Biomedical research at �� bolstered through $8 million federal grant

An aerial view of OHIO's West Union Green where the Heritage Translational Research Center will be constructed, joining other OHIO research facilities such as Heritage Hall and the Russ Research Center.

��’s Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine (HCOM) has received an $8 million Biomedical Research Facilities Construction Grant from the National Institutes of Health to fund a portion of the new Heritage Translational Research Center (HTRC).

Construction on the HTRC is slated to begin in early 2025. The facility will be located on OHIO’s Union Green adjacent to HCOM’s main classroom building on its Athens campus. The new center will consolidate research currently fragmented across numerous buildings on campus and promote collaboration between basic and clinical scientists to bolster translational research. It will also serve as a primary home to multiple biomedical research initiatives, including the Diabetes Institute and the �� Musculoskeletal and Neurological Institute.

“The Heritage Translational Research Center is a game changer for biomedical research at �� that can and will advance clinical treatments for some of the world’s most prevalent medical challenges such as diabetes and the impacts of aging,” said Ken Johnson, chief medical affairs officer for �� and executive dean of HCOM. “This additional funding will move us one step further in developing infrastructure designed to translate basic research into clinical solutions.”

Dr. Darlene Berryman, associate dean of research and innovation at HCOM, served as the lead on the grant proposal. Berryman said the facility will help faculty better prepare undergraduate, graduate and medical students in translational research models and support the work of external collaborators, including regional companies that rely on OHIO’s infrastructure.

“With the addition of the NIH funding, we are constructing a state-of-the-art facility that will set OHIO apart as a leader among osteopathic medical schools,” Berryman said. “This new facility will not only enhance our research capabilities but also elevate our institution's profile at both the state and national levels, fostering innovation, collaboration and groundbreaking discoveries that will benefit patients and communities regionally and across the country.”

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