CELL GROWTH & APOPTOSIS, CANCER

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The VCU proposes a renovation project that will transform 10,974 sq. ft. of outdated office and laboratory space, located on the second floor of Sanger Hall (a 40-year-old medical sciences building) into a Cellular and Molecular Signaling Facility for collaborative research and training. Specifically, the renovated space will house Principal Investigators (PIs) studying cellular signaling processes that contribute to: cancer, cardiovascular and nervous system dysfunction, diabetes, inflammatory diseases, and substance abuse. Thus, this facility will unite and centralize these researchers, and will serve as an environmental catalyst for new collaborations and research efforts. This in turn will lead to knowledge sharing and new funding initiatives, which will result in new advances and discoveries. The motivation for this application is two-fold: 1) the current laboratory facilities are outdated, confined, and inadequate for currently funded research; and 2) recruiting strong research-oriented faculty and graduate students is hindered by lack of adequate facilities. The newly designed laboratory space will offer: an open design to promote collaboration among co-workers, computer and desk space for PIs and graduate students, and specialized areas for equipment sharing and implementation of modern techniques. Once completed, the renovated space will not only enhance the ability of VCU researchers to conduct currently funded projects, but will also improve the likelihood of future funding. The long-term objective of this application is to provide new infrastructure that will stimulate the development of a nationally recognized center of expertise in the field of cellular and molecular signaling.