Alliance Research Initiative
As a result of the success of the faculty, staff, and learners, the College of Medicine has a strong reputation for research growth. That fact is clearly demonstrated in the two-fold increase of NIH and overall funding in just three years.
But with this success, what are the next steps to continue this trajectory and positive impact on science?
In 2019, the College of Medicine released details about an initiative that will outline the future efforts to expand its research footprint and mentor junior and other researchers working to obtain grant funding.
The Alliance Initiative capitalizes on collaboration and the transdisciplinary strategy built from the best practices and metrics across the nation in developing programmatic research. It is designed to provide seed funding and support for multidisciplinary teams of scientists, from colleges and centers across the University’s campus, to find answers to the health challenges that disproportionately affect Kentuckians.
Program Goals
Goals for the Alliance Initiative are detailed and intentional in order to create the greatest impact and successfully position the college and University to increase research funding. The goals include:
Achieve greater University of Kentucky science impact on discovery and in promoting new standards of care, clinical, and population impact.
Promote the development of a leadership culture dedicated to mentoring and supporting the career development and academic success of all basic science and/or clinical faculty members of the Alliance Initiative.
Support the development of transdisciplinary areas of strength within research priority areas.
Engage leadership from multiple colleges, departments, and/or centers across the campus for success.
Increase collaborative interaction and programmatic funding, especially in members working to obtain funding.
Incubate applications that address three key factors in programmatic success: our faculty, our infrastructure, and systems (operations, facilities, equipment, systems for compliance and safety, etc.).
Alliance Initiative Teams
In August 2020, the College of Medicine officially launched 18 Alliance Initiative teams from each of the five research priority areas (substance use disorder; cardiovascular; diabetes and obesity; neuroscience; and cancer) and emerging areas of science. Since then, several alliances have completed their research projects and several new alliances have been added to the active roster. As the goals outline, these Alliance Initiative teams include members from 24 departments in the College of Medicine and nine colleges across the University.
- Alliance of Biomedical Educators (ABE) led by Luke Bradley, PhD; Beth Garvy, PhD
- Alliance for Diabetes and Obesity Research (ADORE) led by Simon Fisher, MD, PhD; Philip A. Kern, MD; and Barbara Nikolajczyk, PhD
- Center of Advanced Translational Stroke Science (CATSS) led by Ann Stowe, PhD, FAHA; Keith Pennypacker, PhD; Justin Fraser, MD, FAANS, FAHA
- COVID-19 Unified Research Experts (CURE) led by Ilhem Messaoudi, PhD, and Vincent Venditto, PhD
- Kentucky Research Alliance for Lung Disease (K-RALD) led by Christopher Waters, PhD
- mHealth Application modernization and Mobilization Alliance (MAMMA) led by Mikhail Koffarnus, PhD; Carolyn Lauckner, PhD
- UK-Maternal and Pediatric Research Alliance (MaPRA) led by John A. Bauer, PhD; Thomas E. Curry, PhD; Peter J. Giannone, MD; Ilhem Messaoudi Powers, PhD; John M. O’Brien, MD
- Myocardial Recovery Alliance (MYRA) led by Ken Campbell, PhD, and Emma Birks, MD, PhD
- University of Kentucky Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE) in GI Cancers Alliance led by Mark Evers, MD, and Tianyan Gao, PhD
- T Cells to Induce Liver Tolerance (TILT) led by Roberto Gedaly MD and Francesc Marti, PhD
Alliance Leadership Team
