Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the Weizmann Institute of Science (WIS) in Israel have launched a collaboration to support joint research projects focused on understanding the role of microbes and the immune and nervous systems in human health and disease.
The new program in Microbial, Immunologic and Neurologic Disorders (MIND) is accepting joint proposals from researchers at WashU and WIS to execute collaborative research projects. The program is planning future academic conferences and opportunities for researchers at WashU Medicine and WIS to travel and conduct research at the other institution.
The program is co-directed by Jonathan Kipnis, PhD, the Alan A. and Edith L. Wolff Distinguished Professor of Pathology and Immunology and a BJC Investigator at WashU Medicine; Ido Amit, PhD, a professor of immunology and the Eden and Steven Romick Professorial Chair at WIS; and Ronen Alon, PhD, the Linda Jacobs Professorial Chair in Immune and Stem Cell Research at WIS.
“We want to cultivate collaborations between these two premier scientific institutions, which have so many overlapping areas of expertise and untapped potential to make discoveries that advance knowledge and ultimately improve health,” Kipnis said. “We see an opportunity to address critical questions about causes and potential treatment of human disease — particularly those such as Alzheimer’s and other neurological conditions involving interactions among microbes and the human immune and nervous systems. This program serves as a substantial source of seed funding to help researchers — especially early-career scientists — build new and innovative research programs that can attract larger grants and funding sources.”
Added Amit: “The two institutions share a similar passion for curiosity-driven basic research. Through this unique collaboration, we will combine the excellence of the WashU and WIS communities in medical research, genomics and AI to make significant progress into understanding the diverse mechanisms at play leading to neurological disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease.”
Representatives from the new joint research program will hold a webinar on Feb. 20 to help scientists learn about one another’s research through five-minute “elevator pitches.” Visit the announcement for more information about the webinar and submission process. The deadline for proposal submissions is March 31.
Each proposal must be co-led by at least one researcher from WashU Medicine and one from the Weizmann Institute of Science. At WashU Medicine, researchers at the tenure-track assistant professor rank and above are eligible. At WIS, researchers at the senior scientist level and higher are eligible. Early-career faculty at both institutions are strongly encouraged to apply.
Each selected joint project will receive up to $100,000 to be divided between the awarded principal investigators from each institution according to their needs. Proposals will be evaluated based on scientific merit and alignment with the selected theme, the strength of the collaboration, innovation and potential for long-term funding.
Proposals will be evaluated by members of an executive committee, including Kipnis, Amit and Alon as well as Jeffrey I. Gordon, MD, the Dr. Robert J. Glaser Distinguished University Professor, and Megan A. Cooper, MD, PhD, the Anthony R. French, MD, PhD, Professor in Pediatrics, both at WashU Medicine; and David Zeevi, PhD, a professor of plant and environmental sciences at WIS.
About Washington University School of Medicine
WashU Medicine is a global leader in academic medicine, including biomedical research, patient care and educational programs with 2,900 faculty. Its National Institutes of Health (NIH) research funding portfolio is the second largest among U.S. medical schools and has grown 56% in the last seven years. Together with institutional investment, WashU Medicine commits well over $1 billion annually to basic and clinical research innovation and training. Its faculty practice is consistently within the top five in the country, with more than 1,900 faculty physicians practicing at 130 locations and who are also the medical staffs of Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children’s hospitals of BJC HealthCare. WashU Medicine has a storied history in MD/PhD training, recently dedicated $100 million to scholarships and curriculum renewal for its medical students, and is home to top-notch training programs in every medical subspecialty as well as physical therapy, occupational therapy, and audiology and communications sciences.
Originally published on the WashU Medicine website
