Blocking two proteins reverses lung scarring in preclinical study

Thu, 30 Apr 2026 13:20:00 -0400

Researchers identified a new therapeutic strategy for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, that could move beyond delaying the disease to reversing lung scarring.

New lab removes barrier between research and patient care

Fri, 10 Apr 2026 07:49:00 -0400

The university marked a step forward in biomedical innovation in Southwest Virginia with the opening of a clean room facility to produce clinical-grade therapies under federally regulated standards.

Rare Disease Day: Virginia Tech researchers tackle uncommon conditions

Wed, 25 Feb 2026 14:01:00 -0500

From gene mutations to novel therapies, scientists are translating discoveries into meaningful progress for often overlooked patients.

Innovation at a crossroads: Virginia Tech scientist calls for balance between research oversight and commercialization

Thu, 05 Feb 2026 07:30:00 -0500

As federal policymakers weigh potential changes to how biomedical research is funded and regulated in the United States, Robert Gourdie of the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC highlights the importance of preserving the nation’s ability to turn discovery into life saving therapies.

Improving cardiac treatments and ‘patient quality of life’

Tue, 03 Feb 2026 14:00:00 -0500

With support from a Ray A. Gaskins graduate fellowship, Md Ruhul Amin is exploring the therapeutic potential of milk-derived exosomes in treating heart attacks and tissue damage.

Why coronary arteries struggle to heal after surgery

Fri, 14 Nov 2025 14:39:00 -0500

A new Virginia Tech study by Scott Johnstone of the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC identified a target for new therapies to improve recovery and reduce complications after stent procedures and bypass surgeries.

Biomedical innovator to open Maury Strauss Distinguished Public Lecture series in Roanoke

Thu, 11 Sep 2025 11:16:00 -0400

Robert Gourdie, who leads programs at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC and who co-founded biotech companies in Virginia and South Carolina, will help mark the research institute’s 15th anniversary in Roanoke with insights from his groundbreaking research on Thursday, Sept. 18.

Summer research fellows showcase studies at annual symposium

Mon, 25 Aug 2025 13:41:00 -0400

Students in the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC’s neuroSURF and cardioSURF programs, as well as students from other summer fellowships, shared posters and competed for prizes at the symposium.

Researchers identify why some heart rhythm drugs heighten risks when sodium levels drop

Mon, 14 Jul 2025 17:00:00 -0400

New research explains how low levels of the electrolyte sodium in the blood can disrupt the timing of the heartbeat in patients taking widely used rhythm-control medications such as flecainide.

Virginia Tech researchers find promise in a new peptide drug to combat a deadly brain cancer

Fri, 30 May 2025 06:30:00 -0400

Fralin Biomedical Research Institute scientists were able to slow glioblastoma progression in lab and animal studies by targeting treatment-resistant cancer cells.

Changes in the aging heart may lessen the risk of irregular heartbeats

Tue, 20 May 2025 08:00:00 -0400

Researchers have discovered that microscopic structural changes in the aging heart may reduce the risk of irregular heartbeats.

‘Milestone’ discovery may unlock the true biomedical might of exosomes

Tue, 15 Apr 2025 12:30:00 -0400

Researchers identified a freeze-drying process to produce, warehouse, and deliver a wound-healing medicine for cancer patients, military troops, and industrial workers exposed to radiation.

Virginia Tech researcher earns fellowship to explore how obesity increases the risk for heart disease

Thu, 20 Mar 2025 12:00:00 -0400

Mark Renton, a postdoctoral associate with the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, will use the American Heart Association fellowship to investigate how the pannexin-1 protein regulates blood flow in an obesity-induced heart condition.

'Pocket Science' podcast: What makes a heart stop?

Wed, 19 Feb 2025 09:54:00 -0500

A single heartbeat requires a perfectly orchestrated symphony of events. Cardiovascular scientist Steve Poelzing explains how the heart beats, what's happening when it doesn't, and how his research is identifying factors that could help predict a deadly event.

Fellowship helps doctoral student get to the heart of cardiac disease

Thu, 02 Jan 2025 08:00:00 -0500

Abigail Doku will use a Ray A. Gaskins graduate fellowship to continue her doctoral research into heart failure, the world’s leading cause of death, at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC.

