issue of racial and ethnic health disparities is a broad and difficult challenge that quickly overwhelms traditional approaches. We propose a program of work that conducts a true interdisciplinary evaluation of health disparities leading to new and integrated strategic approaches. Our interdisciplinary research team will study and develop likely approaches to reduce one of the most stubborn and persistent health disparities in the nation, racial disparities in the outcome of pregnancy, from three important dimensions—Leaders, Providers, and Patients. This research proposal has three overarching goals: 1.) To develop an optimal infrastructure to support interdisciplinary research on persistent disparities in pregnancy outcomes; 2.) Using an interdisciplinary approach, develop testable hypotheses for new and more effective approaches to augmented prenatal care as a strategy for improving pregnancy outcome; and 3.) To provide an effective mechanism for communicating research-based information to leaders, providers, and patients to improve access to and the quality and effectiveness of augmented prenatal care for African-American women. We have chosen three complementary areas of focus, each with specific aims, for this interdisciplinary exploratory proposal. The Leader's Perspective: Assess the role strategic leadership and change agents in closing the gap of prenatal disparities. The Provider's Perspective: Evaluate health care disparities by reviewing microsystem barriers and opportunities to delivering augmented prenatal care. The Patient's Perspective: Evaluate and develop strategies to reduce barriers for pregnant women to seek out and obtain augmented prenatal care. We believe the study of these three different, yet complementary, areas will provide unique opportunities to reduce disparities in pregnancy outcome. This work will serve as a hypothesis-generating vehicle to develop future interdisciplinary research protocols and programs. This work will serve as planning activity for the investigators to develop interdisciplinary research strategies to limit health disparities and improve neonatal and maternal care. Scholars representing 17 different, yet collaborative, schools, colleges, centers, institutes, and departments will create a unique foundation to develop knowledge leading to more effective approaches. While our investigators are experts in their respective disciplines, the interdisciplinary hypothesis generation approach will allow the investigators to develop integrated and multi-dimensional proposals that will be unique, more likely to be effective, and have a greater impact than a standard, single-discipline approach.
University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel Hill, NC An Interdisciplinary Strategy for Obesity
URL: www.cpc.unc.edu/idoc
Grant No. 1-P20-RR020649-01
Principal Investigator Abstract (provided by applicant):The escalating prevalence of obesity and its consequences is a serious and unresolved challenge. Obesity prevention and treatment have had limited success to date, in part because interventions have focused on isolated factors and adopted a "one-size-fits-all" approach. We hypothesize that obesity must be addressed within a complex, individualized system of proximate and distal biological and environmental factors using an intensive interdisciplinary approach. To be effective, such an approach requires coalescing scientists and practitioners who specialize in obesity from a broad range of perspectives and providing them with a fertile environment and infrastructure to synergize their expertise with that of investigators from other key disciplines. The long-term goal of this interdisciplinary strategy is to define effective interventions for prevention and treatment of obesity. Our vision for this NIH Roadmap planning grant is to build on the collaborative environment at UNC that includes departments that cross the Schools of Public Health and Medicine, Allied Health Sciences, and Arts and Sciences, and NIH-funded Centers that are addressing the obesity epidemic, including the Clinical Nutrition Research Center, Carolina Population Center, the Center for Environmental Health Sciences, and the Lineberger Cancer Center. We plan to engage researchers from vantages such as: nutrition, epidemiology, health behavior, urban planning, health economics, physiology, psychology, genetics, and clinical medicine to develop the Inter-Disciplinary Obesity Center (IDOC). The IDOC will include leading scholars organized in seven overlapping topical clusters who will meet on a regular basis to develop a common language, identify needs, and design and plan specific research projects to achieve the Aims of the grant. In addition, we have a commitment from the University Administration to develop the mechanisms to overcome barriers to interdisciplinary programs so investigators can have the resources, time, and space to achieve the goals outlined in the proposal. The Specific Aims of the proposal are: 1.) Involve scientists with diverse perspectives and provide them with a fundamental, shared knowledge base to focus on an integrated strategy for obesity; 2.) Build an interdisciplinary framework for the etiology, prevention, and treatment of obesity; and 3.) Identify methodological advances needed to accelerate obesity research (biomarkers, outcome measures, assessment tools, genetic assessment, environmental assessment, mathematical models, etc.). We will apply the knowledge gained from our interdisciplinary research to achieve our long-term goal of developing novel treatment and prevention interventions for obesity.
