Grants

Entomologists at the University of California, Riverside, have received a five-year grant of $2.44 million from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to investigate the role hormones play in the female mosquito's ability to use human blood for egg production. The funding will allow the entomologists to introduce novel research tools for genetic manipulation, such as CRISPR, in their research.

As the mental health community pursues new ways to improve the lives of the severely ill, a University of Texas at Dallas researcher is focusing on what can be learned from patients' answers to a simple question: 'How do you think you are doing?' The multi-university study recently received more than $2.8 million from the National Institutes of Health for its nearly four-year duration.

Inheriting a specific genetic variant, APOEε4, is linked with 15-20 percent percent rise in risk of developing Alzheimer's, with at least 20 other genes implicated. The National Institute on Aging awarded a five-year grant totaling $4.2 million to Jackson Lab to study how APOEε4 risk depends on other genes, in mice with a wide variety of genetic backgrounds.

Charité -- Universitätsmedizin Berlin and the Berlin Institute of Health are pleased to announce that 'The Virtual Brain' neuroinformatics platform has joined the EU's Flagship 'Human Brain Project.' Charité's researchers are now integrating their open-source platform into the 'Human Brain Project.' The researchers will focus on refining the theoretical underpinnings of the computer models used, developing efficient simulation technology, and working on neuroinformatics solutions that enhance the reproducibility of studies.

Dr. Alexander Levi, a trustee emeritus of Johns Hopkins University and chair of the Berman Institute of Bioethics' national advisory board, and his wife Vicki have made a gift of $15 million to support the education and training of future leaders in the field of bioethics. Dr. Levi, a clinical psychologist based in New York, is a longtime supporter of the Berman Institute and has previously supported post-doctoral bioethicists through the Hecht-Levi Fellowship Program.

A Penn State economist will receive $500,000 over three years to study innovation in rural communities and find ways for communities to support rural entrepreneurs.