ABOUT US
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For faculty at Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) challenged to find the time, staff, or expertise to pursue NIH funding for their scientific research, iMERS offers a path toward grant writing success. Our free program shortens the learning curve by sharing best practices through virtual training, in-person workshops, and faculty mentoring that guide participants through the complex NIH funding process. Encouraging faculty to actively engage in research enriches the curriculum and motivates minority students to pursue careers in science for a more diversified biomedical workforce.
WORKING WITH MINORITY-SERVING INSTITUTIONS NATIONWIDE
OUR LEADERSHIP
Donald T. Frazier, PhD
Physiology
Program Co-Director
With an extensive history of leading federally funded research projects and educational outreach programs, Dr. Frazier continues to serve underrepresented groups in STEM fields, such as minority faculty. His scientific expertise is in systems physiology, with an emphasis on chemical and neural control of respiration and the biophysics of isolated nerve membranes.
Brett Spear, PhD
Microbiology, Immunology, & Molecular Genetics
Program Co-Director
Known for his outstanding contributions to graduate student education and biomedical research at the University of Kentucky, Dr. Spear brings his mentoring and grant-writing expertise to iMERS as co-director for the program. As a molecular biologist, his scientific research investigates gene regulation during liver development and disease.
Melissa Nickell, MS
Program Coordinator
As iMERS Program Coordinator, Melissa is responsible for day-to-day operations and event planning. Previously, she served as a Grant Proposal Specialist in the UK College of Medicine, supporting the submission of extramural funding applications. Her scientific interest is in neurogenomics and mathematical tools to assess tissue-level gene expression patterns.
OUR PROPOSAL SPECIALISTS
Ada Sue Selwitz, MA
Co-Director of Regulatory Support, UK Center for Clinical & Translational Science
Sean Scott, CRA
iMERS Research Administration Lead
SRAI Distinguished Faculty
OUR FACULTY MENTORS
Sarah D'Orazio, PhD
Microbiology, Immunology &
Molecular Genetics
Bacteria-host Interactions
Amanda Glueck, PhD
Neurology
Cognitive Impairment Following
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
Analia Loria, PhD
Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences
Obesity and Hypertension
Kevin Pearson, PhD
Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences
Dietary and Nutritional Impacts on Health
Notice:
Funding for this conference program was made possible (in part) by R25 GM125680 from the National Institute of General Medicine Sciences. The views expressed in written conference materials or publications and by speakers and moderators do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the Department of Health and Human Services, nor does mention by trade names, commercial practices, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.