US EPA

4244198 

Technical Report 

Administrative Core 

Mcclain, CJ 

2016 

NIH_RePORTER2016/P20GM113226-01 

English 

The University of Louisville Hepatobiology and Toxicology COBRE is a multidisciplinary group of investigators focusing on the liver and liver injury, gut:liver interactions, and liver:environment/toxicant/drug interactions. UofL is uniquely poised to investigate these problems in a coordinated and efficient fashion. UofL has the largest academic hepatology section in the region, with 6 clinical hepatologists and multiple PhD investigators across campus, and collaborators across the nation. The Hepatobiology group has strong research and training interactions with the Dept. of Pharmacology and Toxicology and other basic science programs across campus. We have an established record of federal funding, mentoring and interactions with UofL training grants. This application is led by a PI who is highly qualified. We have five outstanding PI-mentees with well established, funded senior mentoring teams. Our proposed COBRE will have a major positive impact on research and community outreach at UofL and in the region. The Hepatobiology and Toxicology COBRE will facilitate the recruitment/ development of faculty in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology and associated critical areas (e.g., personalized medicine; drug metabolism). This COBRE will develop cores which will benefit all of UofL and will help recruit/retain critical faculty. Liver diseases have a major impact on public health, and especially so in Kentucky. Our population is poor, rural and among the most overweight in the country, and Kentucky is a leader in the distillation of alcoholic spirits. Thus, this COBRE will have wide impact on development of researchers and research infrastructure focused on hepatic metabolism as well as liver diseases and their treatments, and it will enhance the health of Kentucky residents and beyond. The Administrative Core will provide overall governance and will ensure that the COBRE projects and cores work together in a cohesive and coordinated manner. All projects and cores will utilize the Administrative Core. The Specific Aims are to: 1) provide a formal governance structure to provide coordination, direction and prioritization of activities, including budget issues and resolving any conflicts as they arise, ensuring the quality of all functions and evaluating progress; 2) provide a formalized process for mentoring junior faculty and developing senior faculty mentors; 3) provide a mechanism to replace mentees as they become independent; 4) provide a mechanism to replace any key individuals who may leave; 5) provide pilot funding for junior faculty or senior faculty coming into the Hepatobiology and Toxicology area; 6) provide biostatistical and bioinformatics support; and 7) disseminate pertinent information to the scientific and lay community.