Introduction  (Page 18/20)

With support from multiple corporate partners, an international team of researchers is integrating cutting-edge imaging and engineering techniques to map and regenerate the stem cell niche of the brain regions that promote generation of new neurons. The team has already discovered that the niche contains neural precursors in intimate association with capillaries that provide (at a minimum) critical nutrition and communication. The ultimate goal is to bioengineer an ex vivo system mimicking these niches. It is hoped that these neurovascular units can eventually be used to replace and/or drive repair of stroke-damaged tissue.

Phase ii and swansea “joins the club”

With the successes in Phase I and with the increasing emphasis on and funding opportunities for international research collaborations in Texas funding of US$1.0MM over 4 years was secured from the Farish Fund Foundation of Houston to support Phase II of the Collaborative.  The President of the Farish Foundation, Ambassador Farish, was the US Ambassador to the United Kingdom from 2001 to 2005. This funding together with contributions from the participating institutions in Texas and in the UK and additional sources provides the resources for the Collaborative. The projected budget over four years is approximately US$5 million.

The Collaborative supports thematic workshops, bringing researchers from diverse backgrounds to focus on specific problems; research planning meetings for the preparation of research proposals; faculty/student visits/exchanges, including student internships; and provide resources to seed fund research.

Phase II of the Collaborative consists of the institutions in Texas previously mentioned in Phase I, together with the Methodist Hospital Research Institute, and the institutions in the UK most engaged in Phase I, which include Imperial College London, University of Cambridge and University College London. The Welsh Partner is Swansea University. 

Dr. Malcolm Gillis, former president of Rice University who played the leading role in the establishment of the Collaborative in 2002, serves as the Executive Director.  The Collaborative is led by the founding Director, Denis Headon, working with an advisory group composed of one representative from each of the participating institutions.  The UK institution representatives include Professor Mary Ritter, Pro Rector for Postgraduate and International Affairs, Imperial College London; Professor Mike Spyer, Vice-Provost (Enterprise), University College London; Professor Ian Leslie, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research), University of Cambridge; and Professor Richard Oreffo, Professor in Musculoskeletal Science, University of Southampton.

The Collaborative requires total funding of approximately US$1.5MM per year supporting thematic workshops, research planning meetings, personnel exchanges (including student training through internships) and visits by individual researchers to Texas and to the UK. The budget for the UK shows a £600K over four years, in addition to the contributions of £20K by each of the UK institutions.