 |
| Soft
Tissue Center |
| The
University of Georgia Soft Tissue Center (STC), a new Center of Excellence,
will promote interdisciplinary research and instruction in areas that
are both at the cutting edge of biological research and of potential
practical significance. |
Specific
aims are:
- To
conduct pioneering research [cellular level to clinical studies]
on the repair mechanisms of injured soft tissues.
- To
foster collaboration and broader research horizons among industry
and academia.
- To
train graduate students in research techniques applicable to different
disciplines.
- To
attract outside funding to sustain and expand the STC after the
initial phases.
- To
link the STC to the Applied Genetics Biotechnology Resource (AGBR)
at UGA.
|
| The
initial members of the STC include Drs. Jaroslava
Halper and Kendall Frazier of the Department
of Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. George Rowland
of the Department of Avian
Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Drs. Timothy Foutz
and William Kisaalita
of the Department of Biological
and Agricultural Engineering, College of Agricultural and Enviromental
Sciences. These researchers are currently working on basic mechanisms
of tendon physiology and repair. In addition, Dr. Foutz is working on
soft tissue biomechanics in collaboration with Dr. Rowland, who studies
tendon injuries in broilers, and Dr. Steven Budsberg of the Department of Small Animal
Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, who investigates knee
ligament injuries in dogs. Dr. Budsberg also brings surgical expertise
into the program. Drs. Halper and Frazier have considerable experience
in studies on the role of growth factors in skin wound healing. Dr.
Kisaalita studies second messenger signaling in soft tissue and at the
single cell level. Dr.
Robert Ivarie of the Department
of Genetics College of Arts and Sciences, has established a transgenic
chicken facility. |
| The
Soft Tissue Center will enable its members, and likely others, to combine
their diverse expertise and bring a truly multifaceted approach to problems
of wound repair. Although there are currently several centers for soft
tissue research (e.g., at the University of Pittsburgh and the University
of California at San Diego), none have the STC's breadth of expertise
we possess nor the research direction its is pursuing. Whereas other
centers have devoted most of their attention to the repair of cartilage,
the STC's initial focus is on soft tissue injuries. Scientifically,
wound repair processes in soft tissues are the ideal venue for the investigation
of basic physiological processes. Damaged cells are somehow able to
signal their injury and to initiate pathways aimed at tissue repair.
Growth factors and cytokines (i.e., proteins regulating proliferation
and other cellular functions) which are produced differentially by tissues
modulate these pathways. The collaborative interaction among the STC
scientists will enable them to be able to understand the biochemical
and biomechanical mechanisms of soft tissue injury and repair and the
role of inflammation, growth factors and cytokines in regulating these
mechanisms. In short, by enabling different scientists to work together
on different aspects of wound repair in soft tissue, the STC will significantly
advance scientific knowledge. Furthermore, STC investigators will also
address practical problems very important to the economy of Georgia
and the USA. |
| In
summary, the STC's focus on multifaceted collaborative research on soft
tissue and its potential for advances in both basic science and practical
applications will place it in a position to make a unique contribution.
It should become highly competitive for outside funding in the future
and prove helpful in attracting bright junior faculty, established experts,
and postdoctoral fellows and ultimately, in creating new jobs in the
State. |
|
| Pathology Menu
| STC Postdoctoral
Position Announcement | E-mail Dr. Jaroslava Halper,
Director |
| Last
Updated 01/22/99 |
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