The $5.5 million Emerging Technology Fund grant UH received Thursday is already being put to use.
The grant funds the newly-founded Center for Nuclear Receptors and Cell Signaling. Professor Jan-‘Aring;ke Gustafsson, renowned scientist in the field of hormone receptors, heads the center.
Gustafsson said the center is still in the early stages of development, but hopes to have it fully staffed within two years.
‘Eventually, the center will contain 12 full time faculty members. We have four and are recruiting eight more,’ he said.
Gustafsson said he envisions a center that will inspire others to work together to increase the productivity of all research institutions involved.
‘I would hope that we can stimulate the other departments to form novel associations by conveying our enthusiasm for working together and demonstrating our success as a team,’ he said.
Gustafsson will help lead a collaborative effort between UH scientists and researchers working at Methodist Hospital.
‘This is really going to stimulate the life sciences at UH, and the long-term goal is to have this be a world-class center,’ Gustafsson said. ‘I hope to aid in sharpening UH’s profile as part of Khator’s Health Initiative.’
The research will focus on a class of molecules regulated by hormones. The molecules are known as nuclear receptors.’
Nuclear receptors help regulate gene activity and are involved in the development of cancers and other diseases.
Gustafsson has more than 30 years experience in this field, including a history finding commercial applications for his research – something he said he hopes to continue here.
‘I have always been interested in applying discoveries towards medical treatments. This is one of the goals of the center,’ Gustafsson said. ‘We want to translate the basic science research to things of more practical use.’
Gustafsson said some of the targets of the research are cancers of the breast, prostate and ovaries.
‘All of these are hormonally regulated, and many other common diseases have a hormone component,’ he said. ‘Ultimately, I would like the outcome of our research to be efficient drugs to treats these diseases.’
Gustafsson said many of the long-term plans of the center depend on collaborative efforts between UH and Methodist Hospital.
‘UH is well-known for its excellence in technology. It is very good at chemistry, very good at physics, the computer sciences and other areas. All of these are strongly needed by the life sciences and give UH a strong competitive advantage,’ he said. ‘However, we simply cannot do the clinical trials that Methodist can.’
Dr. Michael Lieberman, director of the Methodist Hospital Research Institute, agrees both UH and Methodist are fortified by the alliance.
‘The thing to remember is that each institution brings a different skill set,’ Lieberman said. ‘Obviously you need a hospital for clinical trials, but they aren’t always suited for the basic research.’
Lieberman said the partnership has benefitted from the two institutions working together so collegially.
‘Interpersonal chemistry is as important as the biochemistry. If the researchers don’t like and trust each other, they won’t work together,’ Lieberman said. ‘UH and Methodist really form a team built on genuine respect.’
