Enhanced imaging tool for cancer and biology research at a rural medical school
Official title: Enhancing Biomedical Research Infrastructure with a Spinning Disc Confocal Microscope at a Rural-Serving Medical Institution
Funded at Sam Houston State University · NIH-11366680 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A high-speed spinning disk confocal microscope will be purchased to support cancer, neurobiology, reproductive biology, and toxicology research and education at SHSU-COM.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Sam Houston State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Huntsville, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2026 |
| Project end | July 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $249,979 |
| NIH project number | 1S10GM164845-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11366680 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates include individuals with cancer or reproductive biology concerns who may benefit from advances in targeted therapies or from participation in future translational studies stemming from this work.
✕Less likely to help
Patients seeking immediate clinical treatment or those not connected to cancer or reproductive biology research may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
This grant funds a new spinning disk confocal microscope to help researchers and students at Sam Houston State University College of Osteopathic Medicine study cancer, neurodevelopment, and biology using human cells and zebrafish models. The instrument will enable faster, higher-resolution imaging of live and fixed samples, with multiple colors to distinguish different molecules. It will directly support several active projects, including neural development and behavior in zebrafish, EGFR-targeted cancer approaches, and reproductive biology studies, while also enhancing hands-on training for trainees.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could benefit from accelerated cancer research, better understanding of disease mechanisms, and improved training of clinicians and scientists who translate findings to therapies.
How similar studies have gone: Similar high-quality imaging platforms have accelerated biomedical discoveries in cancer and developmental biology at other institutions.
Where this research is happening
-
Sam Houston State University
Huntsville, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sittaramane, Vinoth Kumar — Sam Houston State University
- Study coordinator: Sittaramane, Vinoth Kumar
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.