Whitney Slightham
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From community to cash flow: Research explores why affordable housing’s social goals often take a back seat , articleAffordable housing promises more than just a roof over one’s head. But new research reveals a troubling pattern: While many providers of affordable housing pledge to uplift communities, financial pressures often sideline social priorities.
Date: Nov 27, 2024 -
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Early active learning boosts skills for children born into extreme poverty but gains fade for Black boys, study shows , articleNew findings from the landmark Abecedarian Project study reveal gender disparities in how Black youth benefit from early childhood education.
Date: Oct 23, 2024 -
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John Chappell to direct Translational Biology, Medicine, and Health Graduate Program , articleBuilding on a decade of growth, the interdisciplinary research program prepares graduates for impactful careers in a dynamic biomedical landscape.
Date: Jul 29, 2024 -
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Nation’s leader in environmental health science will outline NIH strategies to address health impacts of climate change , articleRick Woychik will present federal strategies to reduce the health threats of climate change in the closing Maury Strauss Distinguished Public Lecture of the 2023-2024 season – Planning the Future of Environmental Health Sciences – at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC in Roanoke.
Date: May 06, 2024 -
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Is dementia preventable? Acclaimed neurologist shares latest Alzheimer’s breakthroughs , articleKristine Yaffe will discuss strategies for preventing dementia and cognitive aging in public lecture at Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC on April 11.
Date: Apr 03, 2024 -
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Global health leader to outline ways to protect children from health impacts of climate change , articleA leading figure in global child health, Zulfiqar Bhutta will deliver the next Maury Strauss Distinguished Public Lecture on April 4 at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC.
Date: Mar 25, 2024 -
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Aligning medicine, policy, and innovation: M.D.+Ph.D student named Society for Neuroscience Policy ambassador , articlePolicy ambassadors are chosen based on their commitment to scientific advocacy and leadership.
Date: Mar 06, 2024 -
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New Fralin Biomedical Research Institute neuroscientist decodes developmental disorders , articleAssistant Professor Meike van der Heijden studies the cerebellum, a brain region that supports the development of many behaviors.
Date: Feb 14, 2024 -
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Leading scientist shares mysteries of the human milk microbiome in public lecture , articleProminent maternal-infant health expert and National Academy of Medicine member Michelle "Shelley" McGuire will deliver the next Maury Strauss Distinguished Public Lecture Feb. 15 at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute.
Date: Feb 07, 2024 -
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Researcher explores the long and short of COVID-19 in public lecture , articleGlobal long COVID expert and epidemiologist Ziyad Al-Aly will deliver the next Maury Strauss Distinguished Public Lecture on Jan. 25 at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute.
Date: Jan 16, 2024 -
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M.D./Ph.D. student awarded prestigious NIH fellowship , articleIn a first for Virginia Tech, Katelyn Stebbins received a competitive National Institutes of Health F30 award to fund her remaining neurobiology doctoral program and medical degree.
Date: Dec 21, 2023 -
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New Fralin Biomedical Research Institute researcher pursues heart failure therapies , articleAssistant Professor Sumita Mishra explores specific molecular pathways underlying a common form of heart disease that afflicts millions of Americans, predominantly women.
Date: Dec 04, 2023 -
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‘There is no Planet B’: Climate expert explores gap between science, policy, and opinion , articleJ. Marshall Shepherd, former NASA scientist and skilled science communicator, will explore the complex interplay between climate change data, public communication, and policy decision-making in a public lecture Oct. 19 at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC.
Date: Oct 12, 2023 -
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Pioneer of ‘mind-reading’ AI to open Maury Strauss Distinguished Public Lecture series in Roanoke , articleWorld-renowned computational neuroscientist Read Montague will share insights into how machine learning is advancing brain research at an unprecedented scale. His talk on Sept. 28 marks the first in the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC’s annual Maury Strauss Distinguished Public Lecture Series.
Date: Sep 21, 2023 -
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From philosophy to computational psychiatry, one scientist’s journey into the human mind , articleNeuroscientist Brooks Casas, professor at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute, leads an expansive research program investigating the neural foundations of human thought and action.
Date: Jul 24, 2023 -
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Where clinical psychology and neuroscience converge, this Virginia Tech scientist takes the lead , articleNeuroscientist Pearl Chiu leads a cutting-edge research laboratory at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute set on finding new treatments for anxiety, substance use, and mood disorders.
Date: Jul 24, 2023 -
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Scientists detect deadly arrhythmia trifecta: Salt, swelling, and leaky sodium channels , articleCardiovascular researchers led by Steven Poelzing at Virginia Tech’s Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC have published a new study describing how deadly arrhythmias arise from elevated sodium levels, heart tissue irritation and swelling, and sodium channel abnormalities associated with Long QT syndrome.