Fralin Biomedical Research Institute spinoff company translates science into peptide drugs targeting cancer stem cells

Mon, 18 Nov 2024 08:00:00 -0500

Bioentrepreneur Samy Lamouille recently joined a Johnson & Johnson life science and health care incubator, opening new avenues for networking and development.

Translational biology, medicine, and health student pursues science close to home with new grant

Thu, 31 Oct 2024 08:00:00 -0400

Mason Wheeler, a doctoral candidate in the Pfleger Lab at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, earned a prestigious Ruth Kirschstein Predoctoral Fellowship from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health.

Virginia Tech cardiovascular scientist identifies potential new treatment for failing hearts

Mon, 28 Oct 2024 08:00:00 -0400

In a new study in mice, Junco Warren, assistant professor at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute, offers findings that show a key protein positively impacted both muscle weakness and cellular energy production in the heart, pointing to a potential therapy for systolic heart failure.

Fralin Biomedical Research Institute scientist to co-chair international forum on gap junctions

Fri, 24 May 2024 11:45:00 -0400

Co-chairs James Smyth and Silvia Penuela are bringing scientists from across the globe to Arlington to share findings in a rapidly developing field whose insights point to novel therapeutic opportunities in a wide range of disorders and complex diseases.

NIH award funds Virginia Tech scientist’s study of link between diet, diabetes, and heart disease

Thu, 16 May 2024 14:21:00 -0400

Jessica Pfleger, assistant professor at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, is exploring the role of a certain protein in heart cells becoming insulin resistant, doubling the risk of heart disease and death in Type 2 diabetes.

Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC and Virginia Tech shine as innovations receive TechNite acclaim

Wed, 15 May 2024 10:20:00 -0400

The Roanoke-Blacksburg Technology Council’s TechNite awards turned a spotlight on translational research taking place at Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC and throughout the region.

Sen. Mark Warner convenes biotech leaders in Roanoke and New River valleys

Thu, 28 Mar 2024 15:49:00 -0400

Key university and industry players gathered at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC to discuss research, economic development, and a vision for Virginia’s proposed research triangle.

Two Fralin Biomedical Research Institute postdoctoral associates awarded American Heart Association fellowships

Tue, 19 Mar 2024 03:08:00 -0400

The awards will help Karthi Sreedevi and Samar Antar advance their academic careers while conducting research related to cardiovascular disease.

Unveiling a hidden threat: Researchers show viral infections pose early heart risks

Thu, 07 Mar 2024 11:36:00 -0500

Fralin Biomedical Research Institute scientists challenge traditional assumptions and open a new window to help people with cardiac infections.

National Institutes of Health award propels translational biology, medicine, and health student on path to discovery

Tue, 23 Jan 2024 09:00:00 -0500

Meghan Sedovy, a doctoral candidate and graduate research assistant in the Johnstone Lab at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, was awarded a Ruth L. Kirschstein Predoctoral Individual National Research Service Award to further her study of wound healing in arteries after heart surgery.

Researchers find that using patients’ own blood rather than saline helps preserve veins in coronary bypass grafts

Tue, 16 Jan 2024 13:00:00 -0500

A Fralin Biomedical Research Institute cardiovascular scientist and a Carilion Clinic surgeon team up for a clinical trial with the potential to improve health outcomes.

Seeking a better understanding of how genetic mutations lead to developmental disorders

Thu, 16 Nov 2023 07:00:00 -0500

A new Fralin Biomedical Research Institute award for postdoctoral scholars will help Chelsea Phillips advance research related to cellular junctions in heart cells.

Digging for data: Researcher seeks new therapeutic interventions for progressive, chronic lung disease

Thu, 26 Oct 2023 11:00:00 -0400

A new Postdoctoral Excellence Award from the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC will help fuel Samar Antar’s research.

‘The real deal’: Students thrive and grow in summer hands-on research experiences

Wed, 20 Sep 2023 09:00:00 -0400

This was the seventh summer of programs aimed at engaging and training the next generation of scientists. This year, 34 students from colleges in Virginia, North Carolina, and as far away as California, and from five area high schools, participated in summer undergraduate research fellowship programs at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC.

