Michael Friedlander, Ph.D.

Executive Director, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute
Virginia Tech Vice President for Health Sciences and Technology
Senior Dean for Research, School of Medicine
Professor

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“This is one of the most incredible places in the world for cross-disciplinary research, where we're converging on answering some of the most critical health problems and challenges facing human kind today."

Exploring the cellular processes underlying synaptic plasticity

How are synapses affected during development, learning, and in response to injury?

Michael Friedlander is the vice president for health sciences and technology at Virginia Tech, where he also serves as the founding executive director of the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC and the senior dean for research at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine. He has built the institute’s research programs to over $140 million in current grant value with more than 35 research teams and over 400 investigators and students since its founding in 2010. He has served as the principal investigator on multiple research grants on brain processes that mediate vision, developmental plasticity, and traumatic brain injury. His research has been published in leading journals such as Academic Medicine, Cell, J. Neuroscience, Nature, Neuron, PNAS and Science.

Dr. Friedlander has held two endowed professor positions – as the Evelyn McKnight professor of learning and memory in aging at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine and as the Robertson professor of neuroscience at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. Prior to joining Virginia Tech, Friedlander served as director of neuroscience initiatives at Baylor College of Medicine and as the founding chair of the department of neurobiology, as the founding director of the Neurobiology Research Center and as director of the Civitan International Research Center on Intellectual Disabilities at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. In addition to his university leadership positions, Friedlander is the founding president of the Association of Medical School Neuroscience Department Chairs. He has served as chair of the Council of Academic Societies of the Association of American Medical Colleges, representing over 90 medical and scientific societies, on the Howard Hughes Medical Institute - AAMC joint task force on the Scientific Foundations of Future Physicians, on the AAMC National Research Advisory Panel and as an AAMC distinguished service member. He served as chair of the National Association of Intellectual Disabilities Research Centers, as president of the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine, where he was also elected to the inaugural class of Experimental Biology and Medicine Fellows, and as an elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He currently serves on multiple boards, including the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation Board, the Children’s National Hospital Research, Education and Innovation Board, the Valleys Innovation Council, the Virginia Bio Academic Board, the Virginia Biosciences Health Research Corporation (Catalyst) Board, and is a member of the Go Virginia Region 2 Council, and also of multiple scientific journal editorial boards.

Friedlander is a recipient of an Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Fellowship in Neuroscience, a National Institutes of Health Fogarty Center Senior International Research Fellowship to the Australian National University, a Lucille Markey Foundation Center Award, a W.M. Keck Foundation Center Award, the American College of Physicians’ Menninger Award for Mental Health Research, the University of Illinois Distinguished Alumnus Award in Molecular and Integrative Physiology, and the Distinguished Scientist Award from the Society of Experimental Biology and Medicine. He has held visiting professorships at Oxford University, the Australian National University, and the University of Paris.

Friedlander completed a Bachelor of Science degree at Florida State University, a doctorate in physiology and biophysics at the University of Illinois, and postdoctoral training at the University of Virginia. Friedlander spent his childhood in Miami. He and his wife Sandra have five daughters and nine grandchildren.

friedlan@vt.edu
540-526-2013
R-1009, Riverside 2

Friedlander Lab

Center for Neurobiology Research

Professional Appointments

Executive Director, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC
Vice President for Health Sciences and Technology
Senior Dean for Research, Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine
Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science
Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics, College of Engineering
Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, School of Medicine

Selected Publications

Friedlander, M.J., C.-S. Lin and S.M. Sherman. Structure of physiologically identified X- and Y-cells in the cat's lateral geniculate nucleus. Science, 204:1114-1117, 1979.

Friedlander, M.J. The structure of physiologically classified neurons in the kitten dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus. Nature, 300:180-183, 1982.

Lal, R. and M.J. Friedlander. Gating of retinal transmission by afferent eye position and movement signals. Science, 243:93-96, 1989.

Sayer, R.J., M.J. Friedlander and S.J. Redman. Time course and amplitude of EPSPs evoked at synapses between pairs of CA3-CA1 neurons in hippocampal slice. J. Neurosci., 10:826-836, 1990.

Montague, P.R., C. Gancayco, M.J. Winn, R.B. Marchase and M.J. Friedlander. Role of NO production in NMDA receptor-mediated neurotransmitter release in cerebral cortex. Science, 263:973-977, 1994.

Dudek, S.M. and M.J. Friedlander. Developmental down-regulation of LTD in cortical layer IV and its independence of modulation by inhibition. Neuron, 16:1097-1106, 1996.

Kara, P. and M.J. Friedlander. Arginine analogues modify signal detection by neurons in the visual cortex, J Neurosci. 19:5528-5548, 1999.

