Emory University News Release

Release date: Nov. 1, 2002

Emory's Integrative Approach to Science Leads to Progressive Research

As one of the fastest growing research universities in the country, Emory University draws its strength from an interdisciplinary approach to the sciences. Collaboration is key for many Emory scientists and, with this newsletter, we want to introduce you to some of the dynamic research they are doing in the areas of nanobiology, neurobiology, psychology and nanotechnology, as well as highlight cooperative ventures among biology, chemistry and public health researchers.

As part of its commitment to further enhance scientific research and teaching, Emory also recently opened two new facilities that promise to bring new synergy among the scientific disciplines.

Emerson Hall, open for a year, serves materials and biomolecular chemistry and is home to a high-field nuclear magnetic resonance laboratory and the theoretical work of the Emerson Center for Scientific Computing. The Mathematics and Science Center, one of the "greenest" buildings in the country, opened this semester and provides expanded space for environmental studies, physics, and mathematics and computer science, offering more opportunities for shared research.

Emory also is world-renowned for its health sciences research (for more information, see www.emory.edu/WHSC/HSNEWS/). During the past five years, Emory's research funding has increased 77 percent. In 2002, Emory scientists received nearly $278 million for sponsored research—an increase of 14 percent from the year before.

Emory's strong affiliations with the nearby Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Cancer Society and other Georgia research universities provide additional opportunities for scientific discovery. The Georgia Research Alliance, a partnership of research universities, state government and business, has been a major catalyst in recruiting world-class scholars to Emory and in supporting the growth of research facilities. For more information about Emory's partnership with the Georgia Research Alliance, see www.emory.edu/WHSC/HSNEWS/GRA/.

Below are examples of the many research initiatives underway at Emory. For more information, follow the links at the end of each story, or contact Nancy Seideman, director of Emory's Office of University Media Relations, at 404-727-0640 or nseidem@emory.edu.

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NEW STUDY FINDS STRESS HORMONES CAN TAKE A MENTAL HEALTH TOLL ON TEENS
An Emory University study on the development of psychological disorders in adolescents has found that those who carry the highest levels of the stress hormone cortisol appear to be more at risk to develop serious mental illnesses in adulthood. The research, led by Emory psychology professor Elaine Walker, studied more than 90 adolescents for six years. What Walker and her research group found was a direct correlation between abnormally high levels of cortisol and adolescents who later met the criteria for serious mental disorders.

"In general, the risk for mental illness goes up dramatically during adolescence," which can lead to serious difficulties in adulthood for some, says Walker.

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HEMORRHAGIC FEVER VACCINES SUBJECT OF STUDY USING NIH BIOTERRORISM GRANT
Hemorrhagic fevers caused by the Lassa and Ebola viruses will be the subject of vaccine research at Emory University School of Medicine due to a $450,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health's Rapid Response Grants program for bioterrorism-related research. The viruses, which can be transmitted via person-to-person contact, pose concerns for the possible intentional introduction of the etiologic agents by individual or state-sponsored acts of bioterrorism.

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AIDS RESEARCHERS TURN THEIR ATTENTION TO HEPATITIS C
Two Emory scientists behind some major breakthroughs in AIDS drug therapy have their sights set on a new target: Find a viable treatment for hepatitis C, a disease affecting 3.9 million Americans. Known as the "silent epidemic," hepatitis C affects nearly two percent of the population—one of every 50 Americans. Researchers Dennis Liotta and Raymond Schinazi aim to find a way "to throw a wrench" into the virus' reproductive machinery to eliminate the infection from the bodies of hepatitis C sufferers.

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EMORY TAKES THE "LEED" IN GREEN BUILDING
Students entering Emory's new Mathematics and Science Center this semester stepped into one of the "greenest" buildings in the country. From the first shovel of dirt to the last coat of paint, positive environmental principles were incorporated at every step of construction. Emory's Whitehead Biomedical Research Building was the first structure in the Southeast to attain Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, and the new center is on the fast track to follow that success.

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RESEARCH ON NANOPARTICLES MAY DEVELOP BETTER MEANS OF CANCER DETECTION
Nanoparticles called quantum dots potentially could improve clinical diagnostic tests for the early detection of cancer. Emory biomedical engineer Shuming Nie is testing the use of the tiny particles, which glow and act as markers on cells and genes, possibly giving scientists the ability to rapidly analyze biopsy tissue from cancer patients so that doctors can provide the most effective therapy available.

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PSYCHOLOGIST RETHINKS COGNITION THEORIES
By rethinking how we think, Emory University cognitive psychologist Lawrence Barsalou is leading a challenge on the prevailing theories of human thought. Barsalou and a growing coalition of scientists around the world believe our cognitive processes—how we recall memories, process information, acquire and retrieve knowledge—are grounded in the sensory-motor mechanisms of the brain. Barsalou is finding the evidence to support his long-held hypothesis by complementing traditional behavioral experiments with the use of neurological imaging.

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WEB SITE SEEKS TO DEMYSTIFY CANCER AND ITS CAUSES
A new Web site developed at Emory University is devoted to giving cancer patients a tool to learn practical, scientific knowledge about their illness. Called CancerQuest and found at http://www.cancerquest.org, the site is designed to teach people the biology of cancer in a clear and concise manner, and includes interactive graphics and a built-in dictionary. "I found that there is not much out there that really teaches the biology of cancer, that can explain to people what is happening to them," says Gregg Orloff, a senior lecturer in biology at Emory who spearheaded the development of CancerQuest after his wife's own experience with breast cancer.

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EMORY'S NEW MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE CENTER ENRICHES EDUCATION AND RESEARCH FOR FACULTY AND STUDENTS
Emory University's Mathematics and Science Center, a five-story, $40 million, 138,000-square-foot facility, opens the door to a new era of science education and research for the institution this semester. The innovative building includes the university's first planetarium, a rooftop environmental classroom and an observatory. And, as the new home for the departments of physics, mathematics and computer science, and environmental studies, the center's opening also brings with it the promise of more interdisciplinary collaboration in learning, research and teaching.

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LYNN SELECTED BY HHMI TO DEVELOP UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH PROGRAMS
Emory biochemistry professor David Lynn will receive $1 million over four years to translate his passion for science to the undergraduate classroom as one of the 20 inaugural Howard Hughes Medical Institute professors. Lynn's goal is to attract more students to graduate school and careers in science through innovative undergraduate research initiatives. "Mentoring independent undergraduate research has proven to be the single most important and influential educational experience for selecting a career in science," he says. "Research-intensive universities like Emory have the means and the responsibility to link their dual research and education missions."

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NEW FIELD OF BIOLOGY LOOKS AT NATURE ON THE NANOSCALE
By studying how some of the most minute particles of matter interact, the new field of nanobiology has the potential to revolutionize medicine and industry by combining biology and physics in ways never before imagined. Emory physics professor Fereydoon Family and his research team are working to find out how nature works at the nanoscale, particularly how transport takes place in biological systems at that level.