Researchers at Wayne State University and the WSU School of Medicine have collectively secured $6.53 million in grants under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the national economic stimulus package signed into law by President Barack Obama.

The National Institutes of Health recently announced another series of approved grants. The most recent grants include:

Robert Akins, Ph.D., associate professor of the Department of Biochemistry, received $207,200 from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease for "High Throughput Identification and Quantification of Fungi Using High Resolution Melt Analysis QPCR."

Terrance Albrecht, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Public Health Sciences, and the Karmanos Cancer Institute, received $167,200 from the National Cancer Institute for "Improving Clinical System Communication to Increase Trial Offers to Cancer Patients."

Michael Cher, M.D., professor and chairman of the Department of Urology, and Rafael Fridman, Ph.D., professor of the Department of Pathology, received $448,236 from the National Cancer Institute for "The Role of MT1-MMP/RANKL/Rank Axis in Prostate Cancer Bone Metastis."

Dennis Drescher, Ph.D., professor and director of Molecular Research in the Department of Otolaryngology, and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, received $161,500 from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders for "Identification of Acoustico-Lateralis Transmitters."

Alexander Gow, Ph.D., associate professor in the Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, the Carman and Ann Adams Department of Pediatrics, and the Department of Neurology, received $380,000 from the National Institute of Neurological Disorder and Stroke for "Molecular Mechanisms of Neurodegeneration."

Mark Greenwald, Ph.D., director of the Substance Abuse Research Division and chief of the Human Pharmacology Laboratory in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, received $655,974 from the National Institute on Drug Abuse for "Human Laboratory Model of Cocaine Treatment: Behavioral Economic Analysis."

Mary Lieh-Lai, M.D., associate professor of the Department of Pediatrics, received $243,183 from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development for "Pediatric Pharmacology Research Unit."

Jeffrey Loeb, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of Neurology and associate director of the Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, received $463,289 from the National Institute of Neurological Disorder and Stroke for "Activity-Dependent Gene Expression in Human Epilepsy."

Patricia LoRusso, D.O., professor of Internal Medicine and director of the Phase I Clinical Trials Program at the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, received $43,342 from the National Cancer Institute for "Early Clinical Trials of New Anti-Cancer Agents."

Lawrence Lum, Ph.D., D.Sc., professor of the Department of Internal Medicine in the Division of Hematolgy/Oncology, and the Karmanos Cancer Institute, received $501,226 from the National Cancer Institute for "Breast Cancer Treatment with Antibody Targeted T Cells."

Tiffany Matthews, Ph.D., assistant professor of the Department of Chemistry, received $40,000 from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism for "BDNF, Dopamine and Ethanol."

Sylvie Naar-King, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Pediatrics and the PediatricPrevention Research Center, received $121,345 from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute for "Multisystemic Therapy to Reduce Health Disparities in Adolescents With Asthma."

Aleksandar Popadic, Ph.D., associate professor of the Department of Biological Sciences, received $151,195 from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences for "Genetics of Leg Size Variation in Insects."

Duska Separovic, Ph.D., assistant professor of the Department of Occupational Health & Environmental Health Sciences, received $251,852 from the National Cancer Institute for "Sphingolipids in Cell Death After Photodamage."

Timothy Stemmler, Ph.D., associate professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, received $32,680 from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases for "Structural Insights Into the Function of Frataxin."

Andrei Tkatchenko, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, received $215,000 from the National Eye Institute for "Feasibility of a Mouse Model of Myopia."

Jinsheng Zhang, Ph.D., associate professor of the Department of Otolaryngology, received $83,245 from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders for "Cortical Electrical Suppression of Noise-Induced Tinnitus."

Grants under the ARRA announced earlier by the NIH include:

James Granneman, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience and the Center for Integrative Metabolic and Endocrine Research, received $316,416 from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases for "Analysis of Lipolytic Trafficking in Adipocytes."

Peter Littrup, M.D., professor of the Department of Radiology at the School of Medicine and the Karmanos Cancer Institute, received $242,349 from the National Cancer Institute for "Functional Ultrasound Tomography: Testing a Low-Cost Breast Imaging Concept."

Melody Neuhart Neely, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Immunology and Microbiology, received $7,468 from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for "Analysis of the Virulence Mechanisms of a Lantibiotic Locus."

Donal O'Leary, Ph.D., professor and director of cardiovascular research in the Department of Physiology, received three grants from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute: $8,853 for "Blood Pressure Control During Exercise in Heart Failure," $8,552 for "NTS Adenosine Receptors in Cardiovascular Control" and $531,614 for "Integrative Cardiovascular Control During Exercise in Hypertension."

Avraham Raz, Ph.D., professor in the Departments of Pathology and Radiation Oncology, received $334,006 from the National Cancer Institute for "Characterization of Motility Factor Receptor."

Melissa Runge-Morris, M.D., associate professor of the Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, received $228,000 from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences for "PCBS: Environmental Modulators of Human Breast Cancer Progression."

Michael Shaw, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Immunology and Microbiology, received $190,000 from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for "A Novel Splice Variant of Interleukin-13 and its Role in Promoting EAE Responses."

Paul Stemmer, Ph.D., associate professor of the Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, received $500,000 from the National Center for Research Resources for "A Proposal to Expand Analytical Capabilities at Wayne State University With A 400."