July 2009
BIOTECH PARK NEWS
Midwest Proteomics to Partner with The Remedy Group
Midwest Proteomics (MWP) has announced an innovative strategy to launch their Network Builder technology into the forefront of the bioinformatics community. MWP will embark on a commercialization partnership with leading specialty consulting firm, The Remedy Group.
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VBRP Featured on NPR
David Lohr, Executive Director of the Virginia Biosciences Development Center, was featured on NPR on July 23, 2009 to discuss the Virginia BioTechnology Research Park’s recent partnership with the MathScience Innovation Center for a summer session for Richmond area school children.
Virginia Life Science Investments LLC acquires Virginia BioSciences Commercialization Center
Effective July 1, 2009, the Virginia Life Science Investments, LLC (VLSI), a newly-formed company established to invest in life science companies, has acquired the Virginia BioSciences Commercialization Center (VBCC), a company formed in 2007 to support the commercialization of new life science products and technologies. The Commercialization Center, located at the Virginia Biotechnology Research Park, is now a wholly owned subsidiary of the VLSI.
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AWARDS, HONORS AND GRANTS
VCU Health System Again Ranks Among “America’s Best Hospitals”
The Virginia Commonwealth University Health System has been ranked in U.S. News Media Group’s 2009 publication of America’s Best Hospitals. The VCU Health System is the only medical center in Central Virginia to be ranked in the report.
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Massey Researcher Awarded $1.25 Million Grant to Develop Myeloma Treatment
Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center researcher Steven Grant, M.D., a professor of medicine and Massey’s associate director for translational research, and his research team have received a National Cancer Institute renewal grant of $1.25 million to develop a more selective approach to the treatment of multiple myeloma, an incurable, malignant disorder of the bone marrow involving plasma cells.
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School of Medicine Receives Grant to Support Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students
The Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine has received a Department of Health and Human Services grant totaling more than $250,000 to help students who might otherwise be unable to attend medical school take a step closer to achieving their goals.
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NEWS and RESEARCH@VCU
VCU Researchers Study the Molecular Underpinnings of What Makes the Heart Tick
A team of Virginia Commonwealth University researchers is studying cells found in the heart to determine the underlying causes of abnormal heart rhythms – those acquired and those due to genetic factors.
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Researcher on Hunt for Parkinson’s Cure
Virginia Commonwealth University’s new Parkinson’s initiative will be led by a veteran researcher who believes no single thing triggers the disease that causes debilitating, gradually worsening tremors. While much of Dr. James P. Bennett Jr.’s research focuses on the role of the energy-producing components of cells called mitochondria, those working with him are pursuing a range of theories and possible treatments — even a type of low-level light therapy studied so far in cells in laboratory dishes.
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VCU Massey Cancer Center Opens Clinical Trial for Prostate Cancer Patients
Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center opened a clinical study that will assess the safety and effectiveness of a new device — a small, biodegradable balloon — intended to allow doctors to more aggressively treat prostate cancer with radiation therapy while sparing other tissues.
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