Momentum Awards spark new interdisciplinary collaborations across basic science programs
Penn State College of Medicine has launched a new wave of interdisciplinary research through its inaugural Research Momentum Team Grants, supporting collaborative projects that bring together faculty across its basic science programs.
The Momentum Awards highlight the impact of the College’s transition from five traditional lab-based departments into three collaborative research programs – Cell and Biological Systems (CBS), Molecular and Precision Medicine (MPM) and Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics (NET) – that are designed to connect interdisciplinary expertise and open new pathways for discovery.
“The goal of the reorganization was to create more opportunities for our faculty to work across disciplines in ways that weren’t always possible before,” said Leslie Parent, MD, vice dean for research and graduate studies and associate vice president for health sciences research. “These projects are a great example of what can happen when you bring different areas of expertise together around a shared scientific question.”
Designed to bring disciplines together
Developed through the College’s Research Development team, the Momentum Awards were structured to encourage collaboration across programs and departments. Each funded project is led by a principal investigator within one of the three basic science departments and includes partners from clinical departments or additional research areas.
The response from faculty reflected strong interest in this collaborative approach, with proposals spanning a wide range of research topics and aligning with the College’s strategic research priorities: cancer, neuroscience, cardiovascular health, artificial intelligence (AI) and data science, imaging, and rural health.
The one-year awards provide up to $50,000 in direct support for team-based research projects with clearly defined goals, with an emphasis on generating preliminary data for large, collaborative external funding opportunities, such as multi-investigator National Institutes of Health grants.
Six projects were selected for funding in this inaugural cycle.
“The most impactful scientific advances often happen when different perspectives come together,” said Karen Kim, MD, MS, College dean. “By supporting collaborative, high-potential projects like these, we are strengthening the pipeline for future external funding while advancing discoveries that can ultimately improve health and patient care.”
Meet the inaugural Momentum Award recipients
The six funded projects highlight the range of interdisciplinary research emerging across the College:
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Advancing genomics and autoimmune disease research
Laura Carrel, MA, PhD (MPM), and Dajiang Liu, PhD, MA (public health sciences and MPM)
Proposal title: “Genomics at the nexus of autoimmune disease progression”
Focus areas: Cancer, AI/data science, other disease research -
Understanding inflammation in cardiovascular disease
Edward Harhaj, PhD (CBS), and Shyam Bansal, MS, PhD (medicine and CBS)
Proposal title: “Myeloid cell-intrinsic TAX1BP1 restrains spontaneous heart valve inflammation”
Focus area: Cardiovascular health -
Exploring cellular communication in rare disease
Nuno Raimundo, PhD (CBS), and Andrew Kowalczyk, PhD (dermatology and CBS)
Proposal title: “Role of inter-organelle communication in the pathological mechanisms of Darier Disease”
Focus areas: Neuroscience, imaging, other -
Promoting nerve repair and neuroprotection
Jong Yun, PhD (NET), and Krishne Gowda, PhD (MPM)
Proposal title: “Optimization of a novel dual ROCK and DAPK inhibitor for axon regeneration and neuroprotection”
Focus area: Neuroscience -
Investigating novel approaches to menopausal health
Junxuan Lu, PhD (NET); Amy Arnold, PhD (NET); and Fadia Kamal, PharmD, PhD (orthopaedics & CBS)
Proposal title: “Korean angelica herbal supplement for menopausal management in a rodent model”
Focus areas: Cardiovascular health, other -
Harnessing AI and imaging to develop cancer therapeutics
Kenneth Lee, PhD (CBS), and Shengyu Yang, PhD (CBS)
Proposal title: “AI-driven discovery of LAT1 cancer therapeutics integrating cryo-EM and mechanistic biology”
Focus areas: Cancer, AI/data science, imaging
Building momentum for the future
The Momentum Awards are expected to position teams to submit competitive proposals for major federal funding mechanisms within a year of completing their proposals.
To highlight that progress, the College plans to host a Momentum Awards Symposium in the coming year, where awardees will share updates on their projects and the next steps for their research.
“This is an opportunity to not only support these research projects at an early stage, but also to bring the community back together to see where they lead,” said Dr. Parent. “We’re excited to follow their development and continue building on these collaborations.”
As the projects move forward, they reflect a broader shift within the College toward more connected, cross-disciplinary research that addresses complex scientific and clinical challenges.
“We are continuing to build an environment where collaboration drives discovery,” Dr. Kim said. “These projects are an important step in that direction.”
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