Biomedical Research Foundation of Northwest Louisiana

Founded: 1986
Full Time: 50
Part Time: 0
Budget: $12,000,000

Director: John F. Sharp
P.O. Box 38050
Shreveport, LA 71133-8050

Telephone: 318/675-4100 FAX: 318/675-4120 E-Mail: vlewis@biomed.org

Web Site:http://www.biomed.org

Mission Statement:

The Biomedical Research Foundation has a two-fold mission to serve north Louisiana:

1. To establish north Louisiana as a nationally recognized regional technology center; and

2. To enhance the research, teaching and clinical capacity of Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in Shreveport (LSUHSC-S).

Areas of Expertise:

Research expertise/ongoing projectsThe Biomedical Research Foundation, along with numerous other community partners, is working to revitalize a large portion of Shreveport's inner city to become a center for advanced technology industries. The site – called InterTech – is anchored by three major medical institutions, LSU Medical Center in Shreveport, Schumpert Medical Center and Willis-Knighton Medical Center. Targeted industries are: biomedicine & biotechnology; information and communications technology; advanced manufacturing technology; and environmental and energy technology.

A key component of the InterTech strategy, and a major initiative of the Biomedical Research Foundation, is the Consortium for Education, Research & Technology (CERT), a partnership of North Louisiana's nine colleges and universities. The vision for CERT is to support the growth and success of the region's industry by organizing and delivering a variety of programs and services through collaborative projects between campuses. CERT, chaired by Dr. Dan Reneau, president of Louisiana Tech University, meets monthly to develop programs that will advance the InterTech by concentrating on enhancement of North Louisiana's intellectual capital. CERT was formed through a Memorandum of Understanding signed by seven colleges and universities in 1996. Current CERT members are Centenary College of Louisiana, Louisiana State University in Shreveport, LSU School of Medicine in Shreveport, Grambling State University, Louisiana Tech University, Northwestern State University, Northeast Louisiana University, Bossier Parish Community College, Southern University in Shreveport-Bossier and the Biomedical Research Foundation of Northwest Louisiana.

 

PROJECTS

Virginia K. Shehee Biomedical Research Institute (BRI)

Completed in 1994, the Biomedical Research Institute is a 160,000 square foot, $37 million research facility with 56 laboratories where over 240 investigators and technicians from LSUHSC-S conduct basic research

The eight floors dedicated to research in the Institute are organized by research affinities rather than traditional basic research academic departments. Areas of research include:

Positron Emission Tomography PET Imaging Centers (PET)

Opened in 1995, the Foundation's PET Imaging Center in Shreveport was the first scanning center in the state. In 2002, due to the demand for PET scans, the Foundation opened PET scanning centers at Willis-Knighton Health Center and Christus Schumpert Health Center. In addition to three scanners, the Foundation also owns and operates two radioisotope-producing cyclotrons, one in the BRI and one in Baton Rouge. LSUHSC-S and Foundation researchers have numerous projects in progress or in the planning stages that utilize PET technology.

Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center – Shreveport (LSUHSC-S)

The Foundation provides monetary resources in research grants annually to LSUHSC-S that fund seed grants to develop new NIH proposals, transition grants for researchers who are between NIH grants, and recruitment packages for new faculty. In addition to funding basic and clinical research at LSUHSC-S, the Foundation also works with physicians and researchers to acquire innovative technology that enhances the Center's resources, capabilities, and reputation.

Technology Education Programs

Formed in 1997, the Consortium for Education Research and Technology of North Louisiana (CERT) is comprised of the 11 north Louisiana institutions of higher education and the Foundation. CERT addresses technology workforce needs, technology transfer and economic development. CERT is also engaged in developing biomedical informatics curriculum and programs among its members institutions. To further strengthen ties with regional higher and continuing education institutions CERT joined the Mathematics, Science and Technology (MST) Consortium created to improve math, science and technology learning outcomes for the average Caddo Parish K-12 school child.

The Foundation, LSUHSC-S and the Bossier Parish School Board developed the Science and Medicine Academic Research Training Program (SMART) program in 1997. The program provides advanced educational opportunities for academically gifted high school students interested in medical, scientific research, and biomedical engineering careers. Participants are involved for one year in intensive research with medical clinicians, researchers, and academic staff at LSUHSC. The Science Research Teacher Program (SRT) is a six-week summer program designed to give selected area high school science teachers an opportunity to conduct scientific research with experienced principle investigators in a basic research laboratory at LSUHSC-S.

InterTech Science Park

InterTech Science Park is the primary economic development initiative of the BRF, to establish a nationally recognized technology center in north Louisiana over the next two decades. The Park is being built with the necessary technology infrastructure to leverage the region's existing assets to attract and grow knowledge-based companies to the Shreveport-Bossier area. Industry clusters that can be supported in InterTech are:

Keywords:

• Economic development Technology transfer

• Education Workforce development

• Biomedical Biotechnology

• Technology Biomedical informatics

• Science Medical imaging

• Research Mathematics