Center of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE)
 
Mentoring Immunology in Oklahoma:
A Biomedical Program

The Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation (OMRF), leading a consortium of Oklahoma research institutions, successfully competed for an $11.6 million "Institutional Development Award" (IDeA) from the NIH in FY 2001.

The IDeA Program

Like its sister program EPSCoR (Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research) at the National Science Foundation, the purpose of the IDeA program is to broaden the geographical distribution of NIH funds by encouraging "disadvantaged states" to compete. This fosters the long-term growth of biomedical research in those states.

The IDeA program does not award block grants; on the contrary, it's a merit-based, peer-reviewed, and highly competitive program. The only difference is that the competition for funds is limited to 24 rather than all 50 states.

OMRF's Proposal

OMRF's IDeA proposal was truly an "all Oklahoma" effort built both on current strengths and future potential. The proposal, titled "Mentoring Immunology in Oklahoma: A Biomedical Program," contained many different research initiatives, each intended to help recruit, train and support promising young researchers.

At the heart of "Mentoring Immunology in Oklahoma" are four major research projects in immunology. Each pairs a senior scientist with a new recruit. This multi-institutional "mentoring" focus was crucial to the success of the grant because, in states that are less competitive at the national level, one of the major deficiencies is the lack of outstanding mentors for the new faculty that are recruited to the state. In their recommendation, the NIH IDeA peer-review committee praised this mentoring approach highly, noting that the proposal "has the potential to substantially expand state-of-the-art immunology and molecular biology in Oklahoma.

The award also contains funds for five $50,000 "starter grants" that will help promising young researchers at OMRF, OUHSC, and OSU develop their research programs in Oklahoma.

In addition, the award contains four "recruiting packages" of $250,000 each to help recruit highly talented young faculty to the state. As with other aspects of the grant, recruiting packages are divided among different Oklahoma research institutions: two for OMRF, one for OSU (Vet. Med.), and one for OUHSC (Cell Biology). These funds will be used in years, two, three, four and five of the grant.

The award will also help support five "cores" at OMRF: Imaging, Transgenics, Signal Transduction, Microarray, and Peptide Synthesis. Each will receive $50,000 a year for the next five years. This award, totaling $1.25 million, will enable all five OMRF cores to develop into world-class facilities.

In highly competitive states, excellent mentors, recruiting, and core facilities are taken for granted. In a state like Oklahoma, however, highly specialized research occurs when institutions pool their resources and develop areas of excellence. The strength of OMRF's proposal was its multi-institutional and multi-disciplinary approach, and the willingness of sister institutions to work together in the pursuit of research excellence. Its success demonstrates what the spirit of cooperation can accomplish.

This is a major award for OMRF and Oklahoma, and its benefits will reach well into the 21st century.

MENTOR PROJECTS

1. Human Gamma Herpes Virus DNA Vaccines

   Dirk Dittmer, Ph.D., PI, OUHSC

   John B. Harley, M.D., Ph.D., Project Leader, OMRF

2. The Role of bHLH Proteins in Human Lymphopoiesis
   

   Xiao-Hong Sun, Ph.D., PI, OMRF

   Paul B. Kincade, Ph.D., Project Leader, OMRF

3. Neutrophil Phenotyping in Periodic and Chronic Arthritis
   

   Michael Centola, Ph.D., PI, OMRF

   Rodger McEver, M.D., Project Leader, OUHSC

4. The Role of STAT1 in IL-6-Mediated T Cell Homoeostasis
   

   Kent Teague, Ph.D., PI, OU Tulsa

   Linda Thompson, Ph.D., PI, Project Leader, OMRF

STARTER PROJECTS

1. Initial Autoimmune Response in Lupus and Sjorgren's
   

   Michael Bachmann, Ph.D., PI, OMRF

   Dr. Bachmann has received an OCAST grant as a result of his part of the IDeA grant.

2. Role of Apoptotic Debris in Anti-Nuclear Autoimmunity
   

   Darise Farris, Ph.D., PI, OMRF

   Dr. Farris has received one NH RO1 grant and has published in J. Immunology as a result of the IDeA grant.

3. The Role of RAG Proteins in Receptor Revision Events
   Karla Rodgers, Ph.D., PI, OUHSC
   

4. Visualizing lipid rafts in activated T cells
   William Rodgers, Ph.D., PI, OMRF
   

5. Development of a Vaccine Against Boophilus spp.
   Jose de la Fuente, Ph.D., PI, OSU
   

SCIENTIFIC CORES

A key element in the "Mentoring Immunology in Oklahoma" grant is the development and support of scientific "Core" facilities: Imaging, Transgenics and Knockouts, Signal Transduction, Microarray, and Peptide Synthesis. These Cores are each centered on sophisticated and highly specialized technologies. All are expensive, but all are essential if Oklahoma is to conduct state-of-the-art research and compete successfully for funds. These Cores are located at OMRF, but are used by faculty at OUHSC and others in the state. The "Mentoring Immunology in Oklahoma" grant has allowed Oklahoma to marshal its resources and build cores that are not only outstanding, but are targeted to the research being done locally. Core facilities are run by scientists who have a real interest in developing the research potentials inherent in these new technologies. Together, these Cores will improve the scientific productivity or researchers from across the state.

1.  Microarray Core Facility Michael Centola, Ph.D.

2. Signal Transduction Core Facility    Mark Coggeshall, Ph.D.

3. Imaging Core Facility Michael Dresser, M.D., Ph.D.

4. Peptide Synthesis Core Facility Judith James, Ph.D.

5. Microinjection Core Facility Ute Hochgeschwender, Ph.D.

Cores

1. Recruiting Core (Years 2, 3, 4 & 5)
    

2. Strategic Scientific Support
    

3. Administrative Core