Research Grants Awarded

Reseach grants support Minnesota scientific and medical research that has the potential to translate to clinical advances in regenerative medicine. Grants typically open every September. Learn more about how to apply for a grant by reading our frequently asked questions. 

 

View research grants awarded by year.
Melanie Graham, MPH, PhD
Minnesota BRIDGE — Boosting Regenerative Medicine Innovation through Development, Growth, and Engagement
This project focuses on a major translational bottleneck: the lack of robust preclinical models. Minnesota BRIDGE will create a state-of-the-art…
David Largaespada, PhD
The Genome Engineering for Regenerative Medicine (GERM) Consortium
Addressing the critical need for quality and safety standards in gene-edited therapies, this new consortium will bring together academic and industry…
James Dutton, PhD
Derivation of Induced Pluripotent (Adult) Stem Cell Lines in Minnesota with Superior HLA Compatibility for Manufacturing Clinical Cell Therapy Products
This initiative tackles a key challenge in regenerative medicine: access to clinical-grade starting materials. The project will generate high-quality…
Rosemary Kelly, MD
Mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosome therapy targeting mitochondrial function for recovery of hibernating myocardium
Coronary artery disease (CAD) is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Many CAD patients experience reduced cardiac function despite…
2023 - 2025
Maria Athanasiou, PhD
Regenerative medicine for the durable remission of HIV: Translational medicine for IND-enabling preclinical and manufacturing studies
Globally, over 36 million people are living with HIV-1. The current standard of care, antiretroviral therapy (ART), requires lifelong adherence to…
2023 - 2025
Alexander Shin, MD
Modulating the Local Microenvironment of Nerve Regeneration with Cellular Components
Peripheral nerve injuries are associated with high-energy trauma and result in substantial numbers of injuries annually. Reconstruction often…
2023 - 2025
Vanesa Alonso Camino, PhD
Dendritic cell vaccine technology transfer and validation as a platform to develop new cancer immunotherapies
Glioblastoma (GBM) is a type of brain cancer with no known cure. Recently, an innovative vaccine combining a patient’s own dendritic cells (DCs) with…
2023 - 2025
Beau Webber, Ph D
Multiplex engineered gamma delta T cell-derived iPSC platform for therapeutic application
Cellular therapies using both engineered and non-engineered immune cells have been applied to treat cancer and infectious diseases. This project…
2023 - 2025
Christina Pacak, PhD
Gene Therapy for Cockayne Syndrome
Cockayne syndrome (CS) is a rare genetic disorder caused by problems in DNA repair. It leads to accelerated aging and severe neurodegenerative issues…
2023 - 2024
Hunter Gibbons, PhD
Elimination of B cells in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus using an engineered γδ CAR T cell
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a complex autoimmune disease with no existing cure. In SLE, B cell, a type of immune cell, become abnormally…
2023 - 2025
Ismail Can, PhD
Preventing senescence in CART cells to improve therapeutic efficacy
CAR-T cell therapy is an exciting new approach for treating cancer, offering remarkable initial results in some patients. However, many patients…
2023 - 2025
Kevin Loutherback, PhD
Automated Microfluidic Platform for Decentralized CAR-T Manufacturing
CAR-T cell therapy has become one of the most significant success stories in regenerative medicine over the past decade. However, its high cost…
2023 - 2025