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(09/25/09 4:41am)
Three UNC faculty members working at the cutting edge of biomedicine are among the recipients of two prestigious grants awarded Thursday by the National Institutes of Health.
Joseph DeSimone received the Pioneer Award, one of only 18 presented this year, while Mark Zylka and Klaus Hahn both received Transformative R01 Awards. Only 42 were awarded nationwide.
Both awards are given to individuals conducting innovative, nontraditional and high-risk research that could lead to breakthroughs in biomedicine, according to the NIH’s Web site.
The UNC recipients said they are enthusiastic about how the awards will improve their research. They said they plan to use the funds to hire staff and buy supplies that could facilitate their work.
DeSimone, whose chemistry and nanotechnology research span multiple disciplines, has been working on transferring biological therapeutics like proteins into the body in more efficient ways.
For one of his projects, DeSimone is developing a method for biological drugs to be inhaled nasally to treat diseases like Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s.
This process would require the drug to penetrate a barrier between the bloodstream and the brain, which is not an easy feat, DeSimone said.
“Overcoming the blood-brain barrier is one of these holy grails of medical research,” he said.
He said he plans on using the grant, which provides up to $500,000 a year for five years, on paying student assistants, hiring postdoctoral research associates and purchasing supplies.
“This gives me license to do what I want to do,” he said.
Zylka, one of the winners of the Transformative R01 Award and an assistant professor in the cell and molecular physiology department, has been conducting research focused on relieving pain without serious side effects.
“Our research is focused on inhibiting pain-sensing neurons but not other cells in the body,” Zylka said.
Zylka said the Transformative R01 grant, an amount that will be based on his budget, will allow him to hire more staff.
“It’s going to allow us to bring in talented people to move research forward a lot faster,” Zylka said.
Hahn, the other UNC recipient of the Transformative R01 Award and a professor of pharmacology, has been researching ways of measuring how information is transmitted between large networks inside cells.
Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
(09/18/09 5:17am)
UNC’s new Climate Action Plan, a road map released Tuesday that seeks to make the school carbon-neutral by 2050, presents short-term solutions that reduce emissions and save money.
(09/16/09 2:01am)
(09/09/09 4:07am)
Students and the rest of campus will have their chance this week to voice opinions on qualities they want in a new vice chancellor for student affairs.The position oversees 360 University employees, more than 1,200 student staff members and a budget of more than $80 million. Student leaders said the position is their voice to high-level administrators in important talks. With such a broad list of responsibilities, the role of vice chancellor might seem unclear. And the search — as well as whoever fills the position next — could modify the office’s function.“It is an exceedingly complex and challenging role,” said Margaret Jablonski, the current vice chancellor. Jablonski announced in the spring that she will step down from the position, effective July 1.But according to campus leaders, there are certain fundamental tenets of the job that can be pinned down.“The vice chancellor oversees the 12 units within the University that have a huge impact on student life,” said Student Body President Jasmin Jones.The departments led by the vice chancellor’s office include the Campus Y, the Dean of Students Office and the Department of Housing and Residential Education.The search is internal, considering only current UNC employees.The University is holding three town hall meetings intended to survey the attitudes of the community about which qualities it wants to see in the new administrator.Perhaps the most important aspect of the vice chancellor’s role is to represent the student body to upper levels of administration.Jablonski has often provided a contact point between student government and administrators.An awareness of the wishes of the student body is also important for anybody considered for the job, said Student Body Vice President David Bevevino.“The vice chancellor has to be cognizant of what’s going on in student life very, very broadly,” Bevevino said. “Any person that comes into the position will have to be in touch with Carolina students. That will never change.”The search committee is seeking someone who also has exceptional leadership ability, said committee chairwoman Sarah Michalak, a professor of information and library science.“We are looking for a person who can create a vision statement for student affairs and articulate that in a moving way,” she said.Michalak said the committee wants to obtain a broad sample of ideas through these meetings.“We want to hear any issues or ideas that people have about what would make the ideal candidate,” Michalak said. She added that community input is an important part of the job.“The new vice chancellor had better be a fantastic listener,” she said.Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
(09/03/09 4:47am)
A crowd of about 200 well-dressed young men flocked to the Great Hall of the Student Union on Wednesday evening for the Interfraternity Council Fall Recruitment 2009 Kickoff. The kickoff allowed the 22 IFC fraternities’ recruitment chairmen to publicize their groups’ rush schedules and answer questions from potential members.IFC President Charlie Winn opened the festivities by advising potential recruits to view the organization with an open mind and get to know every fraternity before making a decision to join one.After the program, potential recruits met with recruitment chairmen for each fraternity in the back of the room.Program coordinators stressed that alcohol is forbidden during all rush events.The young men in the room seemed optimistic about the social opportunities joining a fraternity would bring.Shahir Amin, a sophomore business major from Charleston, W.Va., who transferred from Emory University, said he is looking to Greek life to provide social opportunities.“It’s a good way to meet a bunch of people from campus,” he said.Jeff White, a freshman political science major from Jackson, said he is rushing in part for the prospect of campus involvement. “There is so much stuff you can get involved with, with fraternities,” said. Current members of the UNC Greek system offered their advice on how to make the most of rush week.John Pulliam, one of five rush chairmen for Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity, said he would advise recruits to come into the rush process with a positive attitude.“Keep your options open and be honest with yourself,” he said.Lex Janes, a member of Pi Lambda Phi fraternity, said he thinks Greek life has had a positive aspect on his campus experience and would advise recruits not to limit themselves to a specific fraternity.“Be open. Go to as many of the fraternities that you like,” he said. He added that his experience has been a positive one. “It sold itself,” he said. Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.