Date: May 24, 2022 -
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Fralin Biomedical Research Institute hosts Juneteenth celebration of Black scientists and engineers , articleThe 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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Cancer Research Alliance forges new collaborations, strengthens research programs at inaugural retreat , articleMore 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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International Precision Neuroscience Conference to explore brain cancer, mental health, neurodegeneration , articleThe 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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Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC researcher is Virginia Tech’s first NIH Outstanding Investigator Award recipient , articleRobert Gourdie, the Commonwealth Research Commercialization Fund Eminent Scholar in Heart Reparative Medicine Research and director of the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute Center for Vascular and Heart Research, received a $6.4 million R35 grant from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
Date: Mar 03, 2022 -
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Rare disease research gives families hope, ‘vital’ to advancing medicine , articleRare 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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Scientists identify neural disruptions underlying feeding, swallowing disorders in children , articleIn a new study published in Disease Models & Mechanisms, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC scientists led by Anthony-Samuel LaMantia depict the early development of pain-sensing and movement-sensing neurons in the face and throat. The findings reveal a previously unexplored feature of brain and cranial nerve development underlying eating, swallowing, and speech.
Date: Feb 21, 2022 -
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Nobel laureate who discovered aging-related enzyme to discuss groundbreaking research , articleCarol 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 , articleGifts 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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Scientists at Fralin Biomedical Research Institute develop new strategy for brain cancer treatment , articleIn a new study published in Oncogenesis, Zhi Sheng and Rob Gourdie of the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC describe how two protein-targeting drugs – when combined with chemotherapy – yield synergistic cytotoxicity to treatment-resistant glioblastoma.
Date: Jan 13, 2022 -
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Researchers aim to improve diabetes management in rural and urban communities with low-cost intervention , articleJeff Stein at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute has received a $990,000 National Institutes of Health grant to study the effects of applying a psychological treatment for addiction to help patients manage Type 2 diabetes.
Date: Dec 21, 2021 -
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Researchers identify behavioral adaptations that may help Antarctic fishes to adapt to warming Southern Ocean , articleIn 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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Neuroscientists explore differences in mitochondria of memory cells in the brain with new NIH funding , articleWith a new five-year, $2-million National Institutes of Health grant, Shannon Farris, assistant professor at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, is mapping out the diverse bioenergetic and molecular characteristics of CA2 neuronal circuits to learn more about how social memories are formed, stored, and forgotten.
Date: Nov 09, 2021 -
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Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC scientists identify beacon molecule that prevents vision, behavioral problems in mice , articleThe 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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Researchers identify key brain circuit regulating cocaine addiction, relapse , articleIn new findings published in Neuron, neuroscientists at the University of California San Diego and the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC singled out the specific brain circuit that triggers cocaine relapse in mice.
Date: Oct 13, 2021 -
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Fralin Biomedical Research Institute spinoff Tiny Cargo Co. among Washington, DC Health Innovation QuickFire Challenge awardees , articleTiny Cargo Co., founded by Rob Gourdie, professor at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, is among five companies to receive the award, which includes $50,000, the opportunity to reside at JLABS @ Washington, D.C. for one year, and mentorship from experts at the Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies.
Date: Sep 15, 2021 -
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From pasture to patient: Fralin Biomedical Research Institute scientists distill cow’s milk into nano-capsules for drug delivery , articleRob Gourdie, professor and director of the Center for Vascular and Heart Research at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, and his lab team developed a scalable method to harvest nano-sized biological capsules called exosomes from unpasteurized cow’s milk. Exosomes are a promising candidate for drug delivery in humans.
Date: Aug 19, 2021 -
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Nobel laureate, NIH leaders to present 2021-22 Maury Strauss public lectures , articleThe 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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Fralin Biomedical Research Institute scientists uncover how molecule improves appearance of surgery scars , articleIn a new study, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute scientists discovered that the alphaCT1 molecule may help repair the skin’s collagen matrix by altering how scar-forming cells behave. The findings were published in the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology Journal.
Date: Jul 19, 2021 -
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TBMH student receives competitive NIH award to study molecule’s role in healthy brain development , articleRaymundo Hernandez, a graduate student in Virginia Tech’s Translational Biology, Medicine, and Health Program, studies how a specific molecule in the brain influences important aspects of healthy neurodevelopment. He was awarded a six-year $466,699 National Institutes of Health grant that will fund his remaining doctoral and postdoctoral research.
Date: Jul 19, 2021 -
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Cancer biologist to join Fralin Biomedical Research Institute faculty, launch research lab in Washington, D.C. , articleJia-Ray Yu will be the first Virginia Tech faculty member to move into the university’s new research facilities on the Children’s National Research & Innovation Campus. Yu will be a member of the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, and an assistant professor in the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine starting Sept. 1.
Date: Jul 02, 2021 -
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New Fralin Biomedical scientist explores how metabolism, stress alter gene expression in heart cells , articleJessica Pfleger, a new faculty member starting at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC on July 1, studies how lifestyle factors, such as stress and diet, alter the genes and proteins involved in heart disease progression.
Date: Jun 25, 2021 -
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Board of Visitors hears update on growing health sciences efforts , articleProvost 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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The race against cancer’s clock: New study shows chronic jet lag impairs immune response, accelerates tumor growth , articleA new study led by Carla Finkielstein, an associate professor at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, and Diego Golombek, a professor at the National University of Quilmes, reveals that chronic jet lag impedes the body’s immune system and also changes the tumor microenvironment, favoring tumor growth.
Date: Oct 14, 2020