From A.I. to Wearables: VCU’s Wright Center awards four NIH-funded grants to accelerate medical research
RICHMOND, Va. — The C. Kenneth and Dianne Wright Center for Clinical and Translational Research announced today the awarding of $100,000 to four interdisciplinary research projects at Virginia Commonwealth University. These $25,000 pilot awards are funded through the Wright Center’s $27 million Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), […]
Important NIH Update: BESH Studies Will No Longer Be Classified as Clinical Trials
A policy change effective for funding opportunities with due dates on or after May 25, 2026 affects how certain human studies are categorized — and funded. What’s Changing? The NIH has announced that Basic Experimental Studies with Humans (BESH) will no longer be classified as clinical trials. This is a significant shift that affects how […]
Clinical Trials in Richmond: Advancing Health Through Research and Community
Clinical trials are the cornerstone of medical innovation, offering hope to patients and driving advancements in treatment. A recent article in Richmond Magazine highlights the pivotal role of clinical research in our region, featuring personal stories of clinical trial participants. These experiences underscore the profound impact these studies can have on individual lives and the […]
Limited Submission Opportunity: Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority (VOAA) Funding – 2025 Cycle
The Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority (VOAA) is accepting proposals from state agencies for its 2025 funding cycle to support evidence-based initiatives addressing the opioid crisis. Eligible projects should align with VOAA’s priority areas, including mobile crisis services, overdose reduction, expanded treatment access, recovery supports, and workforce development. Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) may submit one institutional […]
VCU researchers develop COVID-19 testing method that is both accurate and fast
You wake up one morning with a fever and a cough. Where can you get a rapid, accurate COVID-19 test? The answer has plagued many people in the U.S., where the FDA has been slow to approve at-home, rapid tests, many of which suffer from high false-negative rates. And the more-accurate polymerase chain reaction (PCR) […]
New funding program targets rural recruitment through technology
The Wright Center for Clinical and Translational Research announced a new funding program aimed at helping researchers recruit study participants in rural areas. The Rural Pilots Voucher Program offers VCU researchers and investigators at partner institutions the opportunity to apply for a voucher to offset costs related to innovative digital health methods for participant engagement […]
Neuropathic pain and wearable technology: Two pilot projects funded by the Wright Center
The Wright Center has awarded two VCU researchers grants from the CCTR Endowment grant program for health sciences research. The awards support preliminary studies that enable researchers to develop hypotheses, collect preliminary data and establish methods necessary for successful external funding. Youngdeok Kim, Ph.D., assistant professor in the College of Humanities and Sciences’ Department of […]
KL2 Scholar alum earns $1.9M, 5-year NIH grant to study molecule with far-reaching implications
Guizhi “Julian” Zhu, Ph.D., a Wright Center KL2 Scholar alum and assistant professor in the VCU School of Pharmacy Department of Pharmaceutics, was awarded a five-year grant totaling $1.9 million to study a molecule with implications for the treatment of cancer, genetic diseases and more. The award, which started on Sept. 18, will fund Zhu […]
Facing rising overdoses, VCU Health strengthens bridge between urgent ER care and long-term addiction services
Emergency departments across the United States experienced a surge in opioid overdose cases during the pandemic. Now, a program at VCU Health aims to help those patients receive the treatment they need after they leave the emergency department. The new VCU Health Virtual Bridge Clinic creates a direct link between the emergency department and treatment […]
Cocaine use disorder, asthma and conduct disorder: Wright Center funds three pilot projects
The Wright Center has awarded three VCU researchers grants from the CCTR Endowment grant program for health sciences research. The awards support preliminary studies that enable researchers to develop hypotheses, collect preliminary data and establish methods necessary for successful external funding. Rebecca Martin, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, was awarded […]