Mbrs Program at Drew University

Shacks, Samuel

Abstract

The Charles R. Drew University of Medicine & Science (Drew) MBRS Consortium Program is requesting renewed support for the coming four years, 1996 through 2000. The requested support will enable the continuation of Drew Consortium efforts: to develop research capability; to enhance Drew's infrastructure; and to impact through research experiences minority students enrolled in four area community colleges, and two four year universities. Thus, Drew University proposes to continue in its role as a research implementation site for the MBRSP faculty, by means of subproject support of developmental research in applied, basic, and clinical sciences. A major objective will be to increase the active pool of university research scientists within Drew, and with records of productivity attractive to other institutions. MBRS student employees who constitute elements of Drew's academic pipeline will have provided unique academic experiences, unavailable on their parent campuses, for which they may earn academic credits from consortium site institutions for completed Drew course work. The core administrative component's current responsibilities to investigators and the consortium involving fiscal administration, coordination of program governance, course, seminar and workshop offerings, liaison activities, etc., will continue during the program's requested renewal period. The proposed Drew investigators and their collaborators consist of: nineteen (19) personnel who possess doctorate degrees; one D.Sc.; one D.V.M.-Ph.D.; one MBBS; one MD/MS; three MD/Ph.D.D.; six M.D.; and six Ph.D.s. The present application consists of 11 requested sub-projects. Of the subprojects for which support is being requested, there will be six involving human subjects and five that will employ animal models. The projects requested address Drew's multidisciplinary agenda, and collectively cover a broad range of research interests. The proposed investigations concern: biochemistry of antioxidants and cardiovascular disease; environmental health; etiopathogenesis of immunosuppression; genetics; health and behavior; inner city pregnancy and parasitology; and potential new cancer therapies. MBRS/NIGMS funding of these projects will enable NIH support of developmental research better focusing on unresolved problems identified in the Heckler Commission Report, and more contemporaneous problems. There will be offered a newly designed case- oriented course on """"""""Scientific Responsibility in the Conduct of Research"""""""". Finally, approval and funding of the Drew MBRS Consortium application will further contribute to faculty development, to Drew's research capability, and to enlargement of the minority pool of trained researchers.