The Center of Biomedical Research Excellence represents the culmination of efforts put forth by a dedicated and hardworking team of staff and faculty at UNLV, as well as at collaborating organizations, fueled by seed funding from the Governor’s Office of Economic Development and UNLV. More than 45 experts participated in the application process, and the application had more than 60 letters of support from recognized organizations or experts in the field. Key local collaborators include UNLV’s National Supercomputing Institute and the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health.

Personalized medicine is based on the concept that a person’s unique DNA can guide effective treatment and disease prevention. The main goals of the COBRE grant are to advance the use of genomics and genetics in personalized medicine through cutting-edge research discovery, to build a center of excellence that fosters new investigator independence, and to collaborate with key strategic partners. The program will also build upon computational and genomics research capacity, including expert analysts to enable population-level genomics research. Projects forthcoming through the COBRE include developing new methods for comprehensive tissue-of-origin profiling for cancers of unknown sources; diagnosing osteoporosis based on individual genetic makeup and environment; and examining the role of microglia and immune system dysfunction in schizophrenia to help identify new genetic markers of the condition. The COBRE will also be leveraged to expand clinical and educational services.