The proposed MBRS program is designed to: 1) provide verifiable scientific data that can be used by the basic science and clinical communities in the assessment, control, or prevention of human disease or altered states of nomality; 2) intimately involve undergraduate students in state of the arts research thereby promoting their interest in pursuing research careers; 3) continue in the strengthening of the research capabilities of the institution; and 4) provide support from which at least 3 of the investigators (Atkinson, Heller, and Tan) can move into mainstream funding. To accomplish our overall goals, individual research projects are submitted that involve faculty and students in 4 departments and span 6 biomedical areas. From investigators in the Department of Biological Sciences, projects involving biochemical genetics and immunologically active cytokines are included. A faculty member in the Department of Chemistry proposes a project based on the tools of analytical biochemistry. A scientist in the Physical Education Department has developed a project designed to provide and test intervention techniques which should reduce the incidence of specific cardiovascular diseases. From the Department of Social Sciences, one psychologist submits a proposal which should address survival strategies for productive lives of individuals in our blind and nearly blind populations while a second psychologist who has moved into mainstream funding has submitted information on his research as an associate investigator. Support is requested for a 4 year period. This period of support is essential to allow for the completion of the specific aims of the individual research projects. It is clear that such completion and publications based on such work will allow the individuals named in item #4 above to be competitive for R01 funding from the relevant Institutes of the National Institutes of Health and other disease-oriented funding agencies.
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