With a new $1 million grant from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the university has launched a collaborative center that aims to improve methods on evaluating drugs and medical devices.
The Center of Excellence in Regulatory Science and Innovation — a partnership between this university and the University of Maryland, Baltimore — allows university students and researchers to work with FDA scientists on developing new tools and standards for regulating products before they reach the public.
Although officials use the term “center” to describe the project, it isn’t a physical building, according to Vice President for Research Patrick O’Shea — rather, the center represents the partnership between the FDA and these two universities. It officially launched Oct. 26. The FDA awarded an additional $1 million to Georgetown University to launch a sister center.
Bioengineering professor and chairman William Bentley — who is a co-principal investigator of the center — said it focuses on several research projects, including developing technologies to test the function of medical imaging devices. Additionally, Bentley said the center brings together FDA and university researchers to keep up with evolving technologies.
“The FDA is very interested in keeping abreast of cutting-edge technology that they currently need to regulate and will be regulating in the future,” Bentley said. “By engaging universities, they’re basically trying to be that much closer to what’s happening in the forefront.”
O’Shea said the center’s development of scientific and lab-based testing methods for drugs and medical devices would help prevent unnecessary or premature clinical trials, which are complicated and expensive.
FDA officials chose this university, UMB and Georgetown as research hubs because of their close proximity to Washington, Bentley said. Additionally, the labs will encourage daily interaction between researchers at all three institutions.
“People at all three places will really be able to interact on a daily basis,” Bentley said.
Because the center spans a wide range of disciplines including chemistry, engineering, agriculture and business, Bentley said a large number of faculty and students have a chance to get involved.
“We have some really outstanding students and research on this campus,” Bentley said. “The FDA recognizes that and wants to take advantage of that knowledge.”
Although the university already offers courses featuring FDA interaction with students, Bentley said the center would augment more courses, giving students a unique opportunity to take advantage of FDA expertise. FDA officials could not be reached for comment.
Officials said the partnership is just one example of how this university is compatible with UMB — a discussion that has dominated state higher education agendas for several months since officials began analyzing the possibility of merging the two institutions.
“Ways in which we can interact more and more suggest that the merger would be advantageous,” Bentley said.
O’Shea said because neither campus could host the center without the unique features of the other, sharing the center represents the types of projects the two campuses could take on together if merged.
“We’re like two pieces of a puzzle that together create a whole,” O’Shea said. “It’s a perfect example of the kind of things we’ve been talking about for forming an alliance.”
And Bentley said being chosen to host this center confirms this university has the potential to directly influence people beyond the borders of this campus.
“This is recognition we’re making a difference,” Bentley said of the university being the center’s host. “[The FDA] wouldn’t do it unless the university was a place that’s cutting edge and has some unique things going on.”
saravia@umdbk.com