Saez, I and Friedlander, MJ, Plasticity between neuronal pairs in layer 4 of visual cortex varies with synapse state J. Neurosci. 29: 15286-15298, 2009

Zhu PJ, Huang W, Kalikulov D, Yoo JW, Placzek AN, Stoica L, Zhou H, Bell JC, Friedlander MJ, Krnjević K, Noebels JL, Costa-Mattioli M. (2011). Suppression of PKR Promotes Network Excitability & Enhanced Cognition by Interferon-γ-Mediated Disinhibition. Cell, 147(6):1384-96.

Saez, I and Michael J Friedlander, Role of GABAA-Mediated Inhibition and Functional Assortment of Synapses onto Individual Layer 4 Neurons in Regulating Plasticity Expression in Visual Cortex. PLoS One. 2016 Feb 3;11(2).

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Previous Positions

Wilhelmina Robertson Endowed Professor of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine
Chair, Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine
Director, Neuroscience Initiatives, Baylor College of Medicine

Education and Training

University of Virginia: Postdoctoral fellowship
University of Illinois: Ph.D.

Awards and Honors

Elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine Distinguished Scientist Award
Elected Fellow of the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine
Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Board of Directors Distinguished Service Member
First Annual Neuroscience Society Distinguished Scholar Award of the University of Alabama at Birmingham
Wilhelmina Robertson Endowed Chair in Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, 2005-2010
Evelyn F. McKnight Endowed Professor of Learning and Memory in Aging, University of Alabama at Birmingham
University of Illinois Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology Distinguished Alumnus Award
NIH Fogarty Center International Fellowship to the John Curtin School of Medical Research, Canberra, Australia
Elected member of the Dana Foundation Brain Alliance
WM Keck Foundation Award for Neurobiology Program Development
American College of Physicians William C. Menninger Memorial Award for Distinguished Contributions to Mental Health Research
Lucille P. Markey Foundation Center Award for Program Development In Neurobiology
Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Neuroscience Fellowship

News about Michael Friedlander, Ph.D.

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So long, Roanoke; get ready, Denmark, for the 2024 Precision Neuroscience conference , article Date: Jun 28, 2022
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Juneteenth event to celebrate Black scientists and engineers , article Date: Jun 14, 2022
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New data revealed about the origin of the circulatory system during development , article Date: May 17, 2022