University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel Hill, NC The Carolina Center for Exploratory Genetic Analysis
Grant No. 1-P20-RR020751-01
Principal Investigator Abstract (provided by applicant):The Carolina Center for Exploratory Genetic Analysis will establish an interdisciplinary infrastructure for the efficient identification of the complex genetic traits underlying human diseases, based on clinical studies, population studies, and model systems. The planning stage for this center will build a collaborative community of investigators and deploy prototype infrastructure, driven by the quantitative analysis of relationships among genotypes and clinical or experimental phenotypes in three contexts: family linkage studies (susceptibility to alcoholic addiction), expression profile studies (breast cancer), and public health studies (atherosclerosis risk in communities). This effort will rely on the combined expertise of three complementary groups of UNC scientists: 1.) Experimental geneticists; 2.) Quantitative experts in statistics and biostatistics; and 3.) Computer scientists with expertise in algorithm development, software construction, and high-performance computing. To reduce the barriers between data providers and data analyzers, we will organize a series of intensive, specialized workshops, colloquia, and intramural meetings. We believe the next major breakthroughs in our understanding of biology and disease will come from the integrated analysis of genetic data and its expression as phenotypes. To accommodate the diverse, multi-investigator data bases necessary to answer such questions, we will develop a prototype, extensible data model, and provide access to data via a portal constructed using the Open Grid Computing Environment toolkit. To advance the practice of integrated analysis we will incorporate new methods under development into the data analysis workflow. These include new techniques in linkage analysis (oligogenic analysis, multivariate linkage analysis, epistasis, and genotype by environment interaction), subspace clustering, and association analysis (quantitative trait nucleotide analysis). For the interactive use of these computationally intensive techniques, we will explore new visualizations and develop high-performance implementations.
University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel Hill, NC Non-Invasive Approaches to Assessing Inflammation
URL: http://uncgihep.med.unc.edu/Sartor/RR20764.html
Grant No. 1-P20-RR020764-01
Principal Investigator Abstract (provided by applicant):Although significant strides have been made toward better understanding the mechanisms of immunoregulation and genetic susceptibility of chronic inflammatory disorders, including immune-mediated arthritis, diabetes, inflammatory bowel diseases, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), glomerulonephritis, vasculitis, atherosclerosis and asthma, a major impediment to their diagnosis and clinical management is the inability to easily determine and quantify the activity and extent of disease involving inaccessible internal organs. Moreover, current techniques cannot identify subclinical inflammation that predicts rapid recurrence of symptoms after inducing remission or the onset of disease in high-risk individuals. Histologic diagnosis and assessment of disease activity in the intestine, lung, liver, kidney, joint, blood vessels, thyroid, and brain require invasive endoscopic, percutaneous or even open surgical biopsy, which entail considerable discomfort and risk. Our goal is to develop noninvasive methods to determine the location and intensity of inflammation in inaccessible organs of patients with several inflammatory diseases by applying basic knowledge of the mechanisms of vascular endothelial/effector inflammatory cell interactions, activation of innate and acquired immune cells, vascular permeability and neovascularization to novel imaging techniques. Our studies will focus on Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, SLE, anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-mediated vasculitis and atherosclerosis, because interdisciplinary research programs that encompass basic mechanistic, animal model and clinical investigations in these disorders exist in our institution, each are multiorgan conditions, and these diseases are prototypes of T lymphocyte, antibody/complement, neutrophil and macrophage-mediated disorders, respectively. Results from these focused studies will therefore be applicable to all of the previously mentioned inflammatory conditions. The following Specific Aims will approach this goal: 1.) Develop an administrative structure that will plan and coordinate activities and promote effective interactions and communication among a multidisciplinary group of investigators; 2.) Organize topic-driven workshops promoting interactions between local investigators and external experts to define the optimal molecular targets, detection techniques, and clinical applications for determining the extent and activity of inflammation in a variety of organs and disease processes; and 3.) Support pilot studies to define molecular targets (1st year), optimize imaging and molecular/biochemical/immunologic techniques (1st and 2nd years), validate these targets and techniques in animal models of inflammatory conditions in diverse organs (2nd year), and perform pilot studies in targeted human inflammatory diseases applying the results of the basic and animal model studies (3rd year). This translational, clinically- applied research will involve a multidisciplinary, interactive group of >60 investigators derived from 9 departments and 7 centers in 5 schools of 3 universities and the Environmental Protection Agency. This well-organized planning process will result in clinically relevant outcomes that can be quickly optimized for application to a number of important inflammatory diseases in multiple organs. This project will create a new program involving investigators who have not previously worked together, while building on institutional strengths and programmatic initiatives.
