CTSA Translational Pilot Studies Grants Awarded to Eight Teams

The Translational Pilot Studies Program is designed to support the innovative, pioneering work of researchers in the Buffalo Translational Consortium (see diagram). The program is intended to develop novel methods and technologies to solve clinical and translational research problems and to foster cross-disciplinary collaborations with a goal to leverage extramural funding for larger studies.

The focus of this round of pilot studies was to:

Facilitate clinical and translational researchers to generate preliminary data for submission of extramural research grant applications,
Seek to improve clinical design, biostatistics, clinical research ethics, informatics, or regulatory pathways, and
Support the design, development, and validation of novel, clinically applicable devices, biomarkers, and analytical methods.

A total of 78 applications were received. Review criteria included:
Scientific merit and innovation
Significance and impact on the field
Potential for securing extramural funding

The following 8 proposals were awarded following a rigorous 2-tiered review process.

Multi-class Modeling of Metabonomics Data for the Detection of Early Stage Ovarian Cancer
Rachael Hageman Blair PhD, School of Public Health and Health Professions
Kunle Odunsi MD, Roswell Park Cancer Institute
Jeffrey Miecznikowski PhD, School of Public Health and Health Professions
Thomas Szyperski PhD, College of Arts and Sciences

Analysis of the Source and Significance of IgM in Sjögren’s Syndrome
Jill M. Kramer DDS PhD, School of Dental Medicine
Daniel Gaile PhD, School of Public Health and Health Professions

A Novel Electrical Stimulation Technology Changing the Paradigm for the Treatment of Orthopedic-related Infections
Mark Ehrensberger PhD, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
Anthony Campagnari PhD, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences

Highly Sensitive and Portable Surface Plasmon Resonance System for Lung Cancer Early Detection
Qiaoqiang Gan PhD, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
Yun Wu PhD, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
Daniel Gaile PhD, School of Public Health and Health Professions

Development of High-Throughput Assay for Inhibitors of Aerobactin Synthesis
Andrew M. Gulick PhD, Hauptman Woodman Research Institute
Thomas A. Russo MD, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences

Inheritable Epigenetic (DNA methylation) Biomarkers and Actions of Arsenic Exposure in its Carcinogenic Activity
Xuefend Ren MD PhD, School of Public Health and Health Professions
Daniel Gaile, PhD, School of Public Health and Health Professions
Jie Wang PhD, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences

Inducing Myelin Repair by Antagonism of Muscarinic Receptor Type-3
Fraser J. Sim PhD, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences

Pilot Study on Pediatric Obesity Prevention by Maternal Smoking Cessation in Pregnancy and Lactation
Xiaozhong Wen MD PhD, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
Leonard H. Epstein PhD, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
Stephen T. Higgins PhD, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
Rina D. Eiden PhD, Research Institute on Addictions
Faye E. Justicia-Linde MD, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
Youfa Wang MD PhD, School of Public Health and Health Professions

Pilot Studies awardees will present the results of their work at the Clinical and Translational Research Colloquium to be held at the Clinical and Translational Research Center on a date to be announced. The Colloquium offers an excellent opportunity to discuss the new observations in a setting that is conducive to the development of new collaborations among researchers.