Inorganic metals have long been a focus of biomedical research in New Mexico, owing both to the prevalence of mining-related metal contaminants in the region, as well as our interest in harnessing the chemical properties of metals for therapeutic or nutritional purposes. We have a recognized need in New Mexico to continue to train new researchers in the areas of metals toxicology and carcinogenesis, as well as in basic biomedical sciences. The University of New Mexico Center for Metals in Biology and Medicine (UNM CMBM) will address this by combining expertise in inorganic chemistry, analytical chemistry, and metal mixtures toxicology to add sophistication and translational value to the research of mentored principal investigators (mPIs). Junior scientists will be trained with an emphasis on team science mentoring and multidisciplinary approaches to research. In order to ensure success of the Center and our mentored PIs, the Administrative Core (AC) will provide the managerial and fiscal oversight, mentoring and scientific leadership. The long-term goal of our Center is to develop the intellectual, organizational and material infrastructure to become a nationally recognized center for research on the biological roles of metals. The goal of the present application is to establish a centralized AC that provides managerial and organizational support for the scientific objectives and mentoring activities for our junior researchers. The UNM CMBM AC therefore has three specific aims:
Aim 1. Provide scientific direction and organizational support for the UNM CMBM. The leadership of the AC will drive scientific objectives, provide strategic planning as well as managerial and fiscal oversight.
Aim 2. Manage career development, mentoring, and scientific training for mPIs. The AC will develop an effective and innovative mentoring strategy that addresses not only the needs of mentored PIs, but for other center members and mentors.
Aim 3. Promote innovation and expansion of research on metals in biology and medicine. With respect to expected outcomes, achieving these aims should result in a Center with high institutional visibility and sustainability, as the AC fosters development of a well-coordinated group of interactive and successful investigators. We expect that AC activities will contribute to extramural funding of multiple new programs, including research projects for mPIs, institutional resources, and new collaborative awards to established investigators in the Center. Such outcomes are expected to have an important positive impact and provide the foundation for a concerted and sustained effort by talented investigators with different backgrounds working on problems related to environmental contaminants and utilization of metals-biological interactions to advance medical solutions.