University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, PA Transdisciplinary Research on Genetics of Complex Traits
Grant No. 1-P20-RR020741-01
Principal Investigator Abstract (provided by applicant):Billions of prescriptions are written each year in the hopes of improving health and preventing disease in millions of Americans. Unfortunately, these medications do not work as hoped in everyone, and others suffer from side effects, leading to substantial morbidity and mortality. Although genetic variability in the response to medications has been known for decades to play a critical role in limiting the efficacy and safety of drugs, recent advances in genetics, bioinformatics, pharmacology, epidemiology, and biostatistics have paved the way for tremendous gains in understanding how genetic variability can alter drug response. Despite this promise, the nature of gene-drug interactions is complex, and progress in the field has been hampered by the lack of a true interdisciplinary approach. A complete understanding of the genetic basis for variable responses to medications and appropriate application of this information in human populations will come only through a coordinated and sustained collaboration among the disciplines of genetics, bioinformatics, pharmacology, epidemiology, biostatistics, and bioethics in a new interdisciplinary field that we call Human Pharmacogenomic Epidemiology (HPE). HPE is not simply the merger of multiple disciplines, working in parallel or sequence, but rather a new paradigm of research that must develop novel ways of working synergistically to address the scientific, logistical, and intellectual barriers to interdisciplinary research. In this application, a group of experienced investigators from each of these disciplines, working within an enriched and supportive academic environment, proposes to develop an interdisciplinary collaboration whose aims are to develop unique and sustainable approaches to solving the significant and complex biomedical problem of variable drug response by developing strategies targeted at all three barriers to interdisciplinary research: 1.) Scientific: by developing study design and statistical methods aimed at solving problems of the complex, high-dimensional nature of genetic influences on response to medications; 2.) Logistical: by developing new strategies that improve the coordination and efficiency of HPE research; and 3.) Intellectual: by designing innovative and sustainable approaches to improve the appreciation among the disciplines of each others' scientific context, opportunities offered, and distinct methods and languages.
University of Southern CaliforniaLos Angeles, CA New Directions in Stroke Neurorehabilitation URL:
Grant No. 1-P20-RR020700-01
Principal Investigator Abstract (provided by applicant):Stroke is the leading cause of serious, long-term disability among American adults and places a tremendous burden on both the private and public health resources of the nation. Of all impairments that result from stroke, one of the most in need of effective rehabilitation studies is hemiparesis of the upper limb, which significantly impacts functional independence and health of stroke survivors. One approach that has shown promise in rehabilitation of upper limb disabilities is Constraint Induced Movement Therapy (CIMT), which emphasizes repetitive use of the impaired limb using task-specific training, while restricting movement of the better limb. However, the "best practice" strategy for the rehabilitation of upper limb paresis using CIMT is still unclear, and little is known about how critical factors such the focus of therapy (skilled learning vs. motor activity), the intensity and timing of therapy, patient motivation, initial impairment and the neural mechanisms that underlie the recovery process interact to impact the effectiveness of rehabilitation therapy. In order to make significant advances in the field of stroke rehabilitation we believe that a concerted interdisciplinary approach among the biological, engineering, computer, and clinical sciences will be needed to solve this complex problem. The studies proposed in this planning grant are designed to meet this challenge and will examine the synergy between neural plasticity and treatment strategies that promote the recovery of upper limb motor function after stroke-induced brain injury. Participants include faculty from the biological, behavioral, computational and engineering sciences with expertise in methods encompassing molecular and cell biology, behavioral neuroscience, bioinformatics, computational modeling, virtual environment technology, haptics, biostatistics and physical rehabilitation. The long-term goals of our study are to: 1.) Broaden our understanding of the key factors that modulate neuroplasticity and the recovery of function after brain injury; 2.) Build a foundation of interdisciplinary scientific knowledge that can be used in the development of innovative and more effective therapeutic interventions to enhance the health and independence of persons with post-stroke disabilities; and 3) Provide an interdisciplinary training opportunity for (basic science and clinical) graduate and post-doctoral students to develop as independent research scientists equipped to work both within and across scientific disciplines.
