Research in the CCM Department ranges from sophisticated fundamental cell and molecular biological studies of the basis for organ dysfunction due to inflammation to state-of-the-art clinical and epidemiological studies of human critical illness. The laboratory directed by Mitchell P. Fink, M.D. (Chairman) and Russell L. DeLude, Ph.D., enjoys funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). During the past year, Drs. Fink and Delude and their colleagues have authored or co-authored papers in leading journals, including the Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics and the Journal of Experimental Medicine.
Investigators in the Department have been most productive and effective in their efforts to obtain extramural support for their research. We have a mixture of experienced, well-funded investigators and new researchers receiving their first K award as junior attendees. Although competition for NIH funding is more formidable now than at any time within the past 20 years, our researchers continue to receive impressive grants. Two recent awards are worth mentioning. Dr. John Kellum was awarded two NIH five-year grants with total funding of $10.3 million. Dr. Derek Angus was awarded a NIH five-year grant with funding of $6.5 million. We are projecting a 10% growth in research funding for fiscal year 2005/2006. In a time when many researchers are not successful in obtaining grants, our Department continues to grow its research base, albeit at a slower rate than a few years ago.
The Department is committed to helping junior faculty members interested in research compete successfully for extramural funding. Senior research faculty members are acting as their mentors. The Department has instituted a formal internal grant review process. This process involves peer review of the scientific section and assistance from our pre-award grants administrator with preparation of a realistic budget. We expect that this program will continue to help our young investigators as well as our more experienced researchers to write quality applications with a high probability of receiving a score resulting in approval and funding.
Many other investigators in the department
continue active programs in the general area of "outcomes research" in
critical care medicine, using funding from both government and
industry sponsors. Successful research in the areas identified
above have resulted in a number of collaborative alliances within
the department; detailed descriptions can be found in the CRISMA, MANTRA, Clinical Trials and Safar Center for Resuscitation Research areas.