Fundamental understanding of a molecule‘s normal function could inform treatments for a variety of disorders

Thu, 24 Aug 2023 10:37:00 -0400

A team of investigators in John Chappell’s lab at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC made a discovery that could inform new therapies.

Lecture series features experts in addiction research, cardiovascular science, child development, metabolic disease

Thu, 24 Aug 2023 10:33:00 -0400

Fralin Biomedical Research Institute launches the 12th season of the Pioneers in Biomedical Research Seminar Series on Sept. 8.

Researchers find institutions with strong engineering operations are more efficient in producing patents

Thu, 17 Aug 2023 09:23:00 -0400

Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine alumnus and Fralin Biomedical Research Institute inventor create a tool to analyze patenting efficiency as a metric for moving health discoveries from lab bench to patient bedside.

Doctoral student’s goal is to better understand the abrupt changes taking place in the brain’s blood vessels

Tue, 27 Jun 2023 13:54:00 -0400

A biomedical scholar, physician, and mother of three wins a prestigious award to support her stroke research.

International trainees selected for inaugural postdoctoral scholar program

Wed, 26 Apr 2023 11:40:00 -0400

Karthi Sreedevi and Xuansong Mao, postdoctoral associates at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute, recently joined the new program created to help young professionals successfully launch their careers. They will receive additional training and support through the Research and Innovation Postdoctoral Scholars program.

Robert Gourdie named senior member of the National Academy of Inventors

Tue, 14 Feb 2023 16:19:00 -0500

For the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC professor, thinking about important questions leads to innovations that can improve lives.

Robert Gourdie named senior member of the National Academy of Inventors

Robert Gourdie, the Commonwealth Research Commercialization Fund Eminent Scholar in Heart Reparative Medicine Research, was recognized by the National Academy of Inventors as a rising leader in his field. A professor at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, Gourdie is a cell biologist and entrepreneur who creates knowledge and translates discoveries into solutions for medical problems.

American Heart Association grant will support undergraduates interested in pursuing cardiovascular research

Wed, 04 Jan 2023 10:14:00 -0500

Select students will tackle cardiovascular research projects under the mentorship of Fralin Biomedical Research Institute scientists. Applications are due Feb. 14.

Cardiovascular scientists to explore viral infection that can lead to sudden death

Fri, 18 Nov 2022 09:56:00 -0500

James Smyth, associate professor at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, has been awarded a five-year, $2.7 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to discover why viruses that normally infect our lungs can turn deadly when they infect the heart.

Translational Biology, Medicine, and Health graduate student earns NIH support to explore promising heart finding

Mon, 10 Oct 2022 11:27:00 -0400

Zach Williams has been awarded a grant from the National Institutes of Health’s Ruth L. Kirschstein Predoctoral Individual National Research Service Award program to pursue study of a synthetic molecule's potential as a therapeutic for heart arrythmias and sudden cardiac death.

11th season of the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute’s Pioneers in Biomedical Research Seminar Series launches Sept. 16

Mon, 12 Sep 2022 11:49:00 -0400

The full slate features 29 experts sharing leading discoveries in cardiovascular science, cancer research, neuroscience, biomedical imaging, addiction, and health behaviors.

Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC Center for Vascular and Heart Research holds retreat to catalyze collaboration

Thu, 21 Jul 2022 09:00:00 -0400

The daylong retreat at The Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center and on the research institute campus included presentations by research teams about their lab’s key techniques, competencies, and equipment.

Scientists detect deadly arrhythmia trifecta: Salt, swelling, and leaky sodium channels

Tue, 24 May 2022 08:47:00 -0400

Cardiovascular 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.

New data revealed about the origin of the circulatory system during development

Tue, 17 May 2022 10:15:00 -0400

Researchers are closer to understanding the earliest beginnings of the circulatory system during embryonic development. The discovery could lead to ways to repair damage in the human body after a stroke or heart attack.

Virginia Tech celebrates its inventors

Tue, 19 Apr 2022 12:44:00 -0400

The Virginia Tech inventions highlighted span a wide array of technology areas, including those related to vaccine development, cyber solutions, communications and advanced manufacturing technologies, and antimicrobial films that suppress the transmission of deadly diseases.

Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC researcher is Virginia Tech’s first NIH Outstanding Investigator Award recipient

Thu, 03 Mar 2022 10:33:00 -0500

Robert 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.

