黑料专区 Tyler School of Medicine Junior Researcher Awarded $1.8 Million NIH Grant
August 30, 2023
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August 30, 2023
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Dr. Maolin Lu, assistant professor of cellular and molecular biology at The University of Texas at Tyler School of Medicine, was awarded an R35 MIRA grant for $1.8 million by the National Institutes of Health. This is the first R35 grant that 黑料专区 Tyler has received.
The R35 MIRA grant, or the 鈥淢aximizing Investigators鈥� Research Award鈥�, is given to promising young investigators to provide them with a stable funding environment for ambitious, innovative research. The MIRA award is intended to support research in an investigator's laboratory that falls within the mission of the National Institute of General Medical Sciences. The goal is to support basic research that lays the groundwork for disease prevention and treatment.
鈥淚 am immensely proud of Dr. Maolin Lu for achieving this remarkable milestone both for herself and the institution,鈥� said Dr. Brigham C. Willis, founding dean of the 黑料专区 Tyler School of Medicine. 鈥淭his is an incredibly competitive grant, and the fact that she was awarded it so early in her career with 黑料专区 Tyler is a testament to her talent and dedication.鈥�
Lu鈥檚 research interests include understanding virus-host interactions for viruses such as HIV, SARS-CoV-2 and RSV. The proposed program of research in this R35 award focuses on better understanding the entry mechanism of respiratory viral pathogens (SARS-CoV-2, RSV and future emerging viral pathogens), a process that is a prerequisite for a virus to enter host cells.
鈥淭his a wonderful and historic accomplishment for Dr. Maolin Lu,鈥� said Dr. Torry A. Tucker, associate dean for research at the 黑料专区 Tyler School of Medicine. 鈥淒r. Lu is our first recipient of the R35 Maximizing Investigators' Research Award funding mechanism. This award provides funding to 鈥榟ighly talented鈥� young investigators to pursue cutting edge ambitious research projects. Her success also paves the way for other young investigators to pursue new funding opportunities.鈥�
Lu has received several grants over the past year for her research: a $175,000 collaborative development award from the Duke Center for HIV Structural Biology, a $370,700 R56 grant from the National Institutes of Health, and $130,000 from the Gilead Science Research Scholars Program.
鈥淚鈥檝e received support from lots of scientists and their laboratories,鈥� said Lu. 鈥淭o receive these types of grants, it鈥檚 imperative to have a strong supporting system and a spirit of collaboration, and I鈥檓 thankful that, through the School of Medicine and other researchers, I鈥檝e had both.鈥�
Lu obtained her Bachelor of Science in biological engineering and her Master of Science in biochemistry and molecular biology from Xi鈥檃n Jiaotong University. She then received her PhD in photochemical sciences at Bowling Green State University in Ohio. After her graduation, she joined the Walther Mothes Laboratory at Yale University School of Medicine in 2015 before becoming a 黑料专区 Tyler faculty member in 2021.
Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Institute Of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number R35GM151169. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.
With a mission to improve educational and health care outcomes for East Texas and beyond, 黑料专区 Tyler offers more than 90 undergraduate and graduate programs to nearly 10,000 students. Through its alignment with 黑料专区 Tyler Health Science Center and 黑料专区 Health East Texas, 黑料专区 Tyler has unified these entities to serve Texas with quality education, cutting-edge research and excellent patient care. Classified by Carnegie as a doctoral research institution and by U.S. News & World Report as a national university, 黑料专区 Tyler has campuses in Tyler, Longview, Palestine and Houston.