International Research Workshop Explores Non-Coding RNAs in Chronic Disease

International Research Workshop Explores Non-Coding RNAs in Chronic Disease

International Research Workshop Explores Non-Coding RNAs in Chronic Disease

Apr 1, 2015, 10:14 AM

Biomedical researchers at CIC universities along with researchers affiliated with CAPES Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior), a unit within Brazil’s Ministry of Education, will delve into current research on microRNAs and non-coding RNAs on April 30-May 2nd at an international research workshop held at The Ohio State University.




MicroRNAs and other non-coding RNAs are involved in almost every cellular process imaginable. They are also linked to many chronic diseases, including: cancer, heart failure, diabetes, and neurological diseases. As such, these RNAs are also becoming targets for drug discovery, and the drugs are rapidly entering clinical trials.  Non-coding RNA research is highly translational and can be leveraged to initiate many new collaborations.

Biomedical researchers at CIC universities along with researchers affiliated with CAPES (Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior), a unit within Brazil’s Ministry of Education, will delve into current research on microRNAs and non-coding RNAs on April 30-May 2 at an international research workshop held at The Ohio State University.

The event will bring together scholars from eight CIC universities and five Brazilian research institutions. Ohio State University’s President, Dr. Michael V. Drake, an ophthalmologist, along with the President of CAPES, Dr. Jorge Almeida Guimarães, a biomedical scholar, will launch the conference.

Dr. Carlo Croce, a leading authority on cancer research and microRNAs will deliver the keynote, “MicroRNAs and Cancer.” Dr. Croce, a medical doctor and professor with School of Medicine at The Ohio State University, will set the stage for understanding the microRNAs in cellular processes and disease, probing directions for research as it pertains to cancer and other chronic diseases. On Saturday morning, scholars will explore non-coding RNAs in chronic diseases as well as their biogenesis and function. Discussions will follow each panel, and these morning sessions are open to interested parties.

This initiative of CAPES and the CIC Senior International Officers and Senior Research Officers is intended to foster international research collaborations between CAPES and CIC faculty. The weekend workshop is designed to afford opportunities for building an international scholarly network, including special interest group meetings on Friday afternoon and Saturday morning. Attending faculty will meet to explore topics of common interest, identify future research agendas, and explore avenues for future international collaborative research.
The CIC universities involved in the workshop include: Indiana University, Michigan State, Ohio State, University of Iowa, University of Michigan, University of Minnesota, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and Rutgers. 

Visit the conference website to view the complete workshop program, to register, and learn more about the attending scholars. 

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D RNA Image Credit: Elhu Ihms and Mark Foster, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry: Model of the polio virus 3C protein binding to its stem-loop D RNA in order to prime its replication.