Rare disease research gives families hope, ‘vital’ to advancing medicine

Mon, 28 Feb 2022 10:01:00 -0500

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.

Fralin Biomedical Research Institute biotech spin-out raises additional $305,000 in investments

Mon, 20 Dec 2021 12:25:00 -0500

With this wave of new grants and investments, Acomhal Research Inc. is nearing a million dollars in total funding toward development of a new therapeutic to fight drug-resistant cancers such as glioblastoma multiforme and metastatic disease including triple negative breast cancer.

Dual degree program and NIH grant allow medical student to pursue doctorate before graduation

Wed, 20 Oct 2021 09:25:00 -0400

Kenneth Young is pausing his studies the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine to pursue a doctorate through Virginia Tech’s Translational Biology, Medicine, and Health Graduate Program, with his first year of research funded by a National Institutes of Health Diversity Supplement grant.

Fralin Biomedical Research Institute spinoff Tiny Cargo Co. among Washington, DC Health Innovation QuickFire Challenge awardees

Wed, 15 Sep 2021 15:31:00 -0400

Tiny 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.

Tenth season of Fralin Biomedical Research Institute’s Pioneers in Biomedical Research Seminar Series launches Sept. 3

Thu, 26 Aug 2021 07:36:00 -0400

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.

From pasture to patient: Fralin Biomedical Research Institute scientists distill cow’s milk into nano-capsules for drug delivery

Thu, 19 Aug 2021 14:24:00 -0400

Rob 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.

New scientists bring American Heart Association-funded research to the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute

Wed, 04 Aug 2021 10:36:00 -0400

Jessica Pfleger and Yassine Sassi, who joined Virginia Tech this summer, brought with them American Heart Associated-funded research projects. Pfleger studies insulin resistance in the heart, and Sassi studies pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Fralin Biomedical Research Institute scientists uncover how molecule improves appearance of surgery scars

Mon, 19 Jul 2021 16:58:00 -0400

In 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.

New Fralin Biomedical Research Institute investigator seeks molecular causes for deadly lung, heart diseases

Tue, 29 Jun 2021 10:47:00 -0400

Yassine Sassi will join the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC on Aug. 1 as an assistant professor, where he will continue his research into pulmonary hypertension and pulmonary fibrosis.

New Fralin Biomedical Research Institute scientist seeks to reduce heart failure

Mon, 28 Jun 2021 09:33:00 -0400

Junco Warren will focus on metabolic changes in the failing heart, particularly the pivotal moment when a heart moves from being impaired but functioning to struggling to do its job.

New Fralin Biomedical scientist explores how metabolism, stress alter gene expression in heart cells

Fri, 25 Jun 2021 08:21:00 -0400

Jessica 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.

Mind the gap: Heart cells cozy up to prevent deadly arrhythmias, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute researchers find

Mon, 03 May 2021 15:56:00 -0400

Steven Poelzing, associate professor at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, leads a team of cardiovascular scientists studying electrical conduction in the heart. Poelzing’s lab recently published a study that showed increasing sodium and calcium levels in the bloodstream helps keep dangerous heart rhythms, triggered by potassium overdose, at bay.

Fralin Biomedical Research Institute’s 2021 Pioneers in Biomedical Research Seminar Series starts Jan. 29

Thu, 28 Jan 2021 12:33:00 -0500

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.

Fralin Biomedical Research Institute scientists provide new evidence of elusive electrical pathway in the heart

Thu, 12 Nov 2020 13:00:00 -0500

Associate Professor Steven Poelzing and Research Assistant Professor Gregory Hoeker, of the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, recently published a study that helps explain why our classical understanding of heart beats and the mathematical models don’t add up.

New Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC scientist pursues heart disease treatments

Wed, 11 Nov 2020 11:09:00 -0500

Scott Johnstone’s team is designing drugs that interrupt protein interactions to curb pathological cell division.

Fralin Biomedical Research Institute biotech spin-off seeks potential breast cancer treatment

Tue, 28 Jul 2020 10:18:00 -0400

Roanoke-based cancer research startup, Acomhal Research Inc., secured a $399,878 Small Business Technology Transfer grant to determine if a molecule that stalls the spread of invasive brain cancer stem cells can help treat aggressive forms of breast cancer.

