Seale Innovation Fund

2023 Seale Innovation
Fund Recipients
Seven Virginia Tech research teams are part of the second cohort to receive one-year, $75,000 Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC Seale Innovation Fund awards. The awarded pilot projects address a broad spectrum of biomedical and health science challenges that have impact on millions of Americans, including heart disease, diabetes, cancer, stress, chronic pain, brain development, and more.
Improving Patient Outcomes After Heart Surgery
Scott Johnstone
Restoring blood flow to the heart surgically can be complicated by smooth muscle cells in the blood vessel wall dividing continuously afterward, eventually blocking blood flow again. The Johnstone lab has developed peptides that can block proteins that promote cell division, but peptides are poor agents for therapeutics. This research will design and test novel nanobodies, based on those peptides, that will be engineered to limit cell division. These therapeutic agents will act as a prototype for translational research aimed at improving patients’ lives after surgery.
Title: Identification of Cell-Permeable Nanobodies to Reduce Smooth Muscle Proliferation
Exploring Novel Treatments for Glioblastoma, Other Cancers
Samy Y. Lamouille
Glioblastoma cancer stem cells are resistant to radiation and chemotherapy. Failure to significantly eradicate these cells results in recurrence, making glioblastoma one of the most lethal diseases, with an average patient survival of 15 months. New treatment options are critically needed for this devastating disease. Lamouille will employ cutting edge molecular and microscopy techniques and clinically relevant models in vitro and in vivo to test a novel therapeutic approach specifically eradicating cancer stem cells. Because cancer stem cells are not unique to glioblastoma, this approach has broad implications in treating other types of cancer and preventing disease progression.
Title: Viral Vector-mediated Expression of a Therapeutic Peptide to Ablate Glioblastoma Cancer Stem Cells
Co-Investigator: James Weger-Lucarelli, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine
Investigating Stem Cell Dysregulation in Early Brain Development
Thomas Maynard
During development of the outer layer of tissue in the human brain, stem cells proliferate and diversify to eventually form the neural circuits that underlie cognitive behaviors. There’s a careful balance at play, and regulation of that balance is a target for better understanding a range of developmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia. This research investigates the connection between neural stem cell dysregulation and clinically defined neurodevelopmental disorders.
Title: A New Approach to Identify Cortical Stem Cell Pathology in Neurodevelopmental Disorders
Co-Investigator: Anthony LaMantia, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC
Changing How We Study the Rhythms of Life
Steve Poelzing
Rhythmic electrical activity in excitable cells is necessary for life as we know it; some spontaneously excite on their own. Scientific understanding of this activity arises from studying what happens inside isolated cells, which has prevented the development of effective therapies to treat abnormal electrical activity in the brain (epilepsy), the heart (sudden cardiac death), the gut (intestinal pseudo-obstruction), and the uterus (premature birth). This research seeks to determine whether the outside of the cell, rather than the inside, can provide a more complete understanding of the rhythms of life and point toward new therapies.
Title: An Outside-In View on Cellular Automaticity: Changing How We Study the Rhythms of Life
Co-Investigator: Gregory Hoeker, Sharon Swanger, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC
Developing a Better Understanding of Stress, Inflammation, and Chronic Pain
Sora Shin
Numerous studies have shown that stress, including early life trauma in the form of child abuse or neglect, induces long-lasting changes in the immune system. Specifically, researchers are interested in stress-induced altered sensitivity to pain, as many people who suffer from chronic pain also experienced early life trauma. This research seeks to better understand the neural circuits and connections between trauma, abuse and changes in an individual’s pain response and is a novel exploration of the impact of specific neurons on inflammation and chronic pain.
Title: Role of the Midline Thalamic Network in Top-Down Control Of Stress-Induced Hyperalgesia
Novel Therapies to Treat Heart Failure in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes
Junco Warren
Heart failure is a leading cause of death and hospitalization in the United States, and diabetes is a major risk factor. Patients with type 2 diabetes often suffer from heart failure in which the left ventricle is too stiff to function properly. While the number of patients with the diagnosis has increased, the treatment of those patients has been challenging, in part due to the complexity of the way the disease develops. Warren's work seeks novel therapies to treat heart failure in patients with type 2 diabetes.
Title: Novel Therapeutic Approach to Treat Heart Failure Patients with Type 2 Diabetes
Taking Aim at Deadly Pediatric Brain Cancer
Jia-Ray Yu
Diffuse midline glioma is the most aggressive form of pediatric brain cancer, with no effective therapy. The five-year survival rate is less than 1 percent. Development of targeted therapies is a challenge because the condition’s mutations are unsuitable for drug therapy. Researchers have identified two enzymes that show promise as targets for combination therapies, however. The objective of this research is to investigate the biology of those enzymes and uncover potential targets for combination therapies to treat this uncurable disease.
