The Inova Health System (Inova) and the University of Virginia (UVA) announced today that they have awarded $450,000 to nine UVA-Inova joint research teams for projects focused on how to better predict, prevent and treat disease. In the fall of 2016, Inova and UVA announced a comprehensive research and education partnership to accelerate joint discovery and the application of translational medical research. The seed grant awards mark the first of many joint research collaborations. UVA’s Translational Health Research Institute of Virginia, which facilitates translational health research across UVA, and Inova’s Translational Medicine Institute, are helping support these research projects.
This seed funding will help launch projects with broad impact, improving the health of people of all ages and states of health. The goal is to develop research data that can then be used to seek outside funding to continue the research and apply the learnings to improve patient outcomes. Research projects funded through the program include:
- Learning how the gut microbiome – the bacteria that live inside us – may influence early childhood obesity.
- Identifying and studying potential three-drug combinations to treat ovarian cancer.
- Confirming a biomarker that may predict patients at high risk for heart disease.
- Determining whether a mindfulness-based stress reduction program to prevent excess weight gain in obese pregnant women improves outcomes for mothers and babies.
- Determining the impact of how babies are fed on their growth and the development of their gut microbiome.
- Examining the gut microbiome of pediatric leukemia patients and how it may make them more susceptible to childhood obesity.
- Seeking to identify gene variations that could identify patients at risk for heart failure.
- Learning how dying cells and proteins may impact diseases that affect an individual’s metabolism.
- Studying a new class of circular DNA – microDNA – along with microdeletions and how they manifest in men and women.
“It’s exciting to see the first fruits of our partnership in the funding of exciting and promising translational medical research,” said Todd Stottlemyer, CEO, Inova Center for Personalized Health. “We have intentionally chosen projects that will benefit greatly from combining our individual knowledge and resources.”
“We are excited to bring together researchers from UVA and Inova to work collaboratively on these projects that can help improve the lives of patients across Virginia and beyond,” said David S. Wilkes, MD, dean of the UVA School of Medicine.
About Inova
Inova is a global leader in personalized health, which leverages precision medicine together with more patient-centric services to predict, prevent and treat disease, enabling individuals to live longer, healthier lives. At Inova, we serve more than 2 million people each year from throughout the Washington, DC, metro area and beyond.
We are shaping the future of health through our integrated network of hospitals, primary and specialty care practices, emergency and urgent care centers, outpatient services and destination institutes. Our commitment to health and wellness is further reflected in our sustainable practices. Inova is home to world-class researchers, expert medical specialists and renowned scientists, who are driving innovation to improve patient care, prevent disease and promote wellness. For more information, visit inova.org, or find Inova on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
About the University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is distinctive among public institutions of higher education. Founded by Thomas Jefferson in 1819, the University continues in its mission to develop tomorrow’s leaders who are well prepared to help shape the future of the nation and the world. The University is highly selective, accepting only the best students and those who show the exceptional promise Jefferson envisioned.
The University of Virginia is made up of eleven schools in Charlottesville plus the College at Wise in Southwest Virginia.
For 2017, the University was ranked the No. 2 best public university by U.S. News and World Report. In the 18 years since U.S. News began ranking public universities as a separate category, UVA has ranked in the top three and continues to rank in the Top 30 among the best of all national universities, public and private.
