Research Areas

The 2013 Summer Student Research Program will offer research positions in the following areas:

Basic Science: Basic research at MMCRI is conducted within the Center for Molecular Medicine (CMM) which is housed in the research building on the MMC Scarborough campus. The research foci of CMM include cardiovascular biology, stem cell biology, cancer biology, bone disease and developmental biology. Specific areas of interest can be found on the CMM web page.

Clinical Research: The goal of Clinical Research at MMCRI is to 1) tackle the major chronic diseases that are the centerpiece of Maine Medical Center's signature clinical and clinical research programs, 2) build and support a centralized research infrastructure, and 3) build and strengthen ties with the basic science research being performed at MMCRI. More information can be found at: the Center for Clinical and Translational home page and the Center for Outcomes Research and Evaluation home page.

Vector Borne Disease Lab: This lab is dedicated to the control of emerging tick-borne diseases by understanding the environmental interactions of ticks, hosts, and habitats, and to increasing public awareness of the threat of Lyme Disease through continued monitoring of the geography of risk.

Health Services Research: This research area encompasses the Center for Outcomes Research and Evaluation (CORE) and the Center for Tobacco Independence. The CORE multidisciplinary team is well suited to conduct a variety of research projects in areas such as clinical and patient-centered decision making, maternal and child health, trauma and injury, cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, and healthcare delivery. CORE is well recognized for its important studies of national datasets demonstrating regional variation in healthcare utilization, quality, access, outcomes, and cost. The mission at the Center for Tobacco Independence (CTI) is to increase access to evidence-based tobacco treatments in an effort to positively impact outcomes. CTI's capacity to help reduce smoking is strengthened by the depth of activities at all levels - individual, community, health system, and policy.

Examples of Previous SSRP Projects:

1. Characterization of TGF- β Signaling That Regulates Expansion of hESC-Derived Endothelial Cells (Basic Science, Wang Lab)
2. Cytokine Induced JAK2-STAT5 Regulated Novel microRNAs in Acute Myeloid Leukemia (Basic Science, Sathyanarayana Lab)
3. Investigating the R-spondin Protein as an Anti-Adipogenic Factor (Basic Science, Yoon Lab)
4. Understanding Non-Classical Protein Secretion (Basic Science, Prudovsky Lab)
5. Characterization of Vascular Endothelial Cadherin Antibodies (Basic Science, Lindner Lab)
6. Cytoprotective Effects of Spi2a in Progenitor B Lymphocytes (Basic Science, Wojchowski Lab)
7. Establishing a Model by which Bone Marrow Progenitor Cells Differentiate into a Vascular Smooth Muscle Lineage (Basic Science, Liaw Lab)
8. Role of Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Signaling in the Cortical Interstitium of the Developing Kidney (Basic Science, Oxburgh Lab)
9. α 2 Agonist Therapy in the ICU: Clonidine and Dexmedetomidine - The A2A Study (Clinical Research, Richard Riker MD, FCCM)
10. Teaching Massive Transfusion Protocol: The Efficacy of Didactic Versus Simulation- Based Learning (Clinical Research, Hannaford Center for Safety, Innovation and Simulation)
11. Host Feeding Patterns of Vector Mosquitoes in Maine (Vector Borne Disease Lab)
12. The Maine Tobacco HelpLine: Impact of Insurance Status on Quit Outcomes and Utilization of Services (Health Service Research, Center for Tobacco Independence)
13. From N=1000s to N=1: A Potential Barrier in the Communication of Individualized Risk Information to Prostate Cancer Patients (Health Service Research, Center for Outcomes Research and Evaluation)
14. Prostate Cancer Patient Perceptions of the Potential Value of Clinical Prediction Models (Health Service Research, Center for Outcomes Research and Evaluation)