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Biomedical initiatives are boosted by strong public support, survey finds , article
In a statewide survey of more than 1,000 people, residents support investing taxpayer funds to incentivize innovation, attract and support biotech start-ups, and fund biomedical and health science research.
Date: May 03, 2022
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Fralin Biomedical Research Institute hosts Juneteenth celebration of Black scientists and engineers , article
The hybrid event on June 17 will uplift the contributions of Black scientists and engineers, underscoring the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion among underrepresented minorities in health sciences research.
Date: May 03, 2022
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Pioneer in brain-computer interface to speak at next Maury Strauss Distinguished Public Lecture , article
Bin He will discuss the significance of this revolutionary work at a public lecture titled “Dynamic Brain Mapping and Brain-Computer Interface” at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, May 5. The presentation is free and open to the public at 2 Riverside Circle in Roanoke.
Date: May 02, 2022
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Poll finds Virginians strongly support health and biomedical research , article
Research!America president and CEO Mary Woolley will share the survey results as part of a Virginia Research & Innovation event this afternoon at Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC in Roanoke focused on the state and national impact of research and innovation. The event will be webcast at 3 p.m.
Date: Apr 27, 2022
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Cancer Research Alliance forges new collaborations, strengthens research programs at inaugural retreat , article
More than 100 cancer researchers from across Virginia Tech recently met at the first Cancer Research Alliance retreat hosted by the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC.
Date: Apr 04, 2022
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Thursday, April 14: Nation’s leader on hearing to discuss how hearing loss impacts quality of life in public lecture , article
Debara L. Tucci, director of the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders at the National Institutes of Health, will talk about the hidden health problems of hearing loss at the next Maury Strauss Distinguished Public Lecture at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute. Public reception with refreshments begins at 5 p.m.
Date: Apr 01, 2022
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International Precision Neuroscience Conference to explore brain cancer, mental health, neurodegeneration , article
The biennial conference, hosted by the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, is expected to attract neuroscientists, physicians, and trainees from across the world to Roanoke this spring.
Date: Mar 31, 2022
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Health Sciences and Technology campus: Thriving in the spirit of Ut Prosim , article
The Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine and the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC are molded in the same spirit of service that has guided Virginia Tech since 1872, adapting over the years with new innovations to serve state residents and the world.
Date: Mar 30, 2022
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Scientists to present ninth annual 'Brain School' event for the community to celebrate Brain Awareness Week , article
Our brains enable us to understand the world, to build memories, to create, and to feel emotions. They endow us with all the qualities that make us human. Now, for the ninth straight year, Virginia Tech scientists will celebrate the amazing brain with its annual Brain School program, “The Adaptive Brain in Health and Disease,” from 5 to 7 p.m. Monday, March 14.
Date: Mar 08, 2022
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Rare disease research gives families hope, ‘vital’ to advancing medicine , article
Rare diseases afflict 300 million people worldwide. Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC researchers are bridging a gap in scientific knowledge by studying some of the diseases that together add up to a formidable public health challenge. Feb. 28 marks the 14th international Rare Disease Day.
Date: Feb 28, 2022
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Nobel laureate who discovered aging-related enzyme to discuss groundbreaking research , article
Carol Greider, recipient of the 2009 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine, will deliver the next Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC’s Maury Strauss Distinguished Public Lecture on Feb. 24
Date: Feb 15, 2022
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‘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
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Thought leader to discuss the real digital transformation of the health care industry at Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC public lecture , article
Robert Wachter, professor and chair of the department of medicine in the UC San Francisco School of Medicine, will deliver the next Maury Strauss Distinguished Public Lecture, “The Digital Transformation of Healthcare: (Finally) a Time for Optimism,” virtually at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 10.
Date: Feb 04, 2022
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Fralin Biomedical Research Institute Addition receives LEED certification as model for sustainable building , article
The new Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC Addition recently achieved Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certification, an internationally recognized distinction deeming the structure a model for sustainable architecture, adding it to a growing number of Virginia Tech buildings certified by the U.S. Green Building Council.
Date: Jan 27, 2022
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International leader from Cambridge, UK, to discuss COVID-19 variants in virtual public lecture , article
Sharon Peacock, executive director of the COVID-19 Genomics UK Consortium (COG-UK), professor of public health and microbiology at the University of Cambridge, and an elected member of the National Academy of Medical Sciences, will talk about the importance of genetic sequencing of viruses in battling pandemics during the next Maury Strauss Distinguished Public Lecture on Jan. 20, 2022.
Date: Jan 11, 2022
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Leader in prenatal DNA screening to speak at next Maury Strauss Distinguished Public Lecture , article
Diana Bianchi, director of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, will give a virtual talk on Dec. 16, hosted by the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC.
Date: Dec 03, 2021
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Researchers identify behavioral adaptations that may help Antarctic fishes to adapt to warming Southern Ocean , article
In a new study published in PLOS ONE, Michael Friedlander and his team at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute describe how Antarctic fishes with and without hemoglobin react to acute thermal stress. The findings characterize species-specific behavioral responses that may help these endemic species withstand the impacts of climate change.