Fralin Biomedical Research Institute scientists confirm usually benign virus attacks the heart’s electrical system

Tue, 16 Jun 2020 14:13:00 -0400

Virginia Tech researchers made their findings via first-of-their-kind experiments to observe adenovirus effects on human heart cells in a culture dish.

Fralin Biomedical Research Institute doctoral candidate awarded NIH Fellowship to study role of virus in sudden cardiac death

Fri, 08 May 2020 14:51:00 -0400

A dose of adenovirus hits most people like a common cold – a cough, a fever, maybe a sore throat. But for an unfortunate few, the usually benign bug hacks the heart’s cellular electrical communication system and sometimes proves fatal.

New Virginia Tech startup seeks to use nano-capsules derived from milk to deliver heart drug

Wed, 12 Feb 2020 10:38:00 -0500

Good things come in small packages. Launched by Fralin Biomedical Research Institute’s Robert Gourdie, The Tiny Cargo Co. will package vital heart medicine in nano-containers extracted from cow’s milk.

New compound could help improve heart attack recovery

Mon, 13 Jan 2020 15:40:00 -0500

Robert Gourdie, a professor at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, is working on a way to limit the damage of hypoxic ischemic injury, allowing the nearby heart muscle cells to remain intact.=https://video.vt.edu/media/New+compound+could+help+improve+heart+attack+recovery/1_v8sx1uh2

Biomedical, business, engineering teams set to dive into shark-tank style competition

Thu, 05 Dec 2019 12:54:00 -0500

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.

American Heart Association postdoctoral fellow searches ‘secret molecular world’ for clues underlying vascular disease

Fri, 18 Oct 2019 11:26:00 -0400

Laura Beth Payne, a postdoctoral associate at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, has been awarded a two-year American Heart Association postdoctoral fellowship to study molecular interactions in healthy and abnormal microvasculature.

Welcome to the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute

Virginia Tech’s Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC is an exciting place to research, train, and work. Established in 2010, the research institute is doubling in size and is actively recruiting 20-25 new core research teams to join the Virginia Tech Health Sciences Campus in Roanoke, Virginia. For more information about the research institute and employment opportunities, please visit: www.research.vtc.vt.edu

Fralin Biomedical Research Institute scientist earns American Heart Association award to study stroke recovery

Wed, 11 Sep 2019 10:16:00 -0400

The three-year American Heart Association Transformational Project Award will help heart and reparative medicine researchers at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC examine the complex effects of ischemic brain injuries on blood vessels.

Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC scientists discover compound that could shield heart tissue

Mon, 19 Aug 2019 08:06:00 -0400

Imagine there was a drug that you could take soon after a heart attack that could reduce damage by protecting healthy heart muscle tissue.

Roanoke scientists give local youth behind-the-scenes look at biomedical research

Thu, 08 Aug 2019 12:18:00 -0400

For the second year, Roanoke youth enrolled in Goodwill Industries of the Valley's YouthHQ@Goodwill Science Camp visited the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC this week. The campers learned about careers in science, microscopy, genetics, viruses, and how a heartbeat happens.

Lost in translation: The medium is the message for a healthy heartbeat

Tue, 28 May 2019 11:01:17 -0400

Researchers at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC have revealed how a genetic message to produce healthy heart tissue is altered in the body during stress and aging to contribute to sudden cardiac death.

International scientists to plug into cellular signals at Fralin Biomedical Research Institute conference

Mon, 29 Apr 2019 11:10:00 -0400

To explore potential sources of cellular electrical communication, the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC is hosting the world’s first Ephaptic Coupling Conference in Roanoke, Virginia, from May 5 to 7.

Biomedical, business, engineering students set for HS&T shark tank-style competition

Tue, 27 Nov 2018 00:00:00 -0500

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.

VTCRI scientist awarded new federal grant to study cardiac conduction in health, disease

Mon, 17 Sep 2018 00:00:00 -0400

The grant will fund Steven Poelzing’s research into a heart mutation, known as a gain-of-function mutation, that can lead to sudden cardiac death and other heart conditions.

