In 2006, the University Research Corridor (URC) was formed between Michigan State University, the University of Michigan, and Wayne State University; since then, it has added billions of dollars to Michigan’s economy by producing graduates and research that meet the needs of Michigan businesses, generating tax revenues and job creation, and supporting hundreds of startup companies.

“Our research corridor is an invaluable resource for the state of Michigan and the world,” says Dr. Vilma Yuzbasiyan-Gurkan, associate dean of Research and Graduate Studies for the MSU College of Veterinary Medicine. “The Corridor fosters innovation and prosperity in Michigan while connecting our state to other research-driven entities; this can only result in the advancement of scientific knowledge that goes on to benefit the global community.”

There are more than 40 research news features from MSU shared on the URC website, as well as more than 40 from the University of Michigan and more than 25 from Wayne State University; topics range from supernovas and zebrafish to flood proofing and irrigation.

“The URC is a great network for new knowledge to be shared and future innovations to be made,” says Yuzbasiyan-Gurkan. “It’s this exchange of ideas and collaboration across disciplines that we’re working increase at the MSU College of Veterinary Medicine by strengthening our relationship with the URC.”

In 2017, the URC and MichBio, a trade association focused on driving the growth of Michigan’s biosciences industry, hosted Cutting Edge, a conference focused on drug discovery and development. Michigan State University was represented not only by attendees, but also by various presenters. Dr. Simon Petersen-Jones, professor and Donald R. Myers and William E. Dunlap Endowed Chair in Canine Health at the College of Veterinary Medicine, was one of the keynote speakers. His talk was titled “Veterinary Clinical Trials of Gene Therapy of Eye Diseases as a Path to Human Therapeutics.”

In addition to various lecture-style presentations, there also were poster presentations. From MSU, three representatives presented posters; Erika Lisabeth, PhD, presented “Identification of Pirin as a Novel Therapeutic Target of CCG-222740 in Fibrosis;” Evert Njomen, MS, presented “The Allosteric Proteasome Modulator TCH-165: Evaluation for Potential Use in Canine Cancers;” and Matthew Schweiss presented “Tart Cherry Flavonoids: Dose-Dependent Antioxidant Activity Against Lipid and Cholesterol Oxidation.” Attendees also had the opportunity to visit with a dozen exhibitors.

As a scientist, faculty member, and administrator, Yuzbasiyan-Gurkan, PhD, knows well the value that the URC offers to Michigan State University; this inspired her to think of a new way to highlight the MSU College of Veterinary Medicine and strengthen the College’s alliance with the URC’s model of research partnership. Enter the Office of Clinical and Translational Research.

“The College wanted to enhance its opportunities for our researchers,” says Yuzbasiyan-Gurkan. “We designed The Office of Clinical and Translational Research to bolster the impact the College has on improving health worldwide.”

The Office of Clinical and Translational Research's first objective is to act as a clinical trial and research study liaison that will connect the College’s experienced research scientists and clinicians to animal health companies and their drug development teams. The Office also will help forge new research partnerships and collaborations between the College’s subject matter experts and human health companies that could benefit from MSU’s veterinary patients and their pathobiologic similarities to human diseases.

“Many animal models serve as excellent subjects for the study of human disease and drug development because the underlying disease mechanisms in the species are similar,” says Kipp Erickson, PhD, director of the Office of Clinical and Translational Research. Erickson says these collaborations will help increase the College’s output of translational medicine. “Our animal models also will provide a basis for progressing nearly identical models from the human health company down the Food and Drug Administration’s regulatory pathway for animal health approval,” he says.

The Office of Clinical and Translational Research's additional focus is to act as the College’s internal liaison to industry for campus-wide academic drug discovery, technology innovation and product development, and partnership in research between colleges, other MSU groups, and different universities.

“Similarly to the URC, we need to prioritize collaborations that will enhance the breadth and impact of our research and our partners’ research,” says Yuzbasiyan-Gurkan. “We want an environment where our faculty are fully empowered to contribute to and create more novel product concepts, intellectual properties, and therapeutic opportunities that lead us to invention disclosures and potential new ways to impact human and animal health and contribute to Michigan’s economic development. Participating more fully in the URC will help us do just that.”