Date: Nov 28, 2021
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Developmental pediatrics authority to give next Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC Maury Strauss Distinguished Public Lecture , article
Recent research by Mark Batshaw, senior investigator in the Center for Genetic Medicine Research at Children's National Hospital, identified a therapy for a urea cycle disorder that is often fatal to newborns. His in-person lecture is set for Nov. 4.
Date: Nov 01, 2021
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Nature, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC host international Glial Biology in Medicine Conference , article
The virtual conference, which took place Oct. 25–26, featured talks on how glial cells develop, age, adapt to injury or disease, and are involved in learning and memory.
Date: Oct 27, 2021
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Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC scientists identify beacon molecule that prevents vision, behavioral problems in mice , article
The findings, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, help decode how these complicated brain circuits form, laying a potential foundation for future research into how these pathways may be coaxed to regenerate.
Date: Oct 20, 2021
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Virginia Tech celebrates Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC addition grand opening , article
The $90-million, 139,000-square-foot expansion enables the institute to double its workforce by 2027.
Date: Oct 12, 2021
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Officials to celebrate Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC addition grand opening , article
Virginia Tech leaders, key partners, and government officials will formally open the $90-million, 139,000-square-foot facility with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Tuesday at 2 p.m. The event will be live-streamed on the research institute’s website.
Date: Oct 11, 2021
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Health care system leader to discuss importance of digital innovation at next Maury Strauss Distinguished Public Lecture , article
Roberta Schwartz, executive vice president and chief innovation officer at Houston Methodist Hospital, serves as incident commander for the hospital’s COVID-19 response.
Date: Oct 08, 2021
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Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC takes delivery of new scanner for MR–guided focused ultrasound facility , article
Fralin Biomedical Research Institute added a second Siemens Prisma MRI 3.0 Tesla scanner to its already wide array of imaging equipment available to Virginia Tech researchers, including four other MRI scanners, CT scanners, and an optically pumped magnetometry facility.
Date: Oct 05, 2021
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Virginia 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
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Ivy Foundation grant aids Fralin Biomedical Research Institute scientist’s search for treatment for deadly brain cancer , article
Jennifer Munson, an associate professor at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, an expert in interstitial fluid flow - the movement of liquid within and around living tissues - will use the $500,000 award to further her study of patient-specific therapies for deadly brain tumors.
Date: Sep 21, 2021
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Worn down: Expert to discuss health impacts of stress of being Black at Maury Strauss Distinguished Public Lecture , article
David Williams, a Harvard University social scientist focused on social influences on health, will discuss the role of race and other factors in health disparities in a virtual talk titled “Social Inequities in Health: What Each One of Us Can Do,” at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 16, as part of the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC's Maury Strauss Distinguished Public Lecture Series.
Date: Aug 30, 2021
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Tenth season of Fralin Biomedical Research Institute’s Pioneers in Biomedical Research Seminar Series launches Sept. 3 , article
With topics ranging from addiction, autism, and obesity to 3D silicon brains and the world’s fastest, deepest penetrating camera, the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC's Pioneers in Biomedical Research Seminar Series features 26 leaders from the frontiers of cardiovascular science, cancer research, neuroscience, biomedical imaging, and health behaviors.
Date: Aug 26, 2021
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Leader in eliminating disparities in cancer survival to deliver season’s first Maury Strauss lecture , article
Otis Brawley, Bloomberg Distinguished Professor of Oncology at the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins University, will discuss disparities in how cancer is prevented, diagnosed, and treated. The talk, at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 9, is the first in the 2021-22 season of the Maury Strauss Distinguished Public Lecture Series.
Date: Aug 25, 2021
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Fralin Biomedical Research Institute Summer Undergraduate Research Fellows present neurobiology and advanced imaging findings , article
The Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC hosted 20 undergraduate students this summer for a 10-week experience in two research programs that explore neurobiology and cutting-edge imaging technology to visualize living systems.
Date: Aug 24, 2021
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Nobel laureate, NIH leaders to present 2021-22 Maury Strauss public lectures , article
The Fralin Biomedical Research Institute announced the lineup for its 12th annual Maury Strauss Distinguished Public Lecture Series – an initiative that has exposed the public to more than 90 globally renowned science thought leaders and health care innovators over the years.
Date: Aug 05, 2021
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Virginia Tech’s COVID-19 testing operation demonstrates the power and versatility of academic labs , article
In the early days of the pandemic, scientists at Virginia Tech created a COVID-19 testing laboratory and novel test for the virus from scratch. This novel protocol for transforming a research laboratory into a COVID-19 testing operation was described in a new article published July 20 in Nature Communications.
Date: Jul 20, 2021
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Board of Visitors hears update on growing health sciences efforts , article
Provost Cyril Clarke, Vice President for Health Sciences and Technology Michael Friedlander, faculty, and students discussed the university’s growth in health sciences.
Date: Jun 14, 2021
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You’re not sleeping: Expert to explain neuroscience of anesthesia in Maury Strauss Distinguished Public Lecture , article
Emery Brown, the Edward Hood Taplin Professor of Medical Engineering and Professor of Computational Neuroscience at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, will discuss the ongoing neurological study of anesthetic drugs on May 6. His talk will be the final installment of the 2020-2021 Maury Strauss Distinguished Public Lecture Series.
