Texas A&M: Texas A&M Initiative Funds Five Clinical Research Partnership Grants

The second round of the Presidential Clinical Research Partnership (PCRP) program awarded five grants totaling $1 million to interdisciplinary projects that support the development of long-term partnerships between Texas A&M University and its clinical affiliates and partners, the Division of Research announced today. These awards are available for up to $200,000 for a two-year period.

The program aims to foster interdisciplinary research that will improve health, health care and health equity in Texas by advancing novel translational, clinical or educational research.

“Projects funded by the PCRP will confront some of our state’s most vital health issues,” Interim Vice President for Research Jack G. Baldauf said. “These collaborations serve to enhance Texas A&M’s ability to bring research from the bench to bedside more quickly and efficiently. Congratulations to the faculty members and clinical partners who will receive this funding. We look forward to seeing the results of their efforts.”

PCRP grants are designed to stimulate new collaborations between Texas A&M researchers and clinical partners.

Approved projects must be led jointly by faculty or faculty-equivalent research positions at Texas A&M, Texas A&M University at Galveston, Texas A&M University at Qatar, Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES), Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX), Texas A&M AgriLife Research, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, or the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI), and clinical practitioners at healthcare facilities with established affiliation or clinical research collaboration agreements.

The PCRP 2021 grants were awarded to the following Texas A&M faculty members and their clinical partners:

Amal Ahmed Noureldin, College of Dentistry, and Texas Oncology-Baylor Charles A. Sammons Cancer Center Radiation Oncology, “Silver Diamine Fluoride: Novel Addition to the Prophylactic Bundle for Dental Management of Radiation-Induced Dental Caries in Oral and Pharyngeal Cancer Patients.”
Ke “Kurt” Zhang, College of Medicine, and Edward Sauter, Walter Reed Army National Medical Center, “Cell-free DNA Methylation Signatures from Nipple Aspirate Fluid for Breast Cancer Early Detection.”
Mansoor Khan, Irma Lerma Rangel College of Pharmacy, and Maen Abdelrahim, Houston Methodist Cancer Center, “Tolfenamic Acid-based Therapeutic Regimen for Treatment of Pancreatic Cancer.”
Mary Meagher, College of Liberal Arts, and Kathryn Wright, Brazos County Detention Center, “Preventing Opioid Relapse: Integrating Behavioral and Medication Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder in Jails.”
Samba Reddy, College of Medicine, and Batool F. Kirmani, CHI St. Joseph Health Regional Hospital, “Randomized Trial of Neurosteroid Replacement Therapy for Catamenial Epilepsy.”