LANL/UNM Collaboration in Nuclear and Radiochemistry Programs
This effort identified four possible initiatives to develop collaborations between the University of New Mexico (UNM) and Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) in nuclear and radiochemistry programs. (1) A National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded joint summer school to train radiochemists with an emphasis on medical applications. (2) Collaboration on the proposal for the competed renewal of the UNM Cancer Center grant. (3) Joint appointments between LANL and the UNM Cancer Center to support this collaboration. (4) Supporting collaboration between UNM and LANL and UC San Diego (UCSD) on the UCSD radiopharmacy program by rotating the UCSD students through active research programs at LANL and UNM.
The challenge presented in this effort was to identify opportunities to improve and expand interactions between the lab and the New Mexico campuses in Nuclear and Radiochemistry programs.
In connection with this activity we held a workshop on the training and education needs of the nuclear and radiochemistry programs at LANL. One of the objectives of this workshop was to identify where UNM could play a role in training and education. We believe that there is an opportunity to apply to NIH for support for a summer school to train radiochemists at the undergraduate level (modeled on a similar program supported by the Department of Energy [DOE]) with a special emphasis on medical applications. The summer school would be housed at UNM with substantial time spent at LANL for introduction to topics including radioisotope production and separations, radionuclide generator development, radiopharmaceutical chemistry, ligand generation, and enriched stable isotope applications for structural NMR, proteomics, metabolomics and other applications. We anticipate that this activity will continue in FY2009.
Secondly, we have identified an opportunity to increase collaborations between LANL investigators and the UNM Cancer Research and Treatment Center. The National Cancer Institute recently awarded UNM "Cancer Center" designation. The center grant that is part of this designation is due for competing renewal in 2010. We will identify collaborations that will strengthen this renewal application with a target of draft proposals in the Spring of 2009. In addition, we will identify candidates for joint appointments in the appropriate department at UNM to solidify these interactions.
Finally, we have been exploring opportunities for interactions that include LANL, UNM and University of California (UC) campuses. One example has been the creation of a radiopharmacy program at UC San Diego (UCSD). UNM is involved in this activity and LANL has also participated in the planning stages. We are at the early stage of preparing a proposal for rotating students and trainees at UCSD through laboratories of investigators who have successfully competed for external, peer-reviewed, funding in order to familiarize them with projects that range from basic research to much more applied development-stage activity.
Contact: Rob Atcher ratcher@lanl.gov
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