Date: Apr 28, 2021
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Virginia Tech, Children’s National scientists to discuss cancer research at ‘Hokies for Good’ event , article
The scientists will talk about leading-edge cancer research projects in a public Zoom discussion at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 13. The event is an opportunity for people to meet some of the dedicated researchers working together to take on cancer.
Date: Apr 09, 2021
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Vaccine expert to deliver Maury Strauss public lecture , article
Christine S. Benn, professor at the University of Southern Denmark’s Centre for Global Health, will discuss her research in an upcoming talk, “How Vaccines Train the Immune System in Ways No One Expected,” hosted by the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC. Benn’s lecture will be presented virtually via Zoom at 5:30 p.m. on April 15.
Date: Apr 09, 2021
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Virginia Tech COVID-19 lab passes 100,000-sample milestone , article
Since opening, the Molecular Diagnostics Lab has analyzed thousands of samples from Virginia Tech students and employees who were tested for the COVID-19 virus through the university’s testing centers. That’s in addition to testing done for regional health districts since April 20, 2020.
Date: Apr 05, 2021
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Nobel laureate who decoded genetics of circadian rhythms to give public lecture , article
Michael Young, the Richard and Jeanne Fisher Professor at The Rockefeller University, will discuss his groundbreaking research in a talk titled “Genes Regulating Sleep and Circadian Rhythms,” part of the Maury Strauss Distinguished Public Lecture Series hosted by the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC.
Date: Mar 17, 2021
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Applications are open for the 2021 Virginia Tech Health Sciences and Technology Commercialization Fellows Program , article
Applications for the new program cohort are due online by 5 p.m. on March 12. Graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and research assistants and associates from across Virginia Tech who conduct health sciences and technology-related research are eligible.
Date: Mar 03, 2021
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Unified Vision: How Children’s National Hospital, Virginia Tech, JLABS are creating pediatric and healthcare research hub in Washington, D.C. , article
Leaders from Children's National Hospital, Virginia Tech, and Johnson & Johnson Innovation LLC detailed how ambitious goals and strategic alignment were key to developing the new Children's National Research & Innovation Campus at last week's Healthcare Project Delivery Conference.
Date: Feb 28, 2021
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Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC welcomes four new advisory board members , article
Board members bring their personal and professional experience to bear in providing dynamic perspectives and recommendations to the research institute’s executive director, Michael Friedlander, and leadership teams.
Date: Feb 23, 2021
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International virologist to address the faith, science of COVID-19 vaccinations in Black communities , article
Oveta Fuller, a scientist and ordained minister who has worked to address HIV awareness through faith leaders, will bring her experience working with HIV/AIDS to a discussion of the COVID-19 pandemic and resistance to getting vaccinated in the next installment of the Maury Strauss Distinguished Public Lecture Series, hosted by Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC.
Date: Feb 15, 2021
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Fralin Biomedical Research Institute’s 2021 Pioneers in Biomedical Research Seminar Series starts Jan. 29 , article
The seminar series, presented virtually due to the ongoing pandemic, is intended primarily for an academic audience but is open to all members of the Virginia Tech community as well as the public. Events in the program, set for Friday at 11 a.m. of most weeks, offer the expertise of a wide range of scientists exploring frontiers in biomedical research.
Date: Jan 28, 2021
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Forbes names graduate student at Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC to list of '30 under 30' to watch , article
Ubadah Sabbagh, a fifth-year student in Virginia Tech’s Translational Biology, Medicine and Health program, is included in Forbes Magazine’s 2020 list of 30 young innovators in science with potential to make it big.
Date: Dec 02, 2020
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Virginia Tech, Children’s National Hospital request proposals for new brain cancer research pilot grants , article
Children’s National Hospital and Virginia Tech launched a new pilot funding opportunity to advance brain cancer research. Two dual-institution teams will each be awarded a one-year, $50,000 grant.
Date: Dec 02, 2020
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Virginia Tech lab joins network to expand COVID-19 testing across state , article
Virginia Tech was selected as one of three exclusive OneLab Network Tier 2 laboratories to expand COVID-19 testing capacity across Virginia, Governor Ralph Northam announced on Nov. 10.
Date: Nov 10, 2020
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Virginia Tech scientists, engineers to talk about steps to stop cancer in virtual public session , article
A year ago, Virginia Tech united its biomedical and technical expertise into a Cancer Research Alliance to take on the second leading cause of death in the United States. Now, scientists and engineers will talk about some leading-edge projects in breast cancer, brain cancer, and noninvasive cancer treatments in a public Zoom discussion at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 10.
Date: Nov 02, 2020
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Pioneering roboticist to reveal new roles for bots in pediatric therapy, health care at public lecture , article
Ayanna Howard will explain how recent advances in robotics and artificial intelligence have positioned early intervention with robots to aid children in her lecture, “Pediatric Robotics – A Journey from the Lab to a Child’s Home,” at 5:30 p.m. on Oct. 15 at the Maury L. Strauss Distinguished Public Lecture Series hosted by the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC in Roanoke.
Date: Oct 06, 2020
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Scientists, engineers to discuss COVID-19 response in virtual HokieTalk on Wednesday , article
When the novel coronavirus hit the United States in January, Virginia Tech faculty recognized the nation was on the brink of a COVID-19 pandemic that would affect the university and the entire Commonwealth of Virginia. Hear the inside story about what happened during a virtual HokieTalk at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 30.
Date: Sep 27, 2020
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COVID-19 impacts among topics covered during Board of Visitors meeting , article
