News From U-M
MMPEI now University of Michigan Energy Institute
The Michigan Memorial Phoenix Energy Institute (MMPEI) changed its name to the University of Michigan Energy Institute, effective Feb. 1, 2012. The name change clarifies the institute's identity as an interdisciplinary research unit of the Office of the Vice President of Research that draws on expertise from across the entire University to develop, coordinate and promote energy research and education. At the same time, the institute will take steps to ensure the enduring legacy of the Michigan Memorial Phoenix Project (MMPP) by reinvigorating it and highlighting its on-going activities as a distinct unit within the institute. More
U-M annual research spending grows 8.5 percent to $1.24 billion
Research spending at the University of Michigan in 2010-11 grew 8.5 percent over the previous year to $1.24 billion, continuing the long-term trend of steady growth in the university's research enterprise. Read More
U-M International Center for Automotive Medicine enters new era
The University of Michigan International Center for Automotive medicine this week marked the beginning of new capabilities and new collaborative research combining trauma medicine, state-of-the-art computer analysis and automotive engineering.
“Our mission is to better understand, treat and prevent crash injuries. And to really understand injuries requires doctors and engineers working together in equal partnership,” says the center’s founder and director Stewart Wang, M.D., Ph.D. Read More
U-M creates state’s first disease-specific human embryonic stem cell lines
University of Michigan researchers have created the state's first human embryonic stem cell lines that carry the genes responsible for inherited disease. The achievement will enable scientists here to study the onset and progression of genetic disorders and to search for new treatments. With this accomplishment, the U-M joins a small handful of U.S. universities that are creating disease-specific human embryonic stem cell lines. "All our efforts are finally starting to bear fruit," said Gary Smith, co-director of the U-M Consortium for Stem Cell Therapies and leader of the cell-line derivation project. "Creating disease-specific human embryonic stem cell lines has been a central goal of the consortium since it was formed two years ago, and now we've passed that milestone." Read More
U-M awarded $4.9 million to help reduce obesity in preschool children
The USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture has awarded $4.9 million to the University of Michigan to reduce the prevalence of childhood obesity among Head Start preschoolers in Michigan. Julie C. Lumeng, M.D., a behavioral pediatrician at the U-M's C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital, will lead a research team of faculty from the U-M School of Public Health, the U-M Center for Human Growth and Development, and Michigan State University. Read More
U-M updates innovation web site
The "Innovate!" web site has been launched as a refreshed version of the innovation economy site that has existed for the last 18 months. The new site also features a series of vignettes on faculty and student innovators and entrepreneurs. Read more
Venture Accelerator opens at NCRC; first tenants move in
U-M on Tuesday officially opened its Venture Accelerator at the North Campus Research Complex to provide space and resources for new businesses based on U-M technology. The Venture Accelerator will provide laboratory and office space, as well as business services, to startup companies emerging from the pipeline of new ventures at U-M Tech Transfer. One U-M startup company has already moved in and four others are expected to be there within weeks. The first tenant, Life Magnetics, arrived Dec. 20. The other four companies are Phrixus Pharmaceuticals, EngXT, 3D Biomatrix and Civionics. [Read more...]
Winners in Mobile Apps Challenge announced
It just got easier to find parking space on campus or to harvest power from your mobile phone using applications developed by U-M students and staff. Apps that let people create digital copies of their event tickets, organize task lists, and meet people with shared interests through location-based social networking are among the winners in the 2010 Michigan Mobile Apps Challenge. The competition was sponsored by Apple Inc., Google, Information and Technology Services (ITS), Computer Science and Engineering, and the Office of Technology Transfer. "We were really impressed by the quality of apps and the expertise of applicants this year," said Holly Nielsen, director of enabling technologies and services at ITS. "Creativity and ingenuity is thriving at U-M. This competition serves as an excellent platform for showcasing it." [Read more...]