WV-INBRE Faculty Fellowship
and $25K Pilot Grant Awarded
to Dr. Tesfaye Belay,
Bluefield State College Research Faculty Member

Bluefield State College students (left-to-right) Todd Jamrose (Princeton, WV), Joshua Prol (Bluefield, WV), and Patience Hall (Durham, NC) are participating in biomedical research at Bluefield State College, under the supervision of Dr. Tesfaye Belay (right), Assistant Professor of Research at BSC. Dr. Belay has written several grants that have received funding from the West Virginia Idea Network for Biomedical Research Excellence (WV-INBRE), supporting enhancements within the College’s biomedical research laboratory and expanding research opportunities for BSC students.

(Bluefield)—Dr. Tesfaye Belay, Assistant Professor of Research at Bluefield State College, has been selected to receive both a faculty fellowship and a separate $25,000 pilot grant award from the West Virginia Idea Network for Biomedical Research Excellence (WV-INBRE).

Through an earlier grant from WV-INBRE, BSC has established a biomedical research laboratory and the College is now a participant in a statewide higher education research network. “Through our research laboratory, we can now promote basic biomedical research, acquire extramural grant support, and disseminate information on our research findings to the scientific community,” Dr. Belay continued.

The WV-INBRE 2007 Summer Research Program faculty fellowship in which Dr. Belay will participate will permit him to conduct research at the BSC biomedical laboratory and jointly with Dr. Hongwei Yu, Associate Professor/Department of Biochemistry & Microbiology at Marshall University, during June and July, 2007. The $11,000 award will underwrite the cost of laboratory supplies and related expenses for the nine-week program. “The research fellowship in collaboration with Dr. Yu and Marshall University will help to augment the laboratory methods and techniques we can utilize at Bluefield State College,” Dr. Belay explained. “Additionally, by working with Marshall University faculty, I can gain experience that will be beneficial in subsequent research at BSC.”

Dr. Belay has also received a WV-INBRE pilot grant award of $25,000 for the 2007-08 fiscal year. “The award will pay stipends to four undergraduate research assistants at Bluefield State College for a period of nine months, and also permit the purchase of laboratory supplies and equipment that will help to sustain and expand basic biomedical research at BSC,” he continued.

He stressed that these initiatives can also help to prepare, motive, encourage and support BSC students—particularly underrepresented minority students—to become involved in research. “I am grateful for the ongoing support received through WV-INBRE,” Dr. Belay stated. “It has been instrumental in the growth of biomedical research capabilities at Bluefield State College.”

February 26, 2007

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