This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing theresources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject andinvestigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source,and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed isfor the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator.The Montana State University (MSU) COBRE Administrative Core changed Program Directors during the reporting year. Dr. Mark Quinn took over for Dr. Allen Harmsen. Dr. Quinn's research is focused on understanding microbicidal mechanisms utilized by innate immune cells in defense of the host against pathogens. Specific projects are in progress to investigate the molecular & biochemical basis of phagocyte oxygen radical production, as well as the role of phagocyte-generated oxidants in tissue damage associated with inflammatory diseases in humans and animals. Additional work focuses on identifying and characterizing novel immunomodulatory agents for enhancing innate immune responses. Dr. Quinn has published over 120 peer-reviewed articles and is currently Head of the Department of Veterinary Molecular Biology.Dr. Quinn functions in the same capacities as did Dr. Harmsen. Specifically, Dr. Quinn provides administrative oversight, chairs the Executive Committee, and serves as a research advocate and coordinator of the scientific research conducted under MSU COBRE. The purpose of this core is to provide administrative support and services to the Project Leaders (PLs), Core Directors, Research Mentors, new faculty hires, and to all investigators and technical personnel working on the scientific projects and cores of the proposed center. Dr. Quinn works directly with the project mentors to guide and coordinate the program projects and new faculty hires, and it is through this Core that the projects and related cores of the center will be interwoven and regularly assessed. Under this oversight, Dr. Quinn is responsible for the leadership, management, staffing, and resource allocation, and for administering the MSU COBRE in accordance with NIH policies. The Administrative Core also includes an Administrative and Accounting Associate who organizes the COBRE events and conferences and provides fiscal management and support for all aspects of the program and a Program Evaluator who collects and analyzes data and reports on the progress of the programs.The Administrative Core is comprised of several additional components. The Executive Committee (EC) includes the Program Director (PD) and the Core Directors. The Cores of the Center include directors from the Genomics and Proteomics Core (Core B), Molecular and Cellular Analysis Core (Core C), and BSL-3 Core (Core D). Directors from each COBRE Core are Veterinary Molecular Biology faculty and also participate on the Mentoring Board. As a whole, the EC will review COBRE progress reports, set priorities for research efforts on the program projects, provide directives of all the cores' activities, and make recommendations to the PD for future center directions. The External Advisory Committee (EAC) advises on scientific, administrative, and research elements of the COBRE Program. The EAC reviews the MSU COBRE's performance, specific aims, and evaluates the longitudinal progress of the program and individual research projects. EAC activities include concept development, program planning, research project development and mentoring, identification of resources, and evaluation of progress toward stated goals. In some cases, EAC members provide mentoring assistance to Project Leaders and identify potential national mentors and collaborators. The committee is comprised of nationally recognized scientists that includes: John Collier, Harvard University, National Academy of Science Member, and internationally recognized expert on anthrax toxin; Jerry McGhee, University of Alabama-Birmingham and internationally known expert in mucosal immunity; and Christopher Wilson, Head of the Department of Immunology at the University of Washington and internationally recognized expert in immunity to infectious disease. During the 2007-2008 reporting period, Dr. Suzy Swain asked to leave the EAC because of outside obligations in her research program. In her place, the Core was able to recruit Dr. John R. Perfect to serve on the EAC. This change was beneficial because most of the new hires focus on bacterial and fungal pathogenesis, which is not the specialty of Dr. Swain. Dr. Perfect, given his expertise, thus provides an integral oversight to this shift in research focus. Dr. Perfect is the Director of Mycology Research Unit at Duke University. Dr. Perfect's research team investigates anti-fungal agents in animal models of candida and cryptococcal infections.The Administrative Core organizes several programs to enhance research experiences and publicize the MSU COBRE Program, namely the national speaker series, the Annual Research Conference, oversight of the Mini-Grants Program, and support for Bioinformatics Facility and Research within a cross-campus and interdisciplinary collaborative model. The national speaker series brings world-class infectious disease researchers to MSU campus. The COBRE-sponsored speakers tour labs at MSU and meet with COBRE researchers and students. These visits expose all faculty and students to cutting-edge science and provide informal review of ongoing research. COBRE students and faculty prepare for the seminars by reading journal articles and background science on the speakers' research prior to their visits. The annual research conferences and symposia are important venues that allow project leaders and other important researchers to showcase their research, interact with other researchers who share similar interests, and brainstorm new techniques and ways to expand or improve the science. The mini-grants program provides vital funds for pilot projects that have been successful in developing larger, federally-funded grants. Support for bioinformatics is crucial for COBRE, but also for researchers and students across MSU.
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