Did You Know Alaska's Biomedical Research is Headquartered at UA?
Did you know that for the past two decades, a collaboration within the UA system has been improving
health, reducing illness and disability, and building a pipeline of future biomedical
and behavioral health researchers in Alaska?
Alaska INBRE (IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence) joins UAF, UAA, and UAS with two
Alaska Native health providers, Southcentral Foundation and the Alaska Native Tribal
Health Consortium, to grow the state’s biomedical research infrastructure, attract
world-class researchers, support research unique to Alaska’s people, and increase
and diversify the students seeking careers in biomedical research in Alaska.
Since it was established in 2006, INBRE has invested nearly $80 million in research
infrastructure and projects in Alaska, and has positioned the UA system as a leader
in Arctic biomedical research.
Biomedical research is at the core of modern healthcare. Biomedical researchers study
pathogens, diagnose illnesses and test the effectiveness of potential cures. Yet prior
to INBRE, funding for biomedical research in Alaska lagged behind most states. The
INBRE program, a Congressional mandate funded by the National Institutes of Health,
addresses the profound geographic and cultural disparities in Alaska’s biomedical
research capacity. Alaska is one of 26 states to have an INBRE program, and the only one to partner with tribal health organizations.
Perhaps the most widely known research project supported by INBRE is seen on Alaska’s Covid-19 Dashboard.
Since the outbreak of the pandemic, INBRE-funded researchers have sequenced the SARS-CoV-2 variants circulating in Alaska to determine transmissibility and infection rates for appropriate public health responses.
Also unique to Alaska INBRE is its One Health research theme, which recognizes interconnections among the health of people, animals, and the environment to sustain healthy individuals, families, and communities during a time of rapid change in the northernmost state.
INBRE funds undergraduate and graduate student mentoring and research projects across the system. Students gain valuable experience in designing, conducting and reporting biomedical research, and train in scientific method, scientific writing, and preparation of theses, manuscripts, reports, and presentations.
INBRE also provides direct research funding for faculty and health professionals working within its network of the UA system and partner Tribal health organizations.
INBRE provides core support for resources necessary for research to happen - such as research facilities, equipment, and data acquisition and analysis, including the Genomics Core of UAF’s Institute of Arctic Biology and the ASET chemistry core at UAA. Because of INBRE investment, the UA system can offer unprecedented learning environments and experiences for students interested in entering the field.