Among the actions taken, the board approved a resolution to demolish Femoyer Hall, a 35,500-gross-square-foot facility constructed in 1949. In addition, board members toured the new Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC research facility in Roanoke, the Virginia Tech School of Medicine, and new dairy facilities at Kentland Farm.
Date: Aug 25, 2020
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Expert on the tiny conspiracies of bacteria kicks off 2020-21 Maury Strauss public lecture series , article
Understanding how bacteria communicate with each other helps scientists learn how to disrupt their conversations and stop infections. On Sept. 3, Bonnie Bassler will kick off the series, hosted by the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute.
Date: Aug 21, 2020
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Virginia Tech cancer researcher Carla Finkielstein to join Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC , article
Finkielstein, a molecular biologist and an associate professor in the College of Science, will join the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC on July 1. Her laboratory, which studies how circadian rhythms are involved in breast cancer progression, will move to the Health Sciences and Technology Campus in Roanoke.
Date: Jun 23, 2020
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Acclaimed neuroscientist to head Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC's Center for Neurobiology Research , article
Anthony-Samuel LaMantia, a developmental neurobiologist and a professor at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, has been named the new director of the institute’s Center for Neurobiology Research, according to Michael Friedlander, executive director of the research institute and Virginia Tech vice president for health sciences and technology.
Date: Jun 16, 2020
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Virginia Tech researchers develop new COVID-19 tests to combat backlogs, shortages , article
Virginia Tech scientists have developed a new COVID-19 test and secured federal and state approvals to immediately begin processing samples at on-campus labs in Blacksburg and Roanoke.
Date: Apr 22, 2020
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Fralin Biomedical Research Institute to explore how a baby’s brain develops at Brain School , article
This year’s Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC Brain School speaker lineup features interactive presentations about what influences early brain development and how these factors relate to infant health.
Date: Feb 27, 2020
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Virginia Tech, Indivior announce new collaboration to study long-term recovery pathways in people with opioid use disorder , article
The study will be carried out by a team of researchers led by Warren Bickel, a professor at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, the Virginia Tech Carilion Behavioral Health Research Professor, and a professor of psychology in the College of Science at Virginia Tech.
Date: Dec 10, 2019
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Biomedical, business, engineering teams set to dive into shark-tank style competition , article
With a focus on health sciences and technology, the HS&T Hokie Pitch will involve 30 students who have worked with real-world mentors, selected intellectual property, and created an entrepreneurial plan to develop and commercialize biomedical discoveries.
Date: Dec 05, 2019
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Virginia Tech faculty receive top honors from the American Association for the Advancement of Science , article
Elected by their peers and representing a broad range of AAAS “sections,” including statistics, neuroscience, engineering, psychology, and geology/geography, the Virginia Tech professors are among 443 newly elected scholars.
Date: Nov 26, 2019
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Children’s National Hospital, Virginia Tech announce partnership for new Children’s National Research & Innovation Campus , article
The campus is an expansion of Children’s National that is located on a nearly 12-acre portion of the former Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., and is set to open its first phase in December 2020.
Date: Nov 14, 2019
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Virginia Tech announces expansive cancer research initiative , article
Virginia Tech has developed a university-wide cancer research strategy to create and expand synergies among more than 30 existing research teams at work finding new ways to diagnose and treat cancer.
Date: Oct 16, 2019
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Leading aging, vision experts to keynote international precision neuroscience conference in Roanoke this spring , article
Neuroscientists, physicians, and graduate students from across the world will gather at the Precision Neuroscience Conference hosted by the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute in Roanoke, Virginia, in May.
Date: Oct 14, 2019
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Children’s National Hospital taps Virginia Tech health sciences leader for advisory board , article
Michael J. Friedlander, the vice president for health sciences at Virginia Tech and executive director of the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, will aid Children’s National efforts to improve understanding of the prevention, treatment, and care of childhood diseases.
Date: Sep 23, 2019
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Regional government forum reveals 'limitless potential' from Virginia Tech and Carilion Clinic partnership , article
Virginia Tech President Tim Sands and Carilion Clinic’s President and Chief Executive Officer Nancy Howell Agee set the tone for the meeting by portraying how both organizations have invested significantly throughout the region and across the commonwealth.
Date: Sep 13, 2019
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National science, health, and policy headliners slated for Maury Strauss lecture series at Fralin Biomedical Research Institute , article
A Nobel prize winner and two National Institutes of Health leaders are among internationally known speakers programmed for the new season of the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC Maury Strauss Distinguished Public Lecture Series in Roanoke.
Date: Aug 28, 2019
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Virginia Tech health sciences leader appointed to Virginia Early Childhood Foundation advisory council , article
The Virginia Early Childhood Foundation was founded in 2006 with the vision that every child in Virginia should begin kindergarten healthy, equipped with the resources they need, and ready to succeed.
Date: Jul 24, 2019
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FDA deems molecular test for concussions ‘breakthrough device’ , article
BRAINBox Solutions, a molecular diagnostics innovator that works extensively with the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, announced it has been granted U.S. Food and Drug Administration Breakthrough Device Designation to speed development of a product that includes a blood-based test to aid in prognosis and diagnosis of mild traumatic brain injury.
Date: Jun 17, 2019
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Friedlander named Fellow of Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine , article
