NIH Center of Biomedical Research Excellence
In the Fall of 2002, the Center for Environmental Health Sciences received an award of nearly $8.2 million in direct funds from the NCRR Institute of the National Institutes of Health under the Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) program. Research projects involved investigators from UM departments of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chemistry, Biological Sciences, as well as from the College of Nursing at Montana State University.
These successful collaborations have resulted in an extension of the original five-year COBRE grant, which continues to substantially enhance the multi-disciplinary biomedical research program at CEHS.
COBRE Research Subproject
Arsenic toxicity causes vascular dysplasia, placental insufficiency and spontaneous abortion. Principal Investigator D. Coffin, Collaborators H. Beall and J. Cross.
Evaluation of amphibole contamination in tree bark within Libby, MT and transportation corridors throughout the Pacific NW. Principal Investigator T. Ward, Collaborators A. Holian, J. Webber.
SPARC and extracellular matrix production after amphibole exposure. Principal Investigator E. Putnam, Collaborator H. Sage.
Cellular mechanisms of asbestos-induced autoimmunity. Principal Investigator J. Pfau, Collaborators K. Roberts and
S. Wetzel.
Effects of asbestos on T cell activation. Principal Investigator S. Wetzel, Collaborator M. Minnick.
COBRE is expanding research expertise through recent faculty recruitment in areas of:
* Bioinformatics - Changwon Yoo
* Epidemiology - Curtis Noonan
* Neurotoxicology - Lilian Calderón-Garcidueñas
* Neurotoxicology - Darrell Jackson
* Immunology - Scott Wetzel
CEHS Core Facilities
For proteomics, gene microarray, bioinformatics, molecular histology, fluorescent imaging, flow cytometry, and inductively couple plasma mass spectroscopy provide essental technology and instrumentation meeting COBRE program needs and strengthening UM's biomedical research infrastructure.
Microarray - Director Mark Pershouse, Staff Scientist Corbin Schwanke
Molecular Histology & Fluorescence Imaging - Director Diana Lurie, Staff Scientist Lou Herritt
Proteomics - Director Chuck Thompson, Staff Scientist Beverly Parker
Fluorescence Cytometry - Director Jean Pfau, Staff Scientist Pam Shaw
Postdoctoral Scientists
Linda Jones, Lurie Laboratory
Zeina Jaffar, Roberts Laboratory
Graduate Students
Amy Erbe, Pershouse Laboratory
Teri Gertsman, Pershouse Laboratory
Aubrey Smart, Putnam Laboratory
Sheetal Thakur, Holian Laboratory
Administrative Core
Ray Hamilton, Biostatistician
Andrij Holian, CEHS Director
Paulette Jones, Administrator