Research Centers for Minority Institutions (RCMI), support has fostered the development of areas of research focus.

RCMI Seminar Series and Core Activities

The Morehouse School of Medicine RCMI Program created the Technology of Science (TOS) Seminar series to showcase the phenomenal research taking place in these facilities and create an awareness of what technological research services these cores can offer the MSM as well as the extramural research community. In addition, a second seminar series entitled Emerging Technology Seminar Series was created to present new tools and current innovations in research to the MSM research community. Both seminar series are held quarterly.

The TOS seminars are held in February, May, August and November. The ET seminars are held in January, April, July and October. Dates and seminar are routinely updated on the RCMI calendar so check the calendar regularly to get the latest information regarding each seminar.

The RCMI Program also hosts an annual Core Day to give the MSM and extramural research communities a hands-on experience in the Research Core Facility. Core Day is filled with various activities that familiarize its attendees with the operations of the core labs. Activities include, but are not limited to: lab tours, vendor shows, equipment demonstrations and research poster sessions.

Morehouse School of Medicine. Excellence.

Mentoring is a critical component of career advancement for all faculty. It has been defined as a professional relationship in which an experienced person (the mentor) assists another (the mentee) in developing specific skills and knowledge that will
enhance the less-experienced person’s professional and personal growth

The establishment of our Mentoring Academy, Mentoring M.E. (Morehouse School of Medicine. Excellence.) employs a mentoring constellation where a group of highly trained mentors take an active interest in and action to advance both the mentee professional opportunities and personal wellbeing.

Click here to learn more about recommendations1 for advancing health equity through organizational mentoring policies.

Hear more from Winston Thompson, Ph.D., Chair, Physiology Department and Director of the Mentoring Academy at Morehouse School of Medicine.

Research Centers in Minority Institutions Program (RCMI)
Morehouse School Of Medicine
720 Westview Drive SW
Atlanta, Georgia 30310-1495

The RCMI Rsearch Core Facility is managed by the Core Management Team.
Please contact any one of the following team members if you have any specific core related issues:
Pamela Alexander, MS, Email: palexander@msm.edu, 404-752-8669

Natasha Brwoner, PhD, Email: nbrowner@msm.edu, 404-752-6707

Michael Powell, PhD, Email: mpowell@msm.edu, 404-752-1582

William Roth, PhD, Email: wroth@msm.edu, 404-752-1947

For general questions, please email the Core Facility at cores@msm.edu

RCMI Administrative Staff

Dr. Vincent C. Bond, Ph.D.
Professor of Microbiology, Biochemistry, and Immunology
Principal Investigator, Research Centers in Minority Institutions (RCMI)
Morehouse School of Medicine
720 Westview Drive, SW
Atlanta, GA 30310-1495
Ph: 404-752-1862
Fax: 404-752-1047
Email: vbond@msm.edu

Carri Ramsey-Tookes
Program Assistant II
Email: cramsey-tookes@msm.edu

Pamela Alexander, M.S.
Core Administrator
Email: palexander@msm.edu

Caloria Osborne
Core Administrative Assistant II
Email: cosborne@msm.edu

Dr. Natasha C. Browner, Ph.D.
Director, Laboratory Services and Research Resources
Email: nbrowner@msm.edu

Carol E. Johnson
Research Administrator III
Ph: 404-752-1685
Fax: 404-752-1047
Email: cjohnson@msm.edu

Major support for the bio-medical research infrastructure of Morehouse School of Medicine is received through the Research Centers for Minority Institutions (RCMI) Program, sponsored by the National Institutes on Minority Health and Health Disparities. With RCMI funding, state of the art bio-medical research technology cores, shared use facilities, and other resources (e.g., Division of Information Technology Services) at MSM are available to our scientific investigators.

Over thirty-two years, the RCMI support has fostered the development of areas of research focus at the MSM (e.g., Cardiovascular Disease, HIV/AIDS, Neuroscience, Reproductive Biology, and Molecular Immunology) and MSM's record of research development and the research enterprise is in large part due to the support received from the RCMI Program.

Specific Aims

Aim I: Transform Our Institution. Provide support for the CTRHD activities that will improve Morehouse School of Medicine: (1) Monitoring progress on the research objectives of the U54. (2) Administration of the Cores, Research Projects, Pilot Projects, and Shared Resources. (3) Administrative management of budgets/financial accounts, coordination, and logistics related to U54 activities and fiscal oversight of CTRHD projects.

Aim II: Transform Our Research Environment. Establish a robust research infrastructure that fosters innovative,single- and multi-disciplinary translational teams: (1) Coordination and scheduling of all program meetings/seminars/conferences. (2) Facilitation of internal and external communication among Cores, partners, and investigators and submitting progress reports on the Program to NIH and the Advisory Committee. (3) Development and maintenance of a Program website, Program communications, including progress reports, publications, grant updates.

Aim III: Transform Our MSM Community of Biomedical Scientists. Expand the next generation of leaders in health disparities research and expand the diversity of the research workforce targeted at MDTT development: (1) Provide support for Investigator Development Core to facilitate mentoring and research opportunities for junior scientists and other researchers. (2) Implementation of processes for the selection of research projects and pilot projects. (3) Facilitate collaborations that enhance expertise to develop Multidisciplinary Translational Teams (MDTTs)

Aim IV: Transform Our Community. Develop a multidisciplinary translational team model of biomedical, clinical, behavioral research advancing discovery science and translation of knowledge to the community to improve their overall health knowledge and ultimately health status: (1) Develop and propagate the expertise of the Community Engagement Core, facilitating integration with the other research components leading to development of MDTT’s. (2) Develop activities through RIC that expand the community’s scientific knowledge.

Research Core Facility
Morehouse School of Medicine's Research Core Facility is an open core concept biomedical research technology core facility. It is available to internal investigators and external collaborators. Renovations to facility were sponsored by a $10 million grant investment from the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, part of the National Institutes of Health. The state-of-the-art research facility continues a master plan to improve Morehouse School of Medicine’s research infrastructure.

The Research Core Facility optimizes its use of space for equipment, drives cross-disciplinary scientific exchange, and promotes a collaborative environment.

The open core concept allows:
Improved Access to Research Resources
Researchers can access shared use equipment 24 hours a day, 7 seven days a week, 365 days a year.

Enhanced Core Efficiencies
A centralized location of core labs.
New and updated equipment.
Increased freezer storage capacity
Increased work bench space
Student Training
The core facility provides ample research-focused training tools, essential to the success of educational programs.

Currently, there are four main Core Labs of the facility:

Biomedical Technology Service Lab (BTSL)
Imaging Core Lab
Microvesicle Core Lab
Zebrafish Core Lab