C. KENNETH AND DIANNE WRIGHT CENTER FOR CLINICAL AND TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH VCU BLOG

A three-year appointment to NCURA places VCU expertise into the national network that trains research administrators across the country. Elizabeth Fortune, MBA, administrative director of VCU’s C. Kenneth and Dianne Wright Center for Clinical and Translational Research, has been appointed to the National Council of University Research Administrators (NCURA) Traveling Workshop Faculty for a three-year […]

Every year on May 20, the global research community observes International Clinical Trials Day, commemorating the date in 1747 when Scottish physician James Lind conducted what is widely recognized as the first controlled clinical trial — a systematic test of scurvy treatments aboard a British naval vessel. This year, the C. Kenneth and Dianne Wright […]

After 12 years, 57 publications, and a hand in securing millions in research funding, Amy Olex, Ph.D., is leaving the Wright Center — but not VCU. Her bioinformatics pipelines powered landmark cancer research, her COVID data work shaped health policy across six countries, and her teaching, from the "Bioinformatics 101" seminar series to a graduate course still running today, brought hundreds of researchers into the fold. "I don't know of anywhere else where I would have been able to get all of that experience in one job," she says. "The Wright Center really put me in a unique position."

The Wright Center is proud to recognize the dedication and hard work of our team members who will be honored at VCU’s Annual Service Recognition Celebration on Tuesday, April 28, 2026 at the Siegel Center. These individuals have contributed their time, talent, and passion to advancing research and innovation, making a lasting impact on the […]

The Wright Center is proud to recognize the dedication and hard work of our team members who are reaching significant service milestones at Virginia Commonwealth University this year. These individuals have contributed their time, talent, and passion to advancing research and innovation, making a lasting impact on our institution and the communities we serve. As […]

There are a number of populations that experience health disparities based on their economic or social status, geographic location and their environment. Researchers in healthcare and academic institutions continue to work to address these disparities. On June 22, 2022 our second annual research symposium hosted a number of faculty, students, researchers and community members to […]

Defending a dissertation and subsequently obtaining a PhD is an enormous accomplishment. To Amy Olex, PhD, it is just the beginning of her lifelong  journey in research which is deeply personal. Dr. Olex, senior bioinformatics specialist at the Wright Center, began her PhD journey a few years before she came to the Wright Center. She […]

Organ transplant recipients and people living with HIV are more likely to experience adverse effects after contracting COVID-19. And kidney and heart transplant recipients are at highest risk. Those are just some of the conclusions coming from an international team of researchers that includes Virginia Commonwealth University data scientists. Amy Olex, M.S., and Evan French […]

Inflammasomes were discovered in 2002, and almost 20 years later, the number of diseases for which the molecule has treatment implications continues to expand. “It’s amazing how the implications are growing to so many different diseases, whether it’s gout, heart disease, cancer or addiction,” said P. Srirama Rao, Ph.D., VCU’s vice president for research and […]

Six short films supported by the Wright Center are now available to be streamed. The films address the mental trauma of COVID-19 on Black and Brown communities and were produced by Richmonder Morgan Avery McCoy Harris. The How Do We Heal series was supported by the inaugural Wright Center Community Mini-Grant and features acted vignettes […]