The heart: digital or analog? VTCRI researchers shed dramatic new light on disorders of heart bioelectricity

Mon, 27 Aug 2018 13:30:00 -0400

Scientists at the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute have found evidence that may disrupt conventional understanding about how electrical activity travels in the heart — a discovery that potentially can lead to new insight into medical problems, such as heart arrhythmia and sudden cardiac death.

Heart association to support VTCRI biological sciences grad student's research into sudden cardiac death

Fri, 03 Aug 2018 00:00:00 -0400

Patrick Calhoun is investigating how a viral infection that causes a mild cough in the lungs may have a much more severe effect in heart tissue.

VTCRI scientist earns third concurrent grant from the National Cancer Institute to study breast cancer

Tue, 10 Jul 2018 00:00:00 -0400

Deb Kelly, who is also an associate professor of biological sciences in the College of Science at Virginia Tech, is working to better detect, prevent, and repair the mutations found in cancers related to the breast cancer susceptibility protein, BRCA1.

VTCRI scientists, Carilion clinicians first to identify perinexus in human heart

Mon, 18 Jun 2018 00:00:00 -0400

The research team was led by Steven Poelzing, an associate professor at the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute, and Soufian AlMahameed, who was a clinician associate professor at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine and the director of Carilion Clinic’s Center for Atrial Fibrillation at the time of data collection.

VTCRI scientists identify novel cellular mechanism that can lead to cancer metastasis

Tue, 29 May 2018 00:00:00 -0400

Scientists at the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute have added a new dimension to the understanding of how cells alter their communication with one another during development, wound healing, and the spread of cancer.

John Chappell earns NSF CAREER award to study pericyte and endothelial cell dynamics

Mon, 30 Apr 2018 00:00:00 -0400

With the five-year CAREER grant, Chappell will use imaging modalities in combination with novel experimental techniques to observe pericyte and endothelial cell dynamics in various cell and tissue microenvironments.

Researchers discover molecular mechanism of hereditary, tumor-causing disease

Wed, 07 Mar 2018 00:00:00 -0500

Von Hippel-Lindau syndrome is a rare disease, affecting about one in every 36,000 people, according to the National Institutes of Health. People with the disorder have an increased risk for developing cancer, but a main concern is on the syndrome’s characteristic benign growths.

TBMH graduate students land elusive National Institutes of Health fellowships

Mon, 08 Jan 2018 00:00:00 -0500

Doctoral students Tristan Raisch and Carissa James have won National Institutes of Health research fellowships aimed at protecting people with heart problems.

VTCRI summer undergraduate neuroscience research federally funded for five more years

Thu, 04 Jan 2018 00:00:00 -0500

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.

Virginia Tech biomedical spinoff cited for innovation by national university associations

Mon, 13 Nov 2017 12:00:00 -0500

Acomhal Research Inc., formed to fight a deadly type of brain cancer, is being recognized this week by the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities and the Association of American Universities.

Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute teams converge on strategies to defeat McCain’s form of brain cancer

Mon, 24 Jul 2017 00:00:00 -0400

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.

Undergraduates will spend summer learning what it means to be biomedical research scientists in and out of the lab

Tue, 13 Jun 2017 00:00:00 -0400

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.

Regenerative medicine researcher’s startup companies give hope to patients

Tue, 23 May 2017 00:00:00 -0400

Sometimes it takes a researcher with a flair for entrepreneurship to translate a laboratory breakthrough into a medical treatment. Rob Gourdie, the director of the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute’s Center for Heart and Regenerative Medicine Research, uses "intrapreneurship" to translate laboratory breakthroughs into medical treatments.

Early career scientist receives international recognition from the Microscopy Society of America

Mon, 08 May 2017 00:00:00 -0400

Veeraragahavan studies the structural mechanisms underlying cardiac conduction in health and disease at the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute’s Center for Heart and Regenerative Medicine in the laboratory of center director, Rob Gourdie.

Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute scientist awarded $2.1 million to fight heart disease

Tue, 10 Jan 2017 00:00:00 -0500

Steven Poelzing, an associate professor at the institute, will lead a research team to investigate how the microscopic spaces surrounding heart cells affect connections called gap junctions, which allow electrical impulses and small molecules to pass between cells.

