Pictured above: Dr. Ziv-Gal (left) and Dr. Bagchi (right)
Professors Indrani Bagchi and Ayelet Ziv-Gal’s collaborative research team has been awarded a grant from the Chan Zuckerburg (CZ) Biohub Chicago as part of the first cohort of investigators to receive funding.
The University of Illinois is one of CZ Biohub Chicago’s three partner institutions, alongside Northwestern University and the University of Chicago, that connects faculty members from various disciplines, with an ultimate goal of understanding and treating the inflammatory states that underlie many diseases.
Drs. Bagchi and Ziv-Gal’s team received funding for “Quantitative, spatial-temporal imaging in female reproductive tissues” after a highly competitive selection process. From 125 applications including over 200 investigators, 48 investigators were selected evenly across the three partner institutions.
“We were very excited to be selected,” said Drs. Bagchi and Ziv-Gal in a joint statement. “It is a strong testament to our ideas and encouragement to pursue this visionary research direction.”
Combining Engineering and Biosciences Expertise
Drs. Bagchi and Ziv-Gal’s project explores inflammation’s role in pathologies of the female reproductive system. Their team aims to use MRI to spatially image interactions between inflammation, estrogenic compounds, and extracellular matrix changes in female reproductive tissues.
The College of Veterinary Medicine professors are working alongside four investigators from Illinois’ Grainger College of Engineering. “Our scientific contribution to the team is focused on the aspects of female reproduction and toxicology,” explained Drs. Bagchi and Ziv-Gal.
The interdisciplinary team, led by Dr. Amy Wagoner-Johnson, will receive $300,000 per year for three years, which will be used to develop new imaging techniques and support the personnel working on the project.
“We are fortunate to be part of this team of leading scientists from the University of Illinois,” said Drs. Bagchi and Ziv-Gal. Because the team is using advanced imaging tools, including MRI, there is high potential for translating their work to clinical applications. Drs. Bagchi and Ziv-Gal are very excited about this high-risk high-gain project.
By Haley Maser
