S.C. grants awarded to support biomedical research

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S.C. Idea Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence has announced $650,000 in grant funding to student and faculty research at schools across the state.

The five-year renewable grant program, funded by the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of General Medical Sciences, has been divided into three pools, according to a news release.

The Bioinformatics Pilot Program, fosters faculty-driven research and student or postdoctoral training in genomics and bioinformatics methods through awards of up to $10,000 per year. Recipients include Guoshuai Cai of the University of South Carolina, Pamela Hanson of Furman University and Jeremy Rentsch of Francis Marion University, the release said.

Renewable Developmental Research Project Program grants support independent research programs and educational programs in the biomedical science with grants awarded up to $50,000 per year.

Recipients include:

• Alissa Armstrong, University of South Carolina
• Omar Bagasra, Clafin University
• Brian Booth, Clemson University
• Joseph Carson, College of Charleston
• Sri Chandrasekaran, Furman University
• Linnea Freeman, Furman University
• Jessica Larsen, Clemson University
• Wei Lei, Presbyterian College
• Chang Liu, University of South Carolina
• Anita Nag, University of South Carolina, Upstate
• Austin Shull, Presbyterian College
• Chris Varnon, Converse College

The S.C. Idea Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence’s Student-Initiated Research Program – introduced this year –  extends up to $3,000 to help enrich the academic experience for undergraduate or graduate students studying bioinformatics in the network.

Recipients include:

• Mengistu Gebere, a graduate student at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine and mentor Dr. Mohamad Azhar.
• Maslyn Green, a graduate student at Clemson University, and mentor Susan Duckett
• Lauren Jones and Brenna Outten, undergraduate students at Furman University and mentor George Shields
• Matthew Lucius, a graduate student at the University of South Carolina, and mentor Hippokratis Kiaris
• Nicholas Maxwell, a graduate student at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine, and mentor Dr. Claudia Grillo.