Biomedical research at Clark Atlanta University (CAU) has been supported by the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR)/National Institutes of Health (NIH)-sponsored Research Center in Minority Institutions (RCMI) program since 1985. The RCMI program at CAU over the last 20 years has been vital for the development of infrastructure for biomedical research by providing state-of-the-art equipment, recruitment of faculty and resources for individual researchers. The Center for Cancer Research and Therapeutic Development (CCRTD) was created in 1999 with support from the RCMI program. CCRTD faculty belongs to the Departments of Biology, Chemistry and School of Education with research interests in cancer biology, drug discovery and behavioral aspects of cancer. During the current funding period, CCRTD decided to focus on the development of a nationally-recognized research program in prostate cancer. As a part of this initiative, CAU recruited three new faculty members with research programs focused on prostate cancer research and education. The well-defined and focused activities at CCRTD have resulted in increased productivity and the stature of biomedical research at CAU. During the next funding period, we will continue to expand and enhance our research activities to achieve the goals of building a world class Center dedicated to research in prostate cancer and its impact in the African-American community. The proposed specific goals are: 1) to develop and expand current research core facilities vital for carrying out research on the cellular and molecular biology of prostate cancer and 2) to recruit additional faculty who will further strengthen CCRTD. To provide additional support to CCRTD investigators, we propose to establish two new core units within CCRTD Research Support Core Facilities: Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Core and Analytical Core. We also propose to recruit three additional faculty members who will be committed to high caliber research in prostate cancer biology and chemistry. Additional faculty is imperative to achieve a critical mass of scientists working in a collaborative and synergistic environment to create a world class center in prostate cancer research at CAU. This will be a unique Center of its kind at an HBCU.
Prostate cancer affects the African-American community disproportionately. There is an increased incidence/mortality rate for African-American men, however the reason for this is unknown. The Center for Cancer Research and Therapeutic Development is committed to focus on the impact of this health disparity within the African-American community.
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