University of Texas Medical BranchGalveston, TX Integrative Biology of the Brain, Inflammation & Asthma
URL: www.utmb.edu/mbbh/
Grant No. 1-P20-RR020645-01
Principal Investigator Abstract (provided by applicant):Although associations between psychosocial processes and health outcomes have now been carefully documented for several diseases, the mechanisms by which such psychosocial processes specifically influence peripheral biology and modulate illness are unknown. This proposal seeks to place the brain squarely back into the equation so that we can mechanistically relate psychological processes as they are instantiated in the brain, which then signals the periphery to influence health and disease. Scientific progress in cognitive and affective neuroscience over the past decade has led to major advances in our understanding of circuitry underlining cognition and affect. What is less well known is how this circuitry signals the periphery to modulate peripheral biological events that are central to certain illnesses. The overall objective of this grant application is the development of an integrative approach to addressing these questions. We have selected asthma as a disease example in which to study these processes, and the proposed interdisciplinary project will focus initially on molecular targets and cascades in relation to neuroscience, inflammation, and respiratory biology. This proposal extends the work of an existing network that has collaborated in several interdisciplinary studies. The aims of this application are to support the continued development of the existing organizational structure. This will be accomplished by support of frequent meetings of the core group, joined on occasion by other experts from neuroscience, pulmonary physiology, and immunophysiology. The group will organize workshops and symposia to review current findings that point the way to new studies linking mind, brain, and body interactions. Support is also requested for linking the training grants of the co-investigators to provide opportunities for trainees to move between laboratories. Future efforts will extend the collaborations linking brain imaging, expectancy, and bronchial function in asthma, emphasizing the physiological mechanisms linking brain activity to the periphery. This will include studies of the modulation of bronchoconstriction, central-peripheral communication in inflammation in asthma and in wound healing, and how placebos may modify autonomic and immune markers. We believe this P20 can help to influence a new generation of biomedical scientists who conceptualize the brain and body as working together and who have the tools to examine this interaction.
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at DallasDallas, TX Taskforce for Obesity Research at Southwestern URL:
Grant No. 1-P20-RR020691-01
Principal Investigator Abstract (provided by applicant):We have assembled the best investigators and technology at the UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas to focus on a major medical problem in the U.S.—obesity and the metabolic syndrome. This application will create mechanisms to bring together diverse groups of investigators to investigate the behavioral, metabolic, and molecular events that cause obesity and the metabolic syndrome. The major focus of this effort will be on the brain and liver, organs that both play central roles in the development of obesity and its adverse metabolic consequences. Our goals are to better understand how the brain regulates food intake and energy expenditure, and to reveal how dysregulation of glucose and lipid metabolism in the liver contributes to the development of the metabolic syndrome. To address these objectives, we have developed four research teams that vary in approaches and expertise that will interact extensively to pursue the shared goals of this project. Collaborations among investigators will occur on two levels. Within each team, extensive exchanges between investigators will foster direct collaborative efforts. Interactions will also occur between the four major teams to capitalize on the diverse expertise within each of the four groups and to provide comprehensive approaches to our major objectives. To achieve these goals, we have established the Taskforce for Obesity Research at Southwestern (TORS). TORS will cement bonds among the traditionally disparate disciplines of neuroendocrinology, genetics, lipid metabolism, intermediary metabolism, and clinical epidemiology into a cohesive center to study obesity and the metabolic syndrome. Over the next three years, the major objectives will be to: 1.) Develop a program to foster interdisciplinary interactions at UT Southwestern to study obesity and the metabolic syndrome; 2.) Develop a state-of-the-art program to elucidate the metabolic and molecular basis of obesity and the metabolic syndrome using genetically modified mice; and 3.) Support the translation of scientific findings made in animal models to humans.
