Insight: Research Edition

Fall 2005

Message from the Dean

Dear Friends,

The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and the dissemination of anthrax spores through the U.S. mail a month later, brought many changes to our world. Americans, most of whom felt largely immune to the bombings and senseless killings that beleaguered much of the planet, were suddenly thrust into a world where planes could bring down buildings and letters could deliver death.

In response to those attacks, and concerns over the potential for future attacks, the government moved to dramatically increase spending on biodefense research with the goal of developing accurate and rapid diagnostic tools, therapeutic medications and effective vaccines that would protect the public against agents of bioterror.

In June, Colorado State University was selected by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) to establish a Regional Center of Excellence (RCE) for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases research and training. This four-year, $40 million grant is part of a $400 million effort by the NIAID to establish 10 regional centers of excellence to address national biodefense research needs. We are extremely proud that our programs at the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, especially the Infectious Diseases Program, have been entrusted with a task so vital to our nation and the world.

It’s also important to note that this grant would not have been successful without the work of so many of our faculty and staff who have developed a body of work that was worthy of an RCE, who worked diligently to develop and submit a comprehensive grant application, and who are now putting in long hours to get the RCE up and running.

In this research edition of Insight, you’ll read about the RCE and some of the research projects that are already underway. This fascinating work has implications not only for biodefense, but also for the advancement of health care around the world. Our researchers are tackling some of the most devastating diseases known to humankind, and increased funding from NIAID means that we will be able to save lives all the sooner.

You’ll also read about research projects in the Program in Molecular, Cellular and Integrative Neurosciences. This exciting program, a University Pro-gram of Research and Scholarly Excellence, is helping us to develop a better understanding of the human nervous system with research that examines the inner workings of the neuron. Research-ers in this program have come together across departmental and college bound-aries to explore the normal and abnormal function of the nervous system with the hope of one day being able to help people who suffer from debilitating disease or injury.

The College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences is proud to be home to academic excellence in our undergraduate and graduate programs, to outreach and service programs that touch the lives of many, and to research endeavors that may one day lead to a cure for cancer or a vaccine against tuberculosis. Among schools of veterinary medicine in the country, in 2004 we led in total extramural research expenditures with $52.9 million. We also led all veterinary schools in terms of total National Institutes of Health research expenditures with $34.15 million. Our faculty is held in high esteem nationally and internationally, and we are so very proud of the important work that they do.

Our research programs are not only important to the creation of knowledge and advancement of science and medicine, they contribute so much to the College and to the University. Thanks to our research programs, we are able to provide state-of-the-art laboratories and invaluable research experience for undergraduate and graduate students. We are able to add highly qualified faculty and research associates who enrich the University with their knowledge and experience. Research dollars help build new buildings and outfit laboratories with the latest equipment.

I hope you enjoy this research edition of Insight magazine. In these pages, you are getting a glimpse of the future of biomedical sciences. You are getting an insider’s look at the Regional Center of Excellence and examining neurons with our researchers at the Program in Molecular, Cellular and Integrative Neuroscience. We are proud of who we are and what we do, and hope that you will join us as we share just a few of our past accomplishments and preview what we hope will be our future ones.

With Best Regards,

Lance E. Perryman, DVM, PhDDean,
College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences