$3.2M for Rutgers to apply biology, engineering, physical sciences toward stem cells

"With this NSF support, Rutgers will prepare more students to conduct breakthrough research that reveals new knowledge in fundamental biology and accelerates the use of stem cells in the treatment of debilitating injuries and diseases," said Rutgers President Richard L. McCormick. "It will boost our standing as one of the world's top universities for stem cell research and training."

"By broadening the scope of stem cell research to encompass molecular biosciences, engineering and physical sciences, the grant will strengthen our efforts to find cures for brain and spinal cord injuries and disorders," said Dr. Wise Young, Richard H. Shindell Professor of Neuroscience at Rutgers. Young, a world leader in spinal cord injury and treatment and an outspoken advocate for stem cell research, is a co-investigator in the IGERT program.

Participating in the NSF IGERT grant will be 35 Rutgers faculty members affiliated with 10 graduate programs, including lead co-investigators Martin Grumet of the Center for Collaborative Neuroscience, Karl Herrup of the Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Kathryn Uhrich of the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, and Martin Yarmush of the Department of Biomedical Engineering. Several scientists from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey–Robert Wood Johnson Medical School also will participate through joint graduate programs in molecular bioscience.

Also participating are the following research institutes based at or affiliated with Rutgers: the W.M. Keck Center for Collaborative Neuroscience; the New Jersey Center for Biomaterials; the New Jersey Stem Cell Institute; the Cancer Institute of New Jersey; the Institute for Advanced Materials, Devices, and Nanotechnology; the Center for Computational Design; and the Bioinformatics Institute.

"With this project, IGERT's interdisciplinary approach is advancing transformative science by bringing researchers from different worlds together to realize the promise of stem cells," said Carol Van Hartesveldt, program manager for the IGERT program at NSF.

Partnerships with the Rutgers Business School, the Eagleton Institute of Politics and the School of Management and Labor Relations will encourage interaction between IGERT fellows and their peers in business and politics as well as with industrial scientists. The program will also establish internship opportunities with 15 international universities and research laboratories in Asia, Europe and Australia.