Biology And Pharmacy Professors Awarded Research Grants
August 21, 2020
Two Presbyterian College faculty members have been awarded grants for their research on the undergraduate campus and at the PC School of Pharmacy.
Dr. Austin Shull ’11, assistant professor of biology, and Dr. Wei Lei, assistant professor of pharmaceutical and administrative sciences, were announced among the Developmental Research Project (DRP) Program grant 2020-21 recipients this fall.
Biology and Pharmacy Research
Shull’s breast cancer research was awarded in 2019. This year’s award continues the work of the first grant from the previous academic year.
“I’m very fortunate for SC-INBRE’s continued support in funding this research, which seeks to better understand how breast cancers become aggressive at the molecular level,” Shull said. “It’s a wonderful opportunity to pursue such meaningful work while mentoring exceptional student researchers in the process at an institution like Presbyterian College.”
The goal of Lei’s proposed project is to investigate the modulatory activities of heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) on morphine tolerance.
“It is a great honor to receive this award,” said Lei, who added the award will enhance his work while also providing opportunities for students interested in research.
Awarding Research Excellence
The awards are part of the South Carolina IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence (SC INBRE), Developmental Research Project (DRP) Program.
Each project awards up to $50,000 for one year. It’s renewable for a second year upon favorable review of the progress report by SC INBRE’s External Advisory Committee, according to a SC INBRE press release.
The DRP program was designed to foster faculty research programs at SC INBRE network institutions, according to the statement. The awards support independent research programs and research training to students and/or postdoctoral fellows in the biomedical sciences.
SC INBRE is a statewide multi-million dollar, five-year renewable grant program funded by The National Institutes of Health National Institute of General Medical Sciences.
Major in Biology
You can conduct real-world research as a biology major at PC. Please visit the biology pages to learn about majoring in biology.