After more than a century of achievement, the society has named its inaugural class of fellows — notably including Michael Friedlander, founding executive director of the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC and vice president of health sciences and technology at Virginia Tech.
Date: May 22, 2019
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Judges, neuroscientists consider how science and criminal justice converge at Roanoke neurolaw conference , article
Neuroscientists and addiction experts at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC believe that emerging neuroscientific discoveries could complement criminal justice.
Date: May 02, 2019
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Hundreds of STEM high school students to compete at Virginia Science and Engineering Fair , article
Hosted by volunteers from the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC and the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, 274 students will present their projects on April 6 at the Berglund Special Events Center in Roanoke.
Date: Apr 04, 2019
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Fralin Biomedical Research Institute to present the good, bad, and ugly at 7th Annual Brain School , article
Experts will share insights and extraordinary facts during the series of community lectures and hands-on activities from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Monday, March 11, through Thursday, March 14, at 2 Riverside Circle in Roanoke.
Date: Mar 05, 2019
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Virginia Tech Foundation, Carilion Clinic again partner to form new venture capital fund , article
Nearly two years after the creation of the VTC Innovation Fund, the Virginia Tech Foundation and Carilion Clinic have again partnered to create the VTC Seed Fund, a $7 million venture capital fund, to facilitate additional pathways for innovative products and technologies to be commercialized.
Date: Dec 12, 2018
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$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
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Record $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
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Biomedical, business, engineering students set for HS&T shark tank-style competition , article
Teams will compete for $9,000 in prize money provided by the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute, Luna Innovations Inc., Carilion Clinic, the Apex Systems Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and the Woods Rogers law firm.
Date: Nov 27, 2018
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Leaders mark construction milestone for VTC Biomedical Research Addition , article
A crowd watched on Friday as a crane hoisted a steel beam four stories into the sky at the construction site for the Virginia Tech Biomedical Research Addition in Roanoke.
Date: Sep 28, 2018
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Virginia 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
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Report 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
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VTCRI wins award to develop test for mild traumatic brain injury, working with industry partners, University of Virginia , article
The project has won the support of the Virginia Catalyst, which has awarded a $500,000 grant to the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute to further develop and commercialize a multi-modality system approach to aid in the diagnosis and management of mild traumatic brain injury, known as mTBI.
Date: May 15, 2018
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First students earn degrees through innovative translational biology, medicine, and health program , article
The program is based on the Virginia Tech Carilion Health Sciences and Technology Campus in Roanoke, and it positions students to conduct research in more than 50 departments and institutes across Virginia Tech.
Date: May 09, 2018
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Cartledge 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
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VTCRI summer undergraduate neuroscience research federally funded for five more years , article
A summer pilot program for undergraduate neuroscience research at the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute proved so successful that National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, of the National Institutes of Health, has provided $500,000 of funding for another five years.
Date: Jan 04, 2018
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Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute awarded a Virginia Catalyst grant to curtail opioid overdoses , article
Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute scientists are focused on a new protocol to help curtail opioid overdoses. The project involves Virginia Commonwealth University and has been awarded $1 million in combined grant funding from the Virginia Biosciences Health Research Corp. and pharmaceuticals company Indivior.
Date: Dec 04, 2017
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Governor, Virginia Tech Carilion officials break ground on VTC Biomedical Research Expansion , article
The 139,000-gross-square-foot building will rise on the Virginia Tech Carilion Health Sciences and Technology Campus at Jefferson Street and Reserve Avenue and will be physically connected by an elevated walkway to the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine and Research Institute. It is expected to open in 2020.
Date: Oct 24, 2017
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Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute teams converge on strategies to defeat McCain’s form of brain cancer , article
Research teams at the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute from three colleges — Engineering, Science, and Veterinary Medicine — are developing new approaches to treat glioblastoma, the aggressive form of brain cancer recently diagnosed in U.S. Sen. John McCain.
Date: Jul 24, 2017
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McCain’s form of cancer challenges treatment, Virginia Tech researchers say , article
Sontheimer and several other Virginia Tech scientists are available to discuss the latest research efforts to eradicate the world’s deadliest form of brain cancer. About half of glioblastoma patients die within the 12 to 18 months of diagnosis, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
Date: Jul 20, 2017
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Virginia 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
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Undergraduates will spend summer learning what it means to be biomedical research scientists in and out of the lab , article
SURF students in both programs will complete independent research projects, with guidance provided by VTCRI faculty mentors, to be presented at the Virginia Tech Undergraduate Research Symposia on July 27.
Date: Jun 13, 2017
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Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute to host Brain Awareness Week , article
