Medical School Communications

U-M is one of 14 institutions selected by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, to participate in the Midwestern Regional Center of Excellence (RCE) for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases Research.

The Midwestern RCE is one of eight regional centers to be established around the country with a $350 million, five-year grant from NIAID, according to a Sept. 4 announcement from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, NIAID’s parent agency.

These regional centers will conduct research related to the detection, prevention and treatment of potentially lethal illnesses caused by biological agents, including emerging infectious diseases, such as SARS and West Nile virus, as well as pathogens that could be used for bioterrorism.

U-M scientists will work on developing vaccines and countermeasures against biological pathogens, says James J. Baker Jr., the U-M’s Ruth Dow Doan Professor of Nanotechnology and director of the U-M Center for Biologic Nanotechnology.

In addition, U-M will manage communications between all scientists affiliated with the Midwestern Center, using software developed at U-M, says Stephanie Teasley, a senior associate research scientist in the School of Information.

“As researchers, our job is to conduct the basic science that will allow us to defend human beings against bioterrorism,” Baker says. “By combining our knowledge of recent advances in genetics, proteomics and molecular medicine, we hope to make a significant contribution to this important public health initiative.”