The Washington Research Foundation (WRF) recently awarded three Washington State University researchers with grant funding to develop detailed plans for projects and programs that could significantly advance the state’s life-science ecosystem and improve lives.
Ken Roberts, PhD, professor and chair of the Department of Translational Medicine and Physiology (TMP) at the College of Medicine, was among 12 teams of investigators awarded a total of nearly $2.2 million.
With the funding, Roberts will establish the Center of Excellence for Translational Neuroscience at WSU. The center will bring together investigators from across the state who have proven track records in neuroscience research and have a desire to translate their findings into advances in patient treatments.
“Brain disorders such as neurological diseases have surpassed cancer and heart disease as the leading cause of global health loss,” said Roberts. “We are interested in looking at brain health across the lifespan of a person to better understand neurodegenerative diseases and the impact they have in childhood and late in life. The center will position WSU as a leader in neuroscience and provide a place where researchers and the healthcare industry can collaborate on future clinical advances and treatments.”
Collaborating partners include researchers from TMP as well as the WSU Sleep and Performance Research Center, the Department of Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience, the Steve Gleason Institute for Neuroscience, and health care providers from St. Luke’s Rehabilitation Medical Center, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, and the Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health System.
Jon Oatley, associate dean for research in the College of Veterinary Medicine and professor in the School of Molecular Biosciences, and Kevin Murphy, Clif Bar and King Arthur Baking Company Endowed Chair in Organic Grain Breeding and Innovation, also received funding. WSU Insider highlights the focus of their work in a recent article.