# Research Education Core

> **NIH NIH U54** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT DAVIS · 2022 · $135,575

## Abstract

Project Summary – Research Education Core (REC)
The training of future leaders in the development of medical countermeasures for chemical threat agents is
critical to the success of the CounterACT program and to national emergency response and preparedness
efforts. The overall mission of the Research Education Core (REC) is to create a diverse array of human
resources capable of conducting team-based interdisciplinary research focused on addressing the complex
problems posed by chemical threat agents. Advanced training in pharmacology, toxicology, neuroscience, and
drug discovery will be provided to a diverse generation of researchers, more specifically, technicians, medical
and graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and/or early stage investigators within and outside the UC Davis
CounterACT Center. Accordingly, the REC will interact with all Cores and Projects of the Center. A major
emphasis will be enhancing the diversity, and recruitment of trainees and mentors from underrepresented and
socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds into the Center.
The educational research environment at UC Davis is well suited for the CounterACT Center. UC Davis is a
national leader in pharmacology and toxicology, and CounterACT faculty have expertise in fundamental
pharmacology, toxicology, medicinal chemistry, drug screening, mechanistic target identification, animal models
of disease, advanced imaging, biostatistics as well as preclinical testing and participation in clinical trials. The
REC will facilitate the transfer of this knowledge to trainees and promote the advancement of trainees’ careers
by providing opportunities to be mentored by and learn from both internal and external scientists with expertise
relevant to the CounterACT mission.
The REC has three main objectives: (1) Develop skill sets necessary for the study of toxicology, pharmacology,
drug discovery, neuroscience, and neurological disorders related to chemical threat agents. First, hands-
on interdisciplinary and collaborative research training primarily in the laboratories of the Project and Core
Leaders will be provided. Second, specialized didactic training in areas relevant to the Center’s mission will be
accomplished via workshops, seminars, and specialized coursework. (2) Enhance the recruitment of graduate
students and faculty from underrepresented backgrounds into the UC Davis CounterACT Center by leveraging
well established undergraduate, graduate, and faculty STEM-related recruiting and retention programs on
campus. (3) Evaluate the activities of the REC to assess effectiveness and identify areas for improvement.
By fulfilling these objectives, the REC will accomplish its goal of developing a diverse group of scientists with
broader understanding of the concepts, challenges, and opportunities in drug discovery and development of
medical countermeasures of chemical threat agents.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10488961
- **Project number:** 1U54NS127758-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT DAVIS
- **Principal Investigator:** Gene Gabriel Gurkoff
- **Activity code:** U54 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $135,575
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-09-01 → 2027-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10488961

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10488961, Research Education Core (1U54NS127758-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10488961. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*