For Your Health
For Your Health

News from the University of North Dakota School of Medicine & Health Sciences

Frank Low Research Day to be held on April 21

The 42nd Annual Frank Low Research Day will be held as a virtual event on Thursday, April 21, 2022, and will feature keynote speaker Jon R. Lorsch, Ph.D., director of the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS).

NIGMS supports more than 5,500 investigators and 5,000 research grants–around 11 percent of the total number of research grants funded by NIH as a whole. Additionally, NIGMS supports around 30 percent of the NRSA trainees who receive assistance from NIH. In his position, Lorsch oversees the Institute’s $3.0 billion budget, which supports basic research that increases understanding of biological processes and lays the foundation for advances in disease diagnosis, treatment, and prevention.

A leader in RNA biology, Lorsch studies the initiation of translation, a major step in controlling how genes are expressed. When this process goes awry, viral infection, neurodegenerative diseases, and cancer can result. To dissect the mechanics of translation initiation, Lorsch and collaborators developed a yeast-based system and a wide variety of biochemical and biophysical methods. The work also has led to efforts to control translation initiation through chemical reagents, such as drugs. Lorsch continues this research as a tenured investigator in the NIH’s Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

Schedule and abstracts available soon here.

Students and faculty in the basic sciences, health sciences, and clinical departments are encouraged to participate in this premier research event held at the UND School of Medicine & Health Sciences annually, including its poster presentations.

Contact Heather Jensen at heather.jensen@UND.edu or 701.777.2516 with any questions.