Title: Synthetic Lethality Screening for Druggable Factors that Amplify a Cancer Dependency in Diffuse Midline Glioma
Co-Investigator: Wei Li, Javad Nazarian, Children’s National Research Institute
Support the Seale Innovation Fund
Gifts of all sizes during Virginia Tech Giving Day help unlock up to $20,000 in match funding to the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute Seale Innovation Fund, fueling innovative pilot research projects with transformative potential in health care
Giving Stories
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Article ItemJim and Pam Penny: Four decades of giving back , article
Jim and Pam Penny have helped the university advance toward completing the Global Business and Analytics Complex with their recent commitment of $500,000 to the initiative, helping to bring the total raised to more than $40 million.
Date: Aug 28, 2023 -
Article ItemFormer TRIO Programs Director Tom Wilson leaves a legacy of helping first-gen, low-income students go to college , article
Wilson, who died in 2020, dedicated his life and his wealth to helping students overcome obstacles to higher education. His endowment will provide nearly $20,000 in scholarships or other financial aid each year for Upward Bound and Talent Search participants.
Date: May 15, 2023 -
Article ItemPhilanthropy supports pilot projects to take on health challenges such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer, stress, and chronic pain , article
Giving Day contributions to the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC have double the impact, unlocking $20,000 to the Seale Innovation Fund to accelerate innovation
Date: Feb 15, 2023 -
Article ItemHokies will come together in celebration and support on Giving Day , article
The 24-hour event kicks off Wednesday, Feb. 15, and encourages the Hokie community to give back and create a lasting impact.
Date: Feb 13, 2023 -
Article ItemTanya Ridpath, Emily Copeland join College of Architecture, Arts, and Design advancement team , article
Ridpath is the college's the new director of alumni relations, and Copeland is the assistant director of leadership gifts.
Date: Dec 08, 2022 -
Article ItemVirginia Tech Helmet Ratings expand to include equestrians , article
After two years of research, the Virginia Tech's nationally renowned helmet lab has released ratings for equestrian sports — which are responsible for more emergency room visits for head injury than any sport in the U.S.
Date: Dec 06, 2022 -
Article ItemZoom get-togethers inspired ‘brothers for life’ to create gift-giving legacy , article
What started as a way for fraternity members from the 1970s to stay connected inspired a platform for giving.
Date: Nov 11, 2022 -
Article ItemA gift of appreciation , article
The children of Dean and Rosina Carter are honoring their parents’ tireless work to advance the arts at Virginia Tech and beyond by naming a seat in the Moss Arts Center’s Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre.
Date: Nov 10, 2022 -
Article ItemBowman gift of $5 million strengthens students’ path to sustainable land development design , article
The growth of the Bowman Sustainable Land Development Program will go far beyond making engineers simply aware of sustainable land development. It will provide more experiential learning opportunities, such as field trips and practitioner-led workshops, guest lectures, product exhibitions, and networking events.
Date: Sep 30, 2022 -
Article ItemVirginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine’s inaugural medical education lecture honors the late Richard C. Vari , article
The event is at noon Oct. 27 at 2 Riverside Circle in Roanoke. Louis Pangaro, a professor of medicine at the Uniformed Services University School of Medicine in Bethesda, Maryland, will present “What Does Physiology Teach Us About Assessment and Evaluation?”
Date: Sep 28, 2022 -
Article ItemTrying out potential careers from packaging to conservation , article
Students in the College of Natural Resources and Environment are getting a head start on career success through summer internships.
Date: Aug 18, 2022 -
Article ItemHokie generosity hits a new high , article
Thanks to the dedication and generosity of Hokie alumni in all 50 states and dozens of countries, the community reached the 22 percent milestone for undergraduate alumni giving on Monday, June 6, more than doubling the participation rate from the end of the 2015-16 fiscal year.
Date: Jun 08, 2022 -
Article ItemGift to Virginia 4-H aims to create pathways to careers in health sciences , article
The Claude Moore Charitable Foundation is helping Virginia’s youth find meaningful and lasting careers in health care by forging a partnership with Virginia Cooperative Extension and Virginia 4-H that will ignite a passion for life sciences.
Date: May 27, 2022 -
Article ItemFor Bud: Robertson Memorial Endowment lays foundation for generations of Civil War education at Virginia Tech and beyond , article
“The endowment significantly strengthens our ability to keep doing what Dr. Robertson did so well: teaching anyone who cares to listen, inside and outside the classroom, about the experiences of the Civil War generation,” said Paul Quigley, the James I. Robertson, Jr. Associate Professor of Civil War Studies.
