NEWS & PUBLICATIONS
 January, 2006. Wayne State University is one of six leading research institutions that have been chosen to participate in the Ralph Wilson Medical Research Foundation's Research Grant Program for Discovery in Biomedical Sciences for the past five years. Other participating institutions include The University of Michigan, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, the Mayo Clinic, The Cleveland Clinic Foundation and The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis at the University of Miami. The Ralph C. Wilson Medical Research Foundation was founded in 1999 to provide funding for cutting-edge research in the hopes that a breakthrough will be made to find a cure for devastating conditions and life threatening illnesses. Each year, researchers from each of the selected institutions are invited to submit proposals that support innovative, high risk/high impact biomedical research. Those selected for funding, known as Wilson Scholars, have designed projects that will foster novel and innovative research in the areas of cardiovascular diseases, cancer, neurosciences and musculoskeletal disorders. The program is also intended to encourage expansive thinking resulting in research proposals that by their nature may be difficult to fund in traditional ways due to the highrisk nature of the proposed research. The development or application of new technologies is the ultimate goal of these projects. Wayne State has six Wilson Scholars that have received over $1 million from the Ralph Wilson Medical Research Foundation to embark on innovative research projects. They are:
The Gentleman A gentleman once said that everyone in life should try to make a contribution to benefit others. Ralph C. Wilson Jr., the gentleman behind this statement, is doing just that and has created his legacy through the formation of his Foundation, the Ralph Wilson Medical Research Foundation, which he hopes will achieve this goal now and in the future. Mr. Wilson's philanthropic heart goes beyond his Foundation. From supporting food banks, the arts, hospice care, youth sports programs, scholarships, and charity programs focusing on paralysis, autism, Alzheimer's, cancer and many other diseases, Mr. Wilson quietly, yet graciously, touches the lives of many through his charitable spirit. "I had two goals in mind for our Foundation," stated Mr. Wilson. "One is that I wanted to encourage young, innovative investigators to pursue unconventional (novel) strategies in search of a breakthrough. Two, I wanted to provide seed money for high risk research that conventional funding sources like the National Institutes of Health would not support but which, if successful, could develop into new drugs or therapies that would have a major impact on people's lives. The specific areas of cardiovascular diseases, cancer, neurosciences and musculoskeletal disorders were selected because they represent debilitating diseases that affect large numbers of people where the rewards of success are great." "Through the Foundation, we seek to fill the gap in funding between the point where the idea develops to the point where the investigator is able to apply for funding from traditional sources," said Mr. Wilson. "As we move forward, we try to gauge the success of the Foundation's program by looking at the Wilson funded projects and their ability to achieve follow on funding to continue their work. We are seeing this happen already at many of our institutions, including Wayne State, and we look forward to watching the accomplishments of this important research continue to unfold," he continued. When asked why Wayne State was selected as one of the institutions chosen for funding by the Foundation, Mr. Wilson replied, "I grew up and still live in the Detroit area. I am passionate about giving back to the communities and people that have supported me and my businesses throughout my career. I learned about Wayne State and its medical programs and felt it would be a great partner institution for the Foundation." The goal of the projects funded through the Foundation is to apply them in the real world, leading to new or improved drugs, therapies, treatments and devices. "I have always thought that, when possible, everyone in life should try to make a contribution to benefit others. My vision is that the research supported by the Ralph Wilson Medical Research Foundation will assist in the improvement of other people's lives, now and into the future," said Mr. Wilson. Wayne State University embraces this entrepreneurial spirit by helping faculty launch their inventions into the marketplace, with the ultimate goal of making a difference in the world. Great lessons can be learned from Mr. Wilson who is an entrepreneur in many industries. He has owned companies in trucking, construction, television, radio, insurance, energy, and manufacturing. His most famous "company", however, is the Buffalo Bills. A former minority shareowner of Detroit's beloved Detroit Lions, Wilson went on to join friends in establishing the American Football League and created the Buffalo Bills in 1959. Wilson and friends were known as the "Foolish Club" for this venture, which turned out to be a shrewd decision for Wilson, as his Buffalo Bills have gone on to be successful in the NFL. Mr. Wilson was instrumental in the AFLNFL merger in 1966, and he continues his passion to the NFL by having served on every league committee. Mr. Wilson has been honored with numerous awards including the Pete Rozelle Award from the Touchdown Club in New Orleans, the NFL Alumni's "Order of the Leather Helmet," and the "Timmie" Award for outstanding service to professional football, and the Hubert H. Humphrey Award for humanitarian endeavors, both from the Touchdown Club of Washington, D.C. Even more appropriate, Mr. Wilson was honored by the Buffalo News as they named him the "Top Sports Figure" in Western New York in the past millennium. Mr. Wilson graduated from the University of Virginia and enlisted in the Navy during World War II. He earned his commission within a year, and served aboard minesweepers. He also participated in five invasions in the Mediterranean and Pacific and received the U.S. Navy's Commendation Medal for his actions in the Invasion of Anzio. The boy who grew up in Detroit has made his mark on society through his heartfelt outreach to others, his passion for life, his search for knowledge and his desire to make a difference in the world of today and tomorrow. Wayne State University embraces Mr. Ralph C. Wilson Jr. for his many acts of kindness to our community and beyond. Thank you, Mr. Wilson, for reaching out to Wayne State. |
Dr. Auner's project aims to develop an
advanced holographic acoustic microarray
that not only provides 3-D images, but also
provides physical information for cancerous
tumors in the 1 mm diameter range. It would
have a profound impact on the diagnosis and
treatment of breast cancer. The system would
also have important implications in real time
imaging and diagnostics for laproscopic robotic
pediatric surgery. As a result of the research conducted under
this grant, Dr. Auner and his team have developed advanced
materials and an active holographic acoustic microarray
pertaining to the exploration of early breast cancer detection.
He plans to do further research and development of early
diagnosis and treatment of pancreatic cancer.
Dr. Benson's project aims to utilize new
developments in imaging and neurosciences
to modify the activity in local brain areas that
will induce adaptive changes in the brain that
may result in measurable gains in language
function for stroke victims experiencing
language impairment (aphasia). Using fMRI
and a TMS group, Dr. Benson and his team
will map patients' brain activity to establish
a baseline before TMS treatment, and after 6 weeks of treatment
to identify changes that are induced by TMS treatment. If
measurable changes are observed on imaging and/or speech and
language functioning, this will mark a significant advance in the
treatment of aphasia and may contribute to a major shift in the
approach to treatment of deficits caused by stroke. 
Dr. Hoerber's project aims to integrate the
photonic force microscope (PFM) - a prototype
system that uses lasers to trap and move a
small particle as a high resolution probe to feel
forces and image space developed by Dr.
Hoerber's group - with a single molecule fluorescence techniques for biomedical
research applications. They will study
the role of lipid rafts, which are
involved in several major physiological
functions, and pathological processes
such as cell signaling, embryonic
development, inflammatory responses,
wound healing and the spread of
cancer, using this technology. This
could result in the development of
new diagnostic approaches and
medical treatments against malignant
conversion of cells. 
Dr. Hudson's
project is a study
of Rheumatoid
Arthritis, a chronic
degenerative disease
characterized by
severe inflammation
of the joint and
auto-immunity to
various joint components. To date,
a cause for the disease remains
unknown. Dr. Hudson's team proposes
a systematic examination of the role
of two bacterial pathogens of the
Chlamydia species in Rheumatoid
Arthritis. If there is a validated
relationship between either or both
pathogens and Rheumatoid Arthritis, it
will be the first evidence of causality in
this disease. It will also suggest possible
therapies and will influence how
Rheumatoid Arthritis pathogenesis is
viewed and investigated in the future. 
Dr. Loeb’s project takes advantage
of the human genome project to identify important
genes in human
epilepsy through
examination of
human brain tissue
removed during
surgery to treat
seizures that do not
respond to medications. At present,
little is known why some regions of
the human brain become and remain
epileptic. Knowledge of the pattern
of abnormal genetic activity in an
epileptic focus will open up new
therapeutic opportunities for cure,
prevention and management of
epilepsy. There is a great urgency for
a deeper understanding of the disease
that can lead to better therapies than
surgery and drugs currently utilized to
treat this relatively common and often
devastating disorder.
Dr. Mattingly's
project aims to
understand how
critical transitions
in early stage
breast cancer can
be successfully
exploited for
preventative and
therapeutic benefit. Through the
use of targeted interventions at the
molecular and cellular levels, coupled
to their advanced functional imaging
technology, Dr. Mattingly and his
team will identify fundamental steps
in early breast cancer development.
The rationale for his proposed
studies is to determine pivotal events
that will provide pharmacological
approaches to the prevention and
treatment of breast cancer. 
