October 2009
BIOTECH PARK NEWS
Two Park Companies on 2009 Venture Forum “Companies to Watch” List
This was the fifth year that the Venture Forum has organized this event. The Venture Forum, an association that promotes and supports entrepreneurial activity in Central Virginia, honored two Park tenants, Venebio and Health Diagnostic Labs.
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24 Hours in the Life of the UNOS Organ Center Podcast
Our October Speaker Series: Gather, Listen, Connect was such a success we thought we would share it with the world wide web. 24 Hours in the Life of the UNOS Organ Center gives an indepth look at what goes on in the United Network for Organ Sharing, as well as giving a detailed description of transplantion.
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Virginia Economy: Let’s Be Sure Biotech Has a Bright Future
They are the 21st-century’s white-coat warriors: biotech researchers determined to create cutting-edge drugs from living organisms. The resulting medicines, called “biologics,” typically take over 20 years and $1.2 billion to develop. Successful drugs can work wonders. There are biologics currently on the market treating cancer, multiple sclerosis, and a host of other illnesses. And with about 600 biologics in the pipeline around the country, more medical miracles might lie just over the horizon.
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Virtual Journal Club Launched to Foster Review of Medical Research
The Electric Book Company, LLC, and E-Science Info, a scientific information service provider, have combined resources to deliver an innovative virtual journal club for medical researchers and scientists. The E-Science Info Journal Club will be moderated by Dr. Jeya Chelliah, PhD, President of E-Science Info (www.newgrantinfo.com), as he leads on-line reviews of the latest research and trends through content published by the Public Library of Science.
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AWARDS, HONORS AND GRANTS
VCU Receives $100,000 Grand Challenges Explorations Grant for Innovative Global Health Research
Virginia Commonwealth University announced that it has received a $100,000 Grand Challenges Explorations grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The grant will support an innovative global health research project conducted by Luiz Shozo Ozaki, Ph.D., associate professor in VCU Life Sciences’ Center for the Study of Biological Complexity.
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Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Awards $600,000 Grant to VCU Massey Cancer Center
The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of America awarded a $600,000 grant to Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center researcher Steven Grant, M.D., to develop a new laboratory-based strategy for the treatment of advanced chronic myelogenous leukemia and related acute leukemias.
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VCU Massey Cancer Center Receives $1.25M to Examine a Novel Drug’s Ability to Improve Radiation Therapy in Mice for Brain Cancer
A leading researcher at Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center received a five-year, $1.25 million grant from the National Cancer Institute to study a novel drug’s ability to improve radiation treatment of glioblastoma multiforme in mice as a prelude to human testing.
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NEWS and RESEARCH@VCU
VCU Medical Center Surgeons Use Deep Brain Stimulation to Treat Movement Disorder Caused by Rare Pediatric Condition
A deep brain stimulator that Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center doctors implanted this summer in the brain of a 7-year old girl who has been wracked with disabling body spasms since infancy is giving her parents and physicians reason to be hopeful the therapy might work.
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Researchers Identify Gene with Possible Link to Infertility in Mice
Virginia Commonwealth University researchers have identified the role of a gene in regulating molecular signals involved with ovarian follicle development, which may one day help shed light on some of the causes of fertility issues in humans.
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VCU Among 2009 Survey of Nation’s Top 25 “Best Neighbor” Colleges and Universities
Virginia Commonwealth University has been named a Top 25 “best neighbor” university for a second time in a national survey that recognizes revitalization, cultural renewal, economics and community service and development.
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