Third class joins Virginia Tech’s translational biology, medicine, and health doctoral program

Tue, 23 Aug 2016 00:00:00 -0400

The doctoral program is the Virginia Tech Graduate School’s largest interdisciplinary program, with more than 200 members of Virginia Tech’s Faculty of Health Sciences teaching and mentoring the students.

Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute scientist honored with Heart Rhythm Society Clinical Research Award

Wed, 27 Jul 2016 00:00:00 -0400

He will use the award funds to study, in a rodent model, how the composition of fluids administered to patients who have suffered cardiac arrest or myocardial infarction affects whether or not they survive and how well they recover from the event.

Review paper explores cardiac scar solutions

Mon, 27 Jun 2016 00:00:00 -0400

A more complete understanding of how cells communicate during and after damage may eventually lead to therapeutic applications for a wide range of diseases and disorders.

Researchers find way to make resistant brain cancer cells sensitive to treatment

Mon, 16 Nov 2015 00:00:00 -0500

Scientists from the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute and clinicians from Carilion Clinic have discovered how to sensitize drug-resistant human glioblastoma cells to chemotherapy.

Personalized saline may provide solution to heart death

Fri, 29 May 2015 00:00:00 -0400

Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute scientists found that saline solution composition can affect cardiac response differently.

Inaugural heart school events will get rescheduled

Mon, 23 Feb 2015 00:00:00 -0500

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.

Going viral: Targeting brain cancer cells with a wound-healing drug

Mon, 05 Jan 2015 00:00:00 -0500

At the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute, three scientists are planning to create a virus capable of destroying brain cancer. It sounds like the stuff of science fiction, but it isn’t hypothetical – the researchers were recently awarded a grant from the Commonwealth Research Commercialization Fund, part of the Center for Innovative Technology, to engineer a viral therapy.

First clinical trial for new skin wound-healing compound is a success

Thu, 21 Aug 2014 00:00:00 -0400

Heart research leads to unexpected discovery of a new drug for healing skin ulcers.

Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute scientist's work could lead to wounds healing twice as fast

Thu, 26 Jun 2014 00:00:00 -0400

The Catalyst grant is spurring advanced research into the repair and regeneration of damaged tissue in the Center for Heart and Regenerative Medicine Research at the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute.

Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute sets a new pace in heart research

Tue, 20 May 2014 00:00:00 -0400

The Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute, well known for its innovative, world-class brain research, is launching a major new initiative in cardiovascular research.

Tags

Blocking two proteins reverses lung scarring in preclinical study

New lab removes barrier between research and patient care

Rare Disease Day: Virginia Tech researchers tackle uncommon conditions

Innovation at a crossroads: Virginia Tech scientist calls for balance between research oversight and commercialization

Improving cardiac treatments and ‘patient quality of life’

Why coronary arteries struggle to heal after surgery

Biomedical innovator to open Maury Strauss Distinguished Public Lecture series in Roanoke

Summer research fellows showcase studies at annual symposium

Researchers identify why some heart rhythm drugs heighten risks when sodium levels drop

Virginia Tech researchers find promise in a new peptide drug to combat a deadly brain cancer

Changes in the aging heart may lessen the risk of irregular heartbeats

‘Milestone’ discovery may unlock the true biomedical might of exosomes

Virginia Tech researcher earns fellowship to explore how obesity increases the risk for heart disease

'Pocket Science' podcast: What makes a heart stop?

Fellowship helps doctoral student get to the heart of cardiac disease

Fralin Biomedical Research Institute spinoff company translates science into peptide drugs targeting cancer stem cells

Translational biology, medicine, and health student pursues science close to home with new grant

Virginia Tech cardiovascular scientist identifies potential new treatment for failing hearts

Fralin Biomedical Research Institute scientist to co-chair international forum on gap junctions

NIH award funds Virginia Tech scientist’s study of link between diet, diabetes, and heart disease

Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC and Virginia Tech shine as innovations receive TechNite acclaim

Sen. Mark Warner convenes biotech leaders in Roanoke and New River valleys

Two Fralin Biomedical Research Institute postdoctoral associates awarded American Heart Association fellowships

Unveiling a hidden threat: Researchers show viral infections pose early heart risks

National Institutes of Health award propels translational biology, medicine, and health student on path to discovery

Researchers find that using patients’ own blood rather than saline helps preserve veins in coronary bypass grafts