University of WashingtonSeattle, WA An Exploratory Center for Obesity Research
URL: http://depts.washington.edu/uwecor/
Grant No. 1-P20-RR020774-01
Principal Investigator Abstract (provided by applicant):This Exploratory Center for Obesity Research will address biomedical, public health, and policy aspects of the obesity epidemic. The social problem of obesity can only be solved using a transdisciplinary approach that blends biomedical research with broader social, economic, environmental, and policy concerns. The proposed "Lab to Leadership" model will be built on sustained interactions among researchers, clinicians, public health professionals, local and state government agencies, policy makers, and communities at risk. To create such alliances, two sets of activities are proposed. The first will cross disciplines to bring diverse groups of stakeholders into new research teams; the second will align research projects with policy priorities and public health goals. In order to enrich and transform the research environment, the Exploratory Center will provide funding for activities that integrate biomedical and social sciences research with public policy. These will include commissioned papers, workshops, forums, and conferences. Each activity will have clear goals and objectives, and well-defined criteria for success. Funds will be provided for pilot/feasibility studies that actively promote cross-disciplinary thought by applying insights from laboratory and clinical research to environmental and policy studies—and vice versa. Leadership workshops, supported by the University Administration, will build faculty leadership, capacity, and skills. The second set of activities will prepare investigators to submit an application for a Center of Excellence for Obesity Research. Among these will be strategic planning with diverse stakeholders to develop a blueprint for the Center; the creation of networks and panels to assist local and State agencies with obesity projects in Washington State; and the creation of an ongoing forum for researchers, policy makers, and community groups to advance the mutual integration of research priorities with state-level policy objectives and community goals. The planning activities will start with a formative evaluation of the research environment and will be guided by a rigorous evaluation component. The planning process will itself be the object of evaluation and study. The existing research base at the University of Washington, the commitment of local and state agencies (Public Health-Seattle & King County and the Washington State Department of Health) to furthering the public health agenda, and the administrative experience of the Center for Public Health Nutrition, make a compelling argument for why the new integrative approach ought to be nurtured here. By promoting interagency collaborations, these efforts will help the NIH develop a roadmap on how to effectively translate research findings into national, state, and local health policy.
Washington University in St. LouisSt. Louis, MO Planning Interdisciplinary Studies of the Diabetic Heart
Grant No. 1-P20-RR020643-01
Principal Investigator Abstract (provided by applicant):The overall goal of this proposal is to establish a planning process to develop novel interdisciplinary strategies to rapidly translate discovery to reduce the burden of diabetic cardiovascular disease, a serious and common medical problem with profound implications for world health. This planning proposal will involve the collective efforts of an interdisciplinary team spanning across 13 departments and 4 colleges at Washington University in St. Louis in partnership with a national population outcomes group. The planning process will be conducted within the framework of the following three elements: 1.) Fundamental Discovery to address the pathobiology of diabetic heart and vascular disease; 2.) A Technological Platform to support interdisciplinary research activities; and 3.) Translational Studies and Clinical Implementation to move discovery to new paradigms in patient care. The process will begin as an open, university-wide dialogue to address existing barriers to transforming "multidisciplinary" research to true "interdisciplinary" units. Planning groups linked to Fundamental Discovery and Translation Pathways will be formed. The Planning groups will come together to develop research strategies that integrate disciplines, establish novel cross-disciplinary training approaches, and evaluate and validate candidate biomarkers aimed at the early detection and risk stratification of myocardial and vascular disease in the diabetic. Rigorous phenotyping strategies will be devised for studies in small groups of humans to assess the potential utility of molecular, biochemical, and imaging markers to detect disease. Plans to validate biomarkers will be developed with population outcomes collaborators. An important long-term goal of the planning process is to outline strategies aimed at the development of a panel of biomarkers that will revolutionize the way we care for diabetic patients through early detection of myocardial and vascular disease, risk stratification, and therapeutic decision-making. It is envisioned that principles established by the fundamental paradigm shift developed through our efforts will be applicable to other complex disease states in the future. |
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National Institutes of Health (NIH) Bethesda, Maryland 20892 |
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Department of Health and Human Services |
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