CNS-Met COBRE

The University of Kentucky Phase I Center of Research in central nervous system metabolism is supported by a $10.6 million, five-year award (P20 GM148326) from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS). The NIGMS is a part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that supports thematic, multidisciplinary Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) across the country through its Institutional Development Award (IDeA) program.

The central nervous system (CNS) has a very high requirement for energy which results in high metabolism rates. As such, CNS metabolism and neuronal excitability are interdependent, and disruptions of CNS metabolism are implicated in numerous neurological disease states, including Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy, ischemia, and traumatic CNS injury, but the mechanisms and underlying connections between CNS metabolism and disease are not well-defined. The University of Kentucky College of Medicine has made significant investments over the past decade in investigators with strong metabolic and metabolomics expertise and instrumentation to support research efforts, which has greatly enhanced existing strongholds in neuroscience, cancer, cardiovascular, diabetes, and obesity research. The goal of our multidisciplinary Center of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) focused on CNS Metabolism (CNS-Met) is a strategically designed, sustainable framework that promotes leading-edge research focused on the role of metabolic mediators of brain function and disease, with an emphasis on encouraging research excellence from Junior Research Project Leaders. To accomplish these goals, we will meet four specific aims: (1) develop a critical mass of funded investigators with research programs directly related to the COBRE’s unifying theme; (2) provide strong team-based mentoring combining basic and clinical expertise; (3) recruit new investigators to the COBRE in multidisciplinary areas of neurologic dysfunction through pilot project grant and recruitment of junior Research Project Leaders; and (4) create synergy among research projects via critical links to strong research centers and core facilities at UK, including existing COBREs. Overall, the CNS-Met will create a critical mass of scientists who are skilled and well-equipped to foster a sustainable research center focused on CNS metabolism.

P20 GM148326/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States.