Dr. Smith’s CoBRE grant renewed for nearly $10.4 million

Shelley Smith, Ph.D.

Competitors are often thought of as athletes — not research scientists. But the battle for research funds is fierce as numerous investigators compete for the same grants.

Researchers with multiple victories — such as UNMC’s Shelley Smith, Ph.D. — could be considered hall-of-famers.

Dr. Smith — director of molecular genetics at UNMC’s Munroe-Meyer Institute — recently learned her Center of Biomedical Research Excellence (CoBRE) grant for nearly $10.4 million was renewed for five years. Kirk Beisel, Ph.D., Creighton University, and Edward Walsh, Ph.D., Boys Town National Research Hospital, are co-primary investigators of the grant.

“It’s a testament to Dr. Smith’s diligence and hard work, but most significantly to her worldwide reputation in 21st-century genetics,” said Tom Rosenquist, Ph.D., vice chancellor for research.

More about CoBRE UNMC has three total CoBRE grants, the maximum number an institution can receive. Learn more about CoBRE online.

Dr. Smith credited her renewal success to a former UNMC CoBRE recipient, the late Peggy Wheelock, Ph.D.

“The CoBRE offers limitless opportunities as far as research, but it’s also a career-development and mentoring program for junior faculty to jumpstart their careers,” Dr. Smith said. “Dr. Wheelock gave us some good advice to help strengthen the mentor component of our program.”

Mentors include:

• Wally Thoreson, Ph.D.;
  
• Kay-Uwe Wagner, Ph.D.;
  
• G.V. Govindarajan, Ph.D.;
  
• David He, Ph.D.; and
  
• Dominic Cosgrove, Ph.D.

The grant’s major research focus is regenerative medicine in relation to neurodevelopment of auditory and visual systems.

“Aging or certain genetic conditions can cause us to lose our sensory cells for hearing and vision and once they’re gone, we don’t get them back,” Dr. Smith said. “If we understand the cause for their loss, we can start to do something to counteract it.”

Investigators at UNMC, Creighton University and Boys Town National Research Hospital who will direct projects within the grant include:

• Neena Haider, Ph.D., UNMC;
  
• Arne Nystuen, Ph.D., UNMC;
  
• Sumitra Bhattacharya, Ph.D., UNMC;
  
• Michael Weston, Ph.D., Creighton University;
  
• Sonia Rocha-Sanchez, Ph.D., Creighton University;
  
• David Nichols, Ph.D., Creighton University; and
  
• You Wei Peng, M.D., Ph.D., Boys Town National Research Hospital

In one to three years, they will be replaced by new researchers after they obtain external funding.

Dr. Smith’s initial CoBRE grant led to 11 National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants, a Department of Defense grant and five foundation grants.

The grant also will support three core facilities at UNMC.