Annual Pub 2023 FINAL - Flipbook - Page 19
SUMMER 2023 MAGAZINE
To prove the point, Deborah Kuhls, MD, assistant dean for research,
states matter-of-factly, “We’ve had a very busy year.”
Of course, Dr. Kuhls can back that statement up with cold, hard data.
In 昀scal year 2022, the school submitted for 66 research grants
and was awarded 19. In terms of dollars, the school submitted for
$196 million in grants and was awarded $8 million. The good news
continues for 昀scal year 2023 with 13 awards totaling over $7.5
million. Just a few of the awards include: funding for research on
tra٠恩c injuries and deaths on Nevada roads (linking crash data with
hospital data), Ryan White Title III HIV capacity development and
planning grants, initial funding to begin Nevada9s 昀rst hematology/
medical oncology, as well as rheumatology fellowship programs,
the UNLV statistical transparency of policing (STOP) Nevada data
collection project, a 昀rst episode psychosis grant, primary care
training and enhancement – maternal health and behavioral health,
a radiation exposure and screening and education program, and
building infrastructure for geriatrics workforce telehealth training.
The school had a unique opportunity in 昀scal year 2023 to apply
for funding from the American Rescue Plan Act – State and Local
Fiscal Recovery Funds (ARPA-SLFRF). The U.S. Department of the
Treasury provided ARPA funds to help local governments recover
from the pandemic.
A total of $80 million was awarded to begin development on two
new buildings on the Shadow Lane campus: an ambulatory care
center and a biomedical research facility and lab. These awards
combined ARPA funds from the city of Las Vegas and the state
of Nevada. “We will collaborate closely with the Nevada Health &
Bioscience Corp. (NHBC) on both projects,” says Marc J. Kahn, MD,
MBA, dean of the medical school. The NHBC, a nonpro昀t corporation
committed to the community and enhancing academic medicine in
Southern Nevada, built the school9s 昀rst structure, the Kirk Kerkorian
Medical Education Building.
Faculty research also boasts 12 active clinical trials and several new
trials in the process of being evaluated for 昀scal year 2023. Active
trials include a natural history study of the development of Type
1 diabetes, the effects of ziltivekimab (a novel human antibody)
versus placebo on cardiovascular disease outcomes in participants
with established atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, chronic
kidney disease and systemic in昀ammation, and the discovery and
evaluation of biomarkers for the diagnosis and treatment of disease
(tissue), among others.
A monthly virtual research seminar series is conducted through the
efforts of the research seminar planning committee, comprised of
Dr. Kuhls; Dale Netski, PhD; and Kavita Batra, PhD; as well as June
Coleman, MPH, and Karen Gordon, MBA. Speakers from the school
“We offer this seminar series during the academic year to continue
to develop the research knowledge and skills of our faculty and
learners,” says Dr. Kuhls. “While our focus is to build research at
our school of medicine, they are available to anyone at UNLV, UMC,
and beyond.”
The monthly topics can be found on the UNLV calendar, and some
recent topics included “Building, Registering and Publishing
Protocols for Evidence-Based Research,” presented by Aidy Weeks,
director of the school of medicine library;
