UNMC showcases groundbreaking research

Today, the University of Nebraska System kicks off “I Love NU Week” with a focus on groundbreaking research.

At UNMC, researchers study complex issues that shape the future of health sciences and make discoveries that impact and improve lives. They fuel economic growth, help educate students and work collaboratively to elevate Nebraska.

“There are obviously many examples that highlight the scope of the impact our research has to improve the quality of health care, but progress made, especially during the pandemic, underscores the leading role many of our researchers play,” said Ken Bayles, PhD, vice chancellor for research at UNMC.

Did you know:

• The Global Center for Health Security was developed as UNMC’s national expertise in infectious disease research and biosecurity became recognized, and it continues to grow with ongoing research partnerships with the U.S. Department of Defense and other federal agencies.
• UNMC was the first institution to report that COVID-19 could be contracted through airborne transmission, and UNMC researchers led a major study on remdesivir for the treatment of COVID-19 in 2020.
• Researchers from UNMC, along with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the National Strategic Research Institute, are advancing development of a first-of-its-kind prophylactic to help protect U.S. troops from the effects of acute radiation syndrome (ARS).
• The Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center at UNMC and Nebraska Medicine currently has 145 active trials, including 114 interventional trials, researching various aspects of cancer identification, treatments and cures.
• UNMC research impacts Nebraskans’ lives with initiatives such as the Child Health Research Institute, a collaboration with Children’s Nebraska created to improve outcomes and address health challenges for pediatric patients across Nebraska and beyond.
• The UNMC Pancreatic Cancer Center of Excellence is running a series of clinical studies aimed at finding a cure for the deadly cancer, as well as earlier detection and intervention strategies.
• UNMC works to impact health outcomes through its National Institutes of Health Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) grants. The most recent, approved in January, focuses on finding answers for heart and vascular diseases, signaling the future of UNMC’s leadership in tackling diseases that are the leading cause of death and hospitalization in Nebraska and across the U.S.
• The Alcohol Center of Research-Nebraska (ACORN) works to address issues related to the effects of alcohol, including tissue injury, through an $8.8 million NIH grant to fund projects that positively impact public health in Nebraska and beyond.