New Community Advisory Board will guide clinical and translational research at VCU
The Wright Center welcomes ten Richmond-area community members, researchers and advocates to a new board that will foster communication between members of the community and Virginia Commonwealth University researchers. The Greater Richmond Community Advisory Board will guide and inform clinical research at VCU by defining research priorities, evaluating projects and asset mapping. The board targets […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
COVID-19 survivor and trials participant looks forward to traveling again
When Linda Thompson retired from the Virginia Department of Transportation in 2019, she started a new job the next day — getting fit. “My new job was going to American Family Fitness and getting in the pool and doing water aerobics,” said Thompson, 72. “I was really in bad shape when I retired. So it […]
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 […]