Date: Mar 24, 2022 -
Article ItemGiving Day brings Hokies together to celebrate and support Virginia Tech , article
Members of the Hokie community from around the world are coming together to celebrate Virginia Tech in a shared moment of philanthropy as the university prepares to kick off Giving Day 2022.
Date: Feb 21, 2022 -
Article Item‘A fulfilling purpose’: Scholarship recipient grateful, ready to serve , article
“The Beyond Boundaries Scholars program gives you so many connections to other Virginia Tech students,“ said Vince Vasudevan. “Being able to link up with other people who are passionate about learning and passionate about subjects you’re interested in is just a great experience.”
Date: Feb 15, 2022 -
Article Item‘Pay it forward’ to science, humankind during Virginia Tech Giving Day , article
Gifts of all sizes help unlock up to $20,000 in match funding to the new Fralin Biomedical Research Institute Seale Innovation Fund, fueling innovative pilot research projects with transformative potential in health care.
Date: Feb 09, 2022 -
Article ItemBoundless Impact Campaign gifts top $1 billion , article
Passing the $1 billion threshold capped a calendar year that saw multiple fundraising records, including the largest corporate gift, the largest gift from a Virginia Tech graduate, and the most dollars raised and donors participating in a Giving Day.
Date: Jan 12, 2022 -
Article ItemVirginia Tech names assistant vice president of advancement for health sciences and technology and the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC , article
Martha Quinn previously served as executive director of development for Virginia Commonwealth University’s Massey Cancer Center and senior director of development for Johns Hopkins Children’s Center.
Date: Sep 27, 2021 -
Article ItemTBMH graduate student awarded two grants to advance brain cancer research , article
Joelle Martin, who will defend her doctoral dissertation this month, received the Zeta Beta Tau Cancer Research Award and a graduate fellowship provided by philanthropist, alumnus, and longtime Virginia Tech benefactor Ray Gaskins ‘64.
Date: May 05, 2021 -
Article ItemInternships can be inspirational and even life-changing for students , article
The opportunity to receive hands-on experience before graduation can have reverberations that last a career.
Date: Feb 23, 2021 -
Article ItemFamily of Roanoke lawyer, philanthropist William Lemon contributes $1 million to support Fralin Biomedical Research Institute , article
The gift will help the rapidly expanding research institute continue to recruit and retain world-class researchers.
Date: Sep 12, 2019 -
Article ItemStepping forward to serve: Record gift to Virginia Tech is in keeping with Heywood Fralin’s family legacy , article
Through his service and leadership, Fralin has become a central figure in the Roanoke Valley and one of its most outspoken advocates.
Date: Dec 06, 2018 -
Article Item$50 million gift transforming biomedical research institute , article
The research institute is taking a giant leap forward with a new name — the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC — to tackle the top challenges in biomedical and health sciences research.
Date: Dec 06, 2018 -
Article ItemRecord $50 million gift to Virginia Tech results in naming of the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute in Roanoke , article
Historic donation will help recruit and retain world-leading researchers, further bolstering Virginia’s economy.
Date: Dec 06, 2018 -
Article ItemArea businessman, benefactor Maury Strauss gives $1 million to VTCRI lecture series , article
Renamed the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute Maury Strauss Distinguished Public Lecture Series, the new season begins Oct. 4.
Date: Oct 01, 2018 -
Article ItemVirginia Tech appoints Assistant Vice President of Advancement for Roanoke Kim Blair , article
The move reflects the university’s growing presence in the city, where the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute and the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine have emerged as economic anchors.
Date: Sep 14, 2018 -
Article ItemReport shows strong impact, predicts economic growth for Virginia Tech Carilion Health Sciences and Technology Campus , article
The report, conducted by the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service’s Center for Economic and Policy Studies, analyzed current and future spending and employment growth at the campus, which is a physical representation of the unique partnership between a public institution, Virginia Tech, and Carilion Clinic, the third-largest private health system in Virginia.
Date: May 23, 2018 -
Article ItemCartledge Charitable Foundation fights breast cancer with gift to Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute , article
The foundation made the $100,000 gift to support promising research taking place in Roanoke, Virginia, to prevent and treat breast cancer.
Date: May 07, 2018 -
Article ItemVirginia Tech Carilion Research Institute names advisory board , article
Fifteen leaders of business, industry, and education — including a former Virginia Tech president — have been named to serve on the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute’s advisory board.
Date: Jun 19, 2017