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Division of Research and Innovation
The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth (HSC) established Research Centers and Institutes to speed research discoveries from the bench to the bedside and to create a healthier and more productive Texas. These areas of strength leverage our growing expertise in public health, interdisciplinary scientific research, medical education, and health care delivery. The goal of these Centers and Institutes is to improve the health of Texans and beyond by reducing disparities, developing new treatments and therapies, and