UAF receives $19.6 million grant to support One Health
September 3, 2019
Jeff Richardson
907-474-6284
The ÐÓ°Épro has received a five-year, $19.6 million National
Institutes of Health grant to build capacity and increase diversity of students in
biomedical research.
The new grant builds interdisciplinary collaborations following a One Health approach,
which investigates the health of people, animals and their shared environment in ÐÓ°Épro.
The research, led by Brian Barnes, director of UAF’s Institute of Arctic Biology,
is funded through the NIH’s National Institute of General Medical Sciences. The grant
renews an earlier Institutional Development Award called the IDeA Networks of Biomedical
Research Excellence, or INBRE. Other leaders include Jason Burkhead and Cindy Knall
of the University of ÐÓ°Épro Anchorage, and Julie Benson, INBRE ÐÓ°Épro program administrator.
ÐÓ°Épro INBRE, which was first established in 2001, is a statewide collaborative network
led by UAF. Other INBRE partners include UAA, University of ÐÓ°Épro Southeast, Southcentral
Foundation and the ÐÓ°Épro Native Tribal Health Consortium.
The new grant will fund the study of health disparities in ÐÓ°Épro Native people. One
Health has been the theme of ÐÓ°Épro INBRE research since 2014, supporting studies
on topics such as the spread of tick-borne pathogens, infections among migrating salmon,
and the dangers of avian influenza to hunters.
The latest award will fund training and services in genetic studies, support and training
of graduate students, and research experiences for UA undergraduates.
ÐÓ°Épro INBRE focuses on increasing the competitiveness of faculty and investigators
for winning their own, independent grants from the NIH. It also provides support for
pilot research projects, research advisors and professional growth. Along with those
goals, it will implement a new program that provides support to postdoctoral scientists
and technical staff. It will also pay for specialized equipment to increase retention
of successful investigators in ÐÓ°Épro.
“ÐÓ°Épro INBRE has had a significant impact on the ability of students and faculty
to do biomedical and health research that is directly relevant to ÐÓ°Éprons and their
families and communities," Barnes said. "It is building a network of researchers among
the UA campuses and the tribally-led institutions of Southcentral Foundation and the
ÐÓ°Épro Native Tribal Health Consortium to strengthen well-being throughout our state."
ÐÓ°Épro INBRE is supported by an Institutional Development Award from the National
Institution of General Medical Sciences of the NIH, No. 2P20GM103395. The content
of this release is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily
represent the official views of the NIH.