WINONA, Minn. — Saint Mary’s University is pleased to announce that a science grant proposal of close to $100,000 has been funded by Regenerative Medicine Minnesota (RMM) for 2016-17. The grant will support a two-week intensive theoretical and practical program next spring to raise interest and awareness for regenerative medicine and tissue engineering among Saint Mary’s and other college students.
The proposal, “Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota’s Advancing Regenerative Medicine Program,” was submitted by Dr. Todd Reinhart, dean, School of the Sciences and Health Professions, and facilitated by Brandon Gustafson, corporate foundation and government support associate. Dr. Reinhart will lead the program, and several biology faculty members from Saint Mary’s will provide intensive mini-lectures, demonstrations, hands-on exercises, and interactive activities.
In 2014, the Minnesota Legislature created RMM as a joint venture between the University of Minnesota and the Mayo Clinic to help establish infrastructure and supporting research that would bring the benefits of regenerative medicine to the citizens of the state. Regenerative medicine is a discipline with tremendous potential to impact the treatment of diseases affecting different organ systems.
The goals of the Advancing Regenerative Medicine (ARM) program are to:
- Increase awareness of regenerative medicine, tissue engineering, and the associated foundational principles among Minnesota undergraduates;
- Create instructional modules on regenerative medicine that can be shared with other colleges and universities;
- Expand the inclusion of basic and advanced principles of regenerative medicine in the life sciences curriculum at Saint Mary’s, in a format that can be shared with other institutions; and
- Provide opportunities for students and faculty to network with regenerative medicine investigators and institutes.
To learn more about Regenerative Medicine Minnesota, go to RegenMedMN.org.