The Texas A&M University School of Medicine has become the first institution in the country to be awarded a National Institutes of Health (NIH) training grant specifically targeting lymphatic biology and medicine. The NIH’s National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute awarded funds to the School of Medicine for two PhD students per year selected for the LYMphatics in Pathology and Health (LYMPH) Training Program. This prestigious award will be used to train the next generation of lymphatic biologists in pursuit of a deeper understanding of the molecular mechanisms, physiological systems and clinical applications of lymphatic research.
This training grant is the first of its kind in the nation, as lymphatic biology is a relatively new field of study in medicine, and is now gaining traction as an area of special interest by the NIH. It has been historically underfunded despite playing a central role in many of the body’s processes, including fluid balance, immune function and waste removal, which collectively involve every organ system in the body. This means the lymphatic system is another avenue by which scientists can research disease processes and identify potential treatments.