Assistant Professor Jelena Erceg (Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, CLAS & Institute for Systems Genomics, joint appointment also with the Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, UConn Health) has received a prestigious R35 Maximizing Investigator’s Research Award (MIRA) for Early Stage Investigators from the National Institute of Health (NIH) and National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS). This award will support research in the Erceg Lab on genome folding and regulation over the next 5 years.

The title of the funded project is “Genome Folding and Regulation in Diploid Multicellular Organisms”

About the research and why it is important

MIRA provides support for the research in an investigator's laboratory that falls within the mission of NIGMS. The goal of MIRA is to increase the efficiency of NIGMS funding by providing investigators with greater stability and flexibility, thereby enhancing scientific productivity and the chances for important breakthroughs. The program will also help distribute funding more widely among the nation's highly talented and promising investigators.