Enhancing Faculty Recruitment in Nanoscale Sciences for Biomedical Research

描述（申请人提供）：纳米材料和生物整合中心（CNMB）于2006年2月正式获得亚拉巴马大学系统董事会的批准，成为一个跨学科研究和学生培训中心，重点是（i）具有潜在生物医学应用性的纳米材料和结构的合成和表征，以及（ii）这些纳米材料的整合和-结构转化为实用的生物医学设备和技术。通过将基础科学和材料部门的研究人员和教师与生物医学和健康专业人员聚集在一起，该中心处于生物材料研究和纳米技术开发的最前沿，以改善人类健康。我们建议聘请两名新的终身教职员工在纳米科学生物医学研究。第一个教师招聘将在该地区的“纳米治疗和生物医学 成像”和第二个教师招聘将在“微和纳米机电系统的生物医学应用（生物MEMS/NEMS）”领域招聘。这两名教师都将与CNMB有联系，并在UAB自然科学与数学学院的各个部门担任终身教职。新的教职员工将利用CNMB支持的自然科学与数学学院，牙科学院口腔健康研究所以及伯明翰亚拉巴马大学医学院肺损伤与修复中心（UAB）的核心设施。此外，这些新的教职员工将加强我们的NIBIB支持的博士前培训计划，题为“纳米技术在生物传感器和生物工程”。CNMB主任兼PD/PI Yogesh Vohra博士在NIBIB T32项目的少数族裔招聘方面拥有良好的记录，其中40%的学员是代表性不足的少数族裔参与者，而自然科学与数学学院近40%的教师在过去的五年里一直是女性或科学领域代表性不足的群体的成员。 公共卫生相关性（由申请人提供）：该教师招聘计划将增加纳米技术工具的熟练劳动力，这将导致生物医学植入物，疾病早期诊断生物传感器和再生医学的进步。这些新教师的纳米技术研究工作产生的知识产权将进一步导致新的创业公司，并有助于该地区的经济发展。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The Center for Nanoscale Materials and Biointegration (CNMB) was formally approved by the University of Alabama System Board of Trustees in February 2006 as an interdisciplinary research and student-training center focusing (i) on the synthesis and characterization of nanoscale materials and structures that have potential biomedical applicability and (ii) on the integration of these nano-materlals and -structures into practical biomedical devices and technologies. By bringing together researchers and faculty from the basic sciences and materials departments with those from the biomedical and health professions, the Center is uniquely positioned to be at the forefront of biomaterials research and nanotechnology development for improving human health. We propose hiring two new tenure-track faculty members in Nanoscale Sciences for Biomedical Research. The first faculty hire will be in the area of "Nanoscale Therapeutics and Biomedical Imaging" and the second faculty hire will be recruited in the "Micro- and Nano-Electro Mechanical Systems for Biomedical Applications (BioMEMS/NEMS)" area. Both faculty hires would be associated with the CNMB and have their tenure-track academic appointments in departments within the UAB School of Natural Sciences & Mathematics. The new faculty hires will utilize the core facilities supported by CNMB in the School of Natural Sciences & Mathematics, the Institute of Oral Health Research in the School of Dentistry, and the Pulmonary Injury & Repair Center in the School of Medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). Also these new faculty hires will strengthen our NIBIB-supported pre-doctoral training program entitled "Nanotechnology in Biosensors and Bioengineering". CNMB director and PD/PI Dr. Yogesh Vohra has a strong track record of minority recruitment in the NIBIB T32 program where 40% trainees are underrepresented minority participants while nearly 40% of the faculty hires in the School of Natural Sciences & Mathematics over the past five years have been either women or members of underrepresented groups in the sciences. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE (provided by applicant): This faculty recruitment program would increase a skilled workforce in nanotechnology tools that will lead to advances in biomedical implants, biosensors for early diagnostics of diseases, and regenerative medicine. The intellectual property generated by the nanotechnology research efforts of these new faculty hires will further lead to new startup companies and contribute to the economic development in the region.