Scientists will reveal more about what they have learned about the brain’s developmental journey when the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute opens its doors for its fifth annual Brain School during Brain Awareness Week from March 13-19.
Date: Feb 15, 2017
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UVA, Virginia Tech Carilion partner to fund cross-university neuroscience research , article
The University of Virginia-Virginia Tech Carilion Neuroscience Research Collaboration have announced more than a half million dollars in grant funding will be awarded to nine research teams to tackle pressing problems in brain development and function in health and disease.
Date: Dec 11, 2016
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Michael J. Friedlander to discuss doctoral training initiatives at Society for Neuroscience conference , article
With more than 30,000 attendees from more than 80 countries, the conference is the world's largest source of emerging ideas and tools on brain science and health.
Date: Nov 02, 2016
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International scientists join forces in Roanoke to put ‘precision’ focus on neuroscience , article
The top minds of precision neuroscience are coming together in a think-tank setting to explore the challenges and promise of bringing personalized medicine to brain health.
Date: Oct 05, 2016
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Developmental and Translational Neurobiology Center to open at the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute , article
Led by Michael Fox, an associate professor at the institute, the center will enhance existing strengths in cell and molecular neuroscience and create a collaborative community for scientists.
Date: Sep 26, 2016
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Michael Friedlander to speak on and be honored for integrating science and medicine , article
The vice president of health sciences and technology at Virginia Tech will speak at the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine's annual meeting.
Date: Mar 31, 2016
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Michael Friedlander named Virginia Tech’s inaugural vice president for health sciences and technology , article
In the new position, Friedlander will lead a dynamic network that connects and enhances health science-related work across the university.
Date: Mar 21, 2016
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Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute scientists find brain plasticity assorted into functional networks , article
Scientists at the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute have made a key finding of the striking differences in how the brain’s cells can change through experience.
Date: Feb 10, 2016
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Governor’s bond package includes Virginia Tech Carilion research partnership expansion and new engineering classrooms and research space , article
An exterior view of the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine and Research Institute on Riverside Drive in Roanoke, Va.
Date: Dec 11, 2015
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Research team heads to Antarctic to get icy insight into how brain adapts to temperature change , article
Scientists are heading to Antarctica to find out, for the first time, exactly how the rising temperatures are affecting the icefishes’ brains and hearts – and what it means for the rest of the world.
Date: May 21, 2015
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Brain School 2015 focuses on beginnings , article
Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute to host third annual Brain School.
Date: Mar 10, 2015
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Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine reorganizes Department of Basic Science , article
In a move designed to more closely align medical educators and researchers in the basic sciences, the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine has announced a reorganization of its Department of Basic Science. The new unit will be called the Department of Biomedical Science and will be chaired by Michael Friedlander, the school’s senior dean for research. Friedlander also serves as executive director of the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute and associate provost for health sciences at Virginia Tech.
Date: Mar 05, 2015
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Michael Friedlander’s research continues to be lauded 40 years later , article
The early work of the executive director of the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute helped set the stage for future neuroscience studies.
Date: Feb 27, 2015
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Inaugural heart school events will get rescheduled , article
The public is invited to learn more about heart development and current cardiovascular research during Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute’s first heart school, held as part of American Heart Month.
Date: Feb 23, 2015
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Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute sets a new pace in heart research , article
The Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute, well known for its innovative, world-class brain research, is launching a major new initiative in cardiovascular research.
Date: May 20, 2014
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Michael Friedlander to be honored for contributions to neuroscience research, education, and leadership , article
Nearly a decade after leaving the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Michael Friedlander will be honored by the university’s undergraduate neuroscience society. Friedlander, founding executive director of the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute, will receive the First Annual Undergraduate Neuroscience Society Distinguished Scholar Award of the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Date: Jan 23, 2014
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Brain Awareness Week will highlight the wonders of nature's most remarkable machine , article
Imagine a portable supercomputer that requires only the wattage of a dim lightbulb to run and yet can decode ancient languages, invent fictional worlds, and distinguish friend from foe. The Virginia Tech community will be celebrating that supercomputer – the human brain – during Brain Awareness Week, which begins March 11.
Date: Mar 01, 2013
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Michael Friedlander named senior dean for research at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine , article
Date: May 13, 2011
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Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute director named president-elect of the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine , article
Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute Director Michael Friedlander has been named president–elect of the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine effective July 1.
Date: May 03, 2011
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Research institute director named to advisory board of the Children’s National Medical Center , article
Michael Friedlander has been named to the advisory board of a national children's medical center.
Date: Dec 01, 2010