Seeking a better understanding of how genetic mutations lead to developmental disorders

Digging for data: Researcher seeks new therapeutic interventions for progressive, chronic lung disease

‘The real deal’: Students thrive and grow in summer hands-on research experiences

Fundamental understanding of a molecule‘s normal function could inform treatments for a variety of disorders

Lecture series features experts in addiction research, cardiovascular science, child development, metabolic disease

Researchers find institutions with strong engineering operations are more efficient in producing patents

Doctoral student’s goal is to better understand the abrupt changes taking place in the brain’s blood vessels

International trainees selected for inaugural postdoctoral scholar program

Robert Gourdie named senior member of the National Academy of Inventors

Robert Gourdie named senior member of the National Academy of Inventors

American Heart Association grant will support undergraduates interested in pursuing cardiovascular research

Cardiovascular scientists to explore viral infection that can lead to sudden death

Translational Biology, Medicine, and Health graduate student earns NIH support to explore promising heart finding

11th season of the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute’s Pioneers in Biomedical Research Seminar Series launches Sept. 16

Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC Center for Vascular and Heart Research holds retreat to catalyze collaboration

Scientists detect deadly arrhythmia trifecta: Salt, swelling, and leaky sodium channels

New data revealed about the origin of the circulatory system during development

Virginia Tech celebrates its inventors

Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC researcher is Virginia Tech’s first NIH Outstanding Investigator Award recipient

Rare disease research gives families hope, ‘vital’ to advancing medicine

Fralin Biomedical Research Institute biotech spin-out raises additional $305,000 in investments

Dual degree program and NIH grant allow medical student to pursue doctorate before graduation

Fralin Biomedical Research Institute spinoff Tiny Cargo Co. among Washington, DC Health Innovation QuickFire Challenge awardees

Tenth season of Fralin Biomedical Research Institute’s Pioneers in Biomedical Research Seminar Series launches Sept. 3

From pasture to patient: Fralin Biomedical Research Institute scientists distill cow’s milk into nano-capsules for drug delivery

New scientists bring American Heart Association-funded research to the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute

Fralin Biomedical Research Institute scientists uncover how molecule improves appearance of surgery scars

New Fralin Biomedical Research Institute investigator seeks molecular causes for deadly lung, heart diseases

New Fralin Biomedical Research Institute scientist seeks to reduce heart failure

New Fralin Biomedical scientist explores how metabolism, stress alter gene expression in heart cells

Mind the gap: Heart cells cozy up to prevent deadly arrhythmias, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute researchers find

Fralin Biomedical Research Institute’s 2021 Pioneers in Biomedical Research Seminar Series starts Jan. 29

Fralin Biomedical Research Institute scientists provide new evidence of elusive electrical pathway in the heart

New Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC scientist pursues heart disease treatments

Fralin Biomedical Research Institute biotech spin-off seeks potential breast cancer treatment

Fralin Biomedical Research Institute scientists confirm usually benign virus attacks the heart’s electrical system

Fralin Biomedical Research Institute doctoral candidate awarded NIH Fellowship to study role of virus in sudden cardiac death

New Virginia Tech startup seeks to use nano-capsules derived from milk to deliver heart drug

New compound could help improve heart attack recovery

Biomedical, business, engineering teams set to dive into shark-tank style competition

American Heart Association postdoctoral fellow searches ‘secret molecular world’ for clues underlying vascular disease

Welcome to the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute

Fralin Biomedical Research Institute scientist earns American Heart Association award to study stroke recovery

Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC scientists discover compound that could shield heart tissue

Roanoke scientists give local youth behind-the-scenes look at biomedical research

Lost in translation: The medium is the message for a healthy heartbeat

International scientists to plug into cellular signals at Fralin Biomedical Research Institute conference

Biomedical, business, engineering students set for HS&T shark tank-style competition

VTCRI scientist awarded new federal grant to study cardiac conduction in health, disease

The heart: digital or analog? VTCRI researchers shed dramatic new light on disorders of heart bioelectricity

Heart association to support VTCRI biological sciences grad student's research into sudden cardiac death

VTCRI scientist earns third concurrent grant from the National Cancer Institute to study breast cancer

VTCRI scientists, Carilion clinicians first to identify perinexus in human heart