August 6, 2003

Biomedical Research Presented At Conference In Boise August 11-14

Boise State University researchers and students will join their colleagues from other Idaho institutions at a conference of the Idaho Biomedical Research Infrastructure Network (BRIN) Monday through Thursday, Aug. 11-14, in Boise. The second annual BRIN conference will include keynote addresses, panel discussions, workshops and poster presentations, and is expected to draw about 170 participants. BRIN was established in 2001 with a $6 million research grant from the National Institutes of Health to develop a statewide biomedical research network and bioinformatics capability. The program focuses on medical genomics, with an emphasis on human health and understanding how cells transmit signals. Medical genomics is the practical application of the Human Genome Project. The public is invited to attend the opening conference presentations on Monday at the Grove Hotel in downtown Boise.  Undergraduate and graduate students who have worked on BRIN sponsored research projects will present poster presentations between 1- 5 p.m. in the Evergreen Room. Graduate students will compete with 10-minute PowerPoint presentations of their work beginning at 2:30 p.m. Winning students will receive additional research dollars and awards. The conference provides many benefits for researchers, said Julie Oxford, a Boise State biology professor who coordinates the university’s BRIN program. “This conference will provide an opportunity for increased collaboration among researchers at the universities and colleges in Idaho,” said Oxford. “It also provides an opportunity for our undergraduate and graduate students to present their research findings.” The BRIN program is a collaborative effort involving the University of Idaho, Boise State and Idaho State University, and also encompassing Albertson College, Brigham Young University-Idaho, College of Southern Idaho, Lewis-Clark State College, North Idaho College, Northwest Nazarene University, and the Boise VA Medical Center. The program provides opportunities for Idaho's undergraduate and graduate students to do biomedical research, enhances research facilities and instrumentation, and encourages and supports faculty to engage in biomedical research. BRIN research centers on the field of bioinformatics, which occupies a unique niche among the sciences, lying at the intersection of biology, genetics, biochemistry, computer science, mathematics and statistics. Collaboration has led to novel methods and approaches used to address biomedical research problems. According to Oxford, an understanding of bioinformatics techniques has become an essential part of the scientific tools with which to answer biological questions.    More information on the BRIN program and conference can be found on the Web at www.sci.uidaho.edu/brin/Conference2.htm. -30- Contact Julia Oxford Biology 426-2395 joxford@boisestate.edu Media contact Janelle Brown communications and marketing 426-1790 jbrown2@boisestate.edu Return to News home