The Hamner Institutes For Health Sciences Receives Grant For Respiratory Research

The Hamner Institutes for Health Sciences has announced that Dr. Yin Chen, an assistant investigator in the Division of Translational Biology at The Hamner, has been awarded a $2.1 million grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases / National Institutes of Health (NIH). The NIH five-year grant will allow Dr. Chen and his team to study mucous cell development. The goal of the research is to advance the understanding of mucous production in order to better treat asthma, a chronic lung disease.

At The Hamner, Dr. Chen’s research focuses on the causes of excessive mucus production, a major contributing factor to airway obstruction, in chronic lung diseases, such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and cystic fibrosis. He holds a U.S. Patent for "Compositions and Methods for the Analysis of Mucin Gene Expression and Identification of Drugs Having the Ability to Inhibit Mucin Gene Expression." Prior to joining The Hamner, he was an assistant biologist at the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, Department of Internal Medicine, University of California School of Medicine at Davis, Calif. Dr. Chen maintains memberships in the American Society for Virology, the American Thoracic Society and the American Physiological Society. He received a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from Nanjing University in China and a doctorate in genetics from the University of California at Davis.

Related Links:
www.thehamner.org
www.nih.gov
www3.niaid.nih.gov/

News Facts:

• Dr. Yin Chen, an assistant investigator in the Division of Translational Biology at The Hamner Institutes for Health Sciences, has been awarded a $2.1 million grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases / National Institutes of Health (NIH).
• The NIH five-year grant will allow Dr. Chen and his team to study mucous cell development.
• The goal of the research is to advance the understanding of mucous production in order to better treat asthma, a chronic lung disease.
• At The Hamner, Dr. Chen’s research focuses on the causes of excessive mucus production, a major contributing factor to airway obstruction, in chronic lung diseases, such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and cystic fibrosis.

Quotes:
"Dr. Chen is an outstanding investigator making ground-breaking contributions to understanding the causes and potential treatments for debilitating chronic lung diseases such as asthma, COPD, and cystic fibrosis," said Dr. William Greenlee, president and CEO of The Hamner Institutes for Health Sciences. "This major NIH award during a time of significant governmental budgetary constraints is a tangible recognition of both the strength and potential impact of Dr. Chen’s research program by his peers."

About The Hamner Institutes for Health Sciences:
Located on a 56-acre campus in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, The Hamner Institutes for Health Sciences is an independent, nonprofit organization that unites academia, the private sector and government to conduct translational research to improve public health and expedite the development of new medicines. With the ultimate goal of preventing and curing disease, The Hamner offers an open, collaborative and cross-disciplinary approach to strengthen the research investment in biomedical sciences. CIIT, the flagship institute for The Hamner, has been recognized for more than 30 years as a leader in research in environmental risk assessment and health sciences. For more information, please visit www.thehamner.org or call 919-558-1200.

Keywords:
The Hamner Institutes for Health Sciences, Research Grant, National Institutes of Health, NIH, Dr. Yin Chen, Mucus Cell Development, Mucous Production, Asthma Research, Chronic Lung Disease, Division of Translational Biology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Respiratory Health Improvement, Nonprofit, Dr. William F. Greenlee, Dr. Charles E. Hamner, Biomedical, Biotechnology, Research Triangle Park, RTP, Pharmaceutical Drug Development, Translational Biomedical Sciences, Public Health, COPD

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