Wright Regional Center for Translational Science Hosts 2nd Annual Research Symposium
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 […]
Wright Center Bioinformatics Specialist earns PhD and sets sights on future policy implications for Multiple Sclerosis patients
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 […]
Transplantation, HIV infection and immunosuppression: Wright Center scientists contribute to studies using national COVID-19 data
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 […]
Wright Center, VSU, EVMS host first, regional clinical research symposium
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 address mental trauma of COVID-19 on Black and Brown communities
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 […]
Wright Center launches long-haul COVID-19 study with the help of twins
Virginia Commonwealth University is launching a study of the impact of COVID-19 on twins to try to determine why some people experience symptoms much longer than others. The Twin 360 project, which began this week, will help researchers understand the genetic and environmental factors for why some people experience lasting symptoms after contracting COVID-19. And […]
Ten years later: How the KL2 Program at the Wright Center trained a generation of research leaders
More than a decade ago, the VCU Wright Center inaugurated its first class of KL2 Scholars, a cohort of talented junior faculty members looking to advance the world’s knowledge of health through clinical and translational research. Since then, 14 researchers have enjoyed the mentorship, protected research time and general support of their research careers that […]
“It’s time to step up and learn”: Community advocates and health care providers connect on LGBTQIA+ disparities
Zakia McKensey struggled to find doctors who would treat her. The Richmond native came out to her mother at 16 years old and was kicked out of the house. She found a family in the LGBTQIA+ community, but health care for transgender people like herself was almost nonexistant, and patients were subjected to frequent discrimination. […]
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 […]
Gretchen Neigh joins the Wright Center as new co-director of the Ph.D. program
The Wright Center has named Gretchen Neigh, Ph.D., the new co-director of its Ph.D. program. Neigh is an associate professor in the VCU School of Medicine’s Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology and comes to the Wright Center with a wealth of teaching and mentoring experience, as well as research spanning across multiple systems and levels […]
