SW New Mexico News

The New Mexico IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research (NM-INBRE), based at New Mexico State University (NMSU), has received a $19.9 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This grant continues NM-INBRE’s 20-plus-year leadership in biomedical research, which began in 2001 when NMSU chemistry and biochemistry professor Jeffrey Arterburn spearheaded a $5.5 million proposal to foster collaboration among New Mexico universities.

Arterburn's initiative aimed to support faculty research and professional development, encourage primarily undergraduate institutions, community colleges, and minority-serving institutions to build their research culture, and provide formal research experiences for undergraduate students. Since its inception, NM-INBRE has received $78,065,462 in NIH awards and impacted the careers of 1,351 students and 117 researchers across New Mexico.

Current director Shelley Lusetti, professor and department head of chemistry and biochemistry at NMSU, is expanding the program’s impact with this new five-year grant. “I would describe the mission as building research infrastructure in the state of New Mexico,” Lusetti said. “We’re trying to increase the competitiveness of the whole state with respect to federal research funding.”

Initially partnering with four other New Mexico universities—New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, Eastern New Mexico University, New Mexico Highlands University, and the University of New Mexico—the network now includes ten colleges statewide plus the National Center for Genome Resources and two pueblos. This year it welcomed Doña Ana Community College and Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Lusetti outlined NM-INBRE’s mission as focusing on three areas: building access to infrastructure at state universities; enhancing individual faculties’ research programs; and training students. “Not only do we provide funds to conduct faculty research through NM-INBRE,” she said, “but we also do a lot of professional development and training.”

Michèle Shuster, biology professor and associate dean of research in NMSU’s College of Arts and Sciences, leads an expansion of student training within NM-INBRE. The program includes summer bootcamps on NMSU’s main campus for students from various universities to train in research methods as well as internships at partner institutions.

“We are for the first time planning to support academic year internships or research experiences beyond the Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE),” Shuster explained. Students participating in multiple opportunities will be recognized at an annual symposium.

To maintain community engagement throughout the year, Shuster initiated weekly Zoom meetings last summer focused on professional development topics such as preparing a curriculum vitae or networking on LinkedIn. These sessions will continue during academic semesters.

Lusetti emphasized that NM-INBRE functions primarily as a network aimed at building research capacity through collaborations between institutions both within New Mexico and across six other states designed to promote collaboration.

“NIH has a team science supplement,” Lusetti noted. “It looks like we're just about to get awarded our first team science supplement that includes an investigator here at NMSU.”

Over the next five years, NM-INBRE plans to build on prior scientific achievements by integrating training with data science technologies, connecting new investigators with established mentors and collaborators, and developing New Mexico’s biomedical workforce by creating pathways into health-research careers within INBRE states.

“One of our biggest success stories last cycle was at New Mexico Tech,” Lusetti shared. “We initially funded the course there; now it’s completely institutionalized.”

For more information on NM-INBRE initiatives visit www.nminbre.org or follow them on social media (@nminbre).