Over four months have passed since the first COVID-19 case was reported in Virginia on March 7. Over the past few months, we've slowly resumed normal operations while implementing new procedures and policies, such as daily health screenings and mask policies, to help ensure workplace safety.
We have continued our research throughout the pandemic although some aspects, such as human subjects’ research, were paused. We recently moved those programs, as well as the others, back to active status with appropriate safeguards in place so our scientists can continue their important work on addiction, children’s health, heart disease, mental health and cancer.
In light of the pandemic and the global need for researchers to study the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, we are also focused on the expansion of the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute located at 4 Riverside Circle. The new space already houses an active cardiovascular research lab, a brain cancer research lab, a high-field magnet for brain and heart imaging, and the veterinary college’s new Animal Cancer Care and Research Center. Our expansion also includes Virginia Tech’s COVID-19 testing laboratory, and a new biological safety level three facility where our researchers will work on identifying the mechanisms of COVID-19-induced disease and therapeutics.
In addition, we are facilitating the work of cancer research community core research teams from the Virginia Tech Cancer Research Alliance at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute in Roanoke, and look forward to our forthcoming expansion on the Children's National Research & Innovation Campus in Washington, D.C., which will have a focus on pediatric brain cancers.
We continue to advance, making steady and frequently dramatic progress toward our goal of improving health for all thanks to our dedicated faculty, staff, and students.
The world is looking to science for answers now more than ever, and the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute is doing its part.
In the spirit of Ut Prosim,
Michael Friedlander, Ph.D.
Executive Director, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC
Vice President for Health Sciences and Technology, Virginia Tech
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Scientists discover cellular structure of poorly understood visual brain region
The brain’s ventral lateral geniculate nucleus (vLGN) receives signals from the eye, but it is not associated with classical image-forming. For decades little was known about this brain region’s cellular structure and purpose. In a new study published in the Journal of Neurochemistry, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC neuroscientists reveal newly identified brain cell subtypes unique to this region that form a striking layered formation.
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Virginia Tech cancer researcher Carla Finkielstein joins Fralin Biomedical Research Institute
Associate Professor Carla Finkielstein, whose research focuses on the molecular basis of how circadian rhythms influence cancer initiation and progression, is moving her research program and laboratory to the research institute. Read More
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Virginia Tech scientists developing new strategy to thwart Alzheimer’s
With a new five-year, $2.8 million National Institutes of Health grant awarded to glial neurobiologist Dr. Sontheimer, scientists will study how aging and the accumulation of plaque in the brain alters circulation and neuron health by impacting astrocytes. Read More
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iTHRIV requests proposals for NIH-funded pilot grants
The Pilot Translational and Clinical Studies Program helps researchers transition from early stage seed grants and proof-of-concept studies to translational research and clinical application. Single-institution teams may request up to $25,000 in direct costs, and multi-institution teams may request up to $50,000 in direct costs. Read More
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Eddie and Susan Amos support the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute. When the pandemic began to spread, they stepped up to help.
"Nothing has shaken the confidence of the world more than the scenario playing out with the COVID-19 Pandemic. Organizations across the globe are adopting to the "new" normal for everyday activities. Businesses must now rely on remote workers, students meet using virtual classrooms, researchers collaborate on possible cures leveraging teleconferencing software, and many areas are starting to embrace the use of telehealth as an alternative to traditional healthcare. Alec Levenson (2020) of the MIT Sloan Journal reports that the U.S. is in the middle of a historic rupture to the economy. The COVID-19 Pandemic has created economic and financial uncertainty that will likely last for years. The New England Journal of Medicine reports the COVID-19 outbreak is a stark reminder of the ongoing challenge of emerging infectious pathogens and the need for constant surveillance, prompt diagnosis, and robust research to understand the basic biology of new organisms (Fauci, Lane, & Redfield, 2020). It’s this reality that inspires our family to contribute to the programs sponsored by Dr. Michael Friedlander and the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at the VTC. Mike and his team have risen to the occasion to keep the community safe by leading the efforts to promote testing and research. Susan and I would like to thank Mike and everyone at Carilion and the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at the VTC for going the extra mile in helping us find a cure and keeping the community safe." - Eddie Amos
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Helping Virginia Tech build a healthier future.
Virginia Tech and the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute are providing rapid COVID-19 sample analysis to help control the pandemic in support of our local community, the Commonwealth, and frontline responders. Private support is critical to continue these efforts. Here are some ways that you can support the research institute right now, in light of COVID-19:
- Support Virginia Tech's COVID-19 Fund to help accelerate ongoing research and testing operations.
- Follow the CDC's guidelines to prevent infection spread, including regular hand-washing and social distancing.
- Consider donating unused personal protective equipment and other surplus medical supplies to your local hospital.
- Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn for the latest news.
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