Science Market Update

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center has a history of medical breakthroughs in cancer research, and this time, researchers at the facility are taking the lead in developing solutions to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Thanks to enormous funding from the National Institute of Health (NIH), one powerful team of researchers from Fred Hutch in particular, along with researchers from the University of Washington and several other institutions, are running studies throughout the United States, Africa, Latin America, China, and Europe. Specifically investigating the relationship between the virus and its transmission processes, Fred Hutch researchers formed the group known as defeatHIV, in hopes of discovering whether or not the immune system can build a prevention of infection if exposed through a vaccine or otherwise.

A University of Wisconsin researcher is among one of the winners of the 2018 “Transformative Research Award,” a NIH-funded grant supporting creative scientific projects that could potentially result in a quantum leap of progress in the biosciences. A researcher from the Morgridge Institute for Research at the University of Wisconsin is one of the recipients of the award for his project, in collaboration with two other researchers, from the University of California – San Diego and the Sloan Kettering Institute. Their project was selected, along with ten other projects, to receive the award.

The University of Illinois Cancer Center, the only public-university based cancer center in Chicago, is pursuing designations from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), a branch of the National Institutes of Health. The prestigious designation would mean increased financial support from the NIH, resulting in more opportunities for researchers as well as an economic benefit for the entire community.

Two Northwestern University faculty members, David Cugell and Christina Enroth-Cugell, donated a portion of their estate to the university that they loved and spent most of their lives at. The pair are known for their dedication to the students and for their inspiring work in the sciences.

Federal funding was recently provided to the University of Michigan in an effort to understand and prevent the occurrence of harmful algal blooms that fatefully impact freshwater globally. The $5.2 million federal grant supporting this algal bloom research project is part of the $1.5 billion in total annual research and development funding received by the university. 

While the major effects of these destructive algal blooms are not well understood they came under greater investigation when in 2014, the town of Toldeo, Michigan’s local water supply was contaminated as a result of an algal bloom in Lake Erie. The intention of project researchers is to increase and expand understanding of the toxins and chemical compounds associated with algal blooms and how they effect public health.

The University of Massachusetts is investigating better ways to improve risk assessments and take more effective preventative measures for breast cancer. These projects are funded by the NIH and have already been supported with more than $13.5 million. Researchers in the fields of chemical engineering, biology, veterinary and animal science, public health, health sciences, and epidemiology are all part of the effort.

The University of California at San Francisco has received, for the 12^th consecutive year, the most funding from the National Institute of Health (NIH) of all public research universities in the United States.

Researchers at Thomas Jefferson University are working hard to develop vaccines in an effort to fight some of the world’s toughest viruses and cancers. Back in 2017, Thomas Jefferson University was awarded a $30 million five-year contract over a five-year period to research safe vaccination solutions. Since then, university researchers have been developing strategies to find life changing answers to these global issues.

The Ohio State University consistently ranks among our nations top public research universities. The University has the third largest university campus in the US, housing seven health science colleges. As far as funding goes, by the end of February 2019, Ohio’s largest university has already received $374,737,960 million for research from federal and non-federal sponsors for the fiscal year. In total research and development in 2017, the Ohio State University received $864.3 million, making them the 22^nd highest in NIH funding for all universities.

Construction is underway on the new Anschutz Health Sciences building at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. The building, which is expected to open in 2021, is in a gateway location at the western border of campus in Aurora. Providing 390,000 square feet of space for research programs and education, the building will become one of the largest and most advanced medical campuses in the nation.