• School of Medicine secures additional $2.3 million grant for Women's Reproductive Health Career Development Center
The Wayne State University School of Medicine continues its role as a leader in obstetric and gynecological research with the renewal of national funding for the only Women's Reproductive Health Care Development Center in Michigan. The center is one of only 20 nationwide.The university recently secured its third successive round of funding for the center from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. The five-year, $2.3 million grant runs through 2014. The grant will allow faculty to spend as much as 70 percent of their time conducting research in women's reproductive health issues. That investment in research is crucial, Theodore B. Jones, M.D., F.A.C.O.G., interim chairman of the WSU Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology said, because physicians have to split time between research and seeing patients. This current round of funding ensures research time without sacrificing time spent caring for patients.
• WSU leads first-ever combined imaging and genetics study in childhood OCD
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), a severe, prevalent and chronically disabling disease, affects approximately 1 to 3 percent of the population nationwide, and about 50 percent of all OCD cases begin in childhood and adolescence. Initial findings at Wayne State have shown that glutamate, the brain's light switch that helps turn serotonin and other chemicals on an off, plays a key role in OCD. Research at WSU has shown that glutamate abnormalities in OCD have significant treatment implications. David Rosenberg, M.D., the Miriam L. Hamburger Endowed Chair of Child Psychiatry and professor of psychiatry in the School of Medicine, is the principal investigator of "Brain Chemistry and Genetics in Pediatric OCD," a $2.7 million research grant that will extend Rosenberg's previous work, bringing the total award to over $6.1 million. This project, funded by the National Institute of Mental Health at the National Institutes of Health, is the first combined imaging and genetics research study on OCD.• Exploring alternative therapies to reduce anxiety in children undergoing MRIs
Medical researchers will explore complementary and alternative medicine therapies to reduce anxiety in children undergoing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies. The three methods that will be tested in the study include passive music therapy, active music therapy with a certified music therapist and distraction procedures conducted by a child life specialist. If the therapies work, they could reduce the need for higher doses of intravenous sedation medicines or multiple sedation medications in young children.• WSU leads $6.25 million NIH research program examining one of the most common inherited neurological disorders: Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease
Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) is one of the most common genetic nerve diseases, affecting 1 in 2,500 people, or 120,000 Americans. CMT causes progressive muscle weakness, painful foot deformities and walking difficulty. As the disease progresses, weakness and muscle atrophy occur in the hands, resulting in difficulty with fine motor skills. To date, no effective therapies are available for any form of CMT. To address this issue, Dr. Michael Shy, M.D., professor of neurology in the School of Medicine, is leading a study which aims to provide insights into disease mechanisms, develop therapies and educate future research on inherited neuropathies such as CMT.
• Funding received to study new ways to halt sight-threatening disease, retinopathy, feared by diabetics
All people with diabetes are at risk of developing retinopathy, and the risk increases the longer a person has diabetes. Between 40 and 45 percent of Americans with diabetes suffer from retinopathy, according to the National Eye Institute. The condition's onset can begin with no or few symptoms. Retinopathy is the most common cause of acquired blindness in diabetic patients. The condition is a result of damage to the small blood vessels in the retina, the layer of cells in the back of the eye that is responsible for sending signals to the brain. Research at WSU is exploring new ways to inhibit retinopathy.• Wayne State University and Karmanos Cancer Institute sign affiliation agreement to accelerate breakthroughs in cancer research, education and clinical care
Wayne State University and the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute recently announced a long-term partnership agreement to advance cancer research, education and clinical care. This document, which expands an agreement signed in 1994, reaffirms the critical importance of the research collaboration between Wayne State and Karmanos, and cites the goal of significantly expanding the number of cancer research faculty and programs at both institutions. Under the agreement, the School of Medicine will establish a new department for existing and new WSU basic scientists whose primary appointments are in the cancer institute. Building this department is an opportunity to improve integration of Karmanos faculty into the School of Medicine and will facilitate school-wide initiatives in multidisciplinary research.
Wayne State University is a premier urban research university offering more than 350 academic programs through 13 schools and colleges to more than 31,000 students.