Carilion Biomedical Institute Names 2002 “Researchers of the Year”

Virginia Tech and University of Virginia researchers share top honors at annual “Steps to Success” conference

ROANOKE, Va (October 8, 2002)  Research that could one day re-build blood vessels and diagnose disease with a microchip brought top honors for two scientists at the second annual Carilion Biomedical Institute “Steps to Success” Conference.  Ravi Saraf, Ph. D., Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering at Virginia Tech and Milton Brown , M.D., Ph. D., Assistant Professor of Chemistry at the University of Virginia share CBI’s 2002 “Researcher of the Year” award.

Dr. Saraf has been working with CBI to develop new technologies that can be used to create a biochip that can be used to analyze a patient’s DNA. Dr. Saraf’s research is aimed at creating a simple and inexpensive DNA test that can be performed in a doctor’s office.

Dr. Brown is currently working to develop compounds that affect blood vessel growth. He has developed a compound that restricts blood vessel growth and could one day be used to attack cancer cells. He has also designed and produced the first small molecules known to promote blood vessel growth. These molecules could one day be used to repair the damage caused by coronary artery disease and diabetes.

Saraf and Brown’s research success supports CBI’s three goals:

• Strengthening biomedical research.
• Accelerating the commercialization of research ideas into superior and market-competitive solutions.
• Expanding economic opportunities in Southwestern Virginia.

CBI also presented Tim Long, Ph. D., Associate Professor of Chemistry at Virginia Tech, with the 2002 “Funding Prize”, recognizing his success in leveraging CBI funding.  Dr. Long has been awarded an Army Research Office Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative grant for his work with branched macromolecules. The grant, which will total between $3.75 and 6.25 million, will be shared by Long and his co-investigators at Cornell and Penn State Universities.

“I want to congratulate our winners, and all the other researchers who are working with CBI to make a difference in people’s lives by bringing new technology to the field of medicine,” said CBI President Dennis Fisher, Ph. D. “These talented individuals are laying the groundwork we need to improve the quality of healthcare and find new economic development opportunities for our region.”

Headquartered in Roanoke, Virginia, the Carilion Biomedical Institute is a joint partnership of Carilion Health System, the University of Virginia and Virginia Tech. CBI’s mission is to strengthen biomedical research at its partner institutions and promote economic development in the region.