Three collaborative CDC-UGA research proposals aimed at human and animal disease threats were selected for funding in the most recent CDC-UGA Collaborative Research competition.
Funded by the University of Georgia Research Foundation and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the awards provide pilot research project funding to promote collaboration in scientific innovation and technology development at the interface of human, veterinary and ecological health; increase quality and output of research; and strengthen interactions between CDC and UGA scientists.
“These highly competitive seed grants will fund research that builds on the unique strengths and capabilities of UGA and CDC scientists and facilities,” said Duncan Krause, director of UGA’s Faculty of Infectious Diseases.
The faculty, which comprises more than 100 researchers from eight colleges and schools, is an initiative of the Office of the Vice President for Research.
This year, 22 proposals were evaluated by scientists from UGA and CDC for scientific merit, potential to enhance UGA and CDC collaborative interactions and promise for future funding support. The 2010 funded proposals and their principal investigators are:
• “Low-Cost, High Throughput and Efficiency Microfluidic Platform for Cell Enrichment in Human Papillomavirus (HPV)-Cervical Cancer Screening,” Elizabeth Unger, Chronic Viral Diseases Branch, CDC, and Leidong Mao, Faculty of Engineering, UGA;
• “Genetic Diversity and Clinical Correlates in Plasmodium Field Isolates” Venkatachalam Udhayakumar, Malaria Branch, CDC, and David Peterson, infectious diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, UGA; and
• “Climate-Change Based Predictive Modeling of Rising Vibrio Illness in the U.S.,” Ezra Barzilay, Enteric Diseases Epidemiology Branch, CDC, and Erin Lipp, environmental health science, College of Public Health, UGA.
This is the second round of CDC-UGA Collaborative Research Seed Awards, an initiative begun in 2009. At least three CDC-UGA pilot projects are awarded each round, with a maximum of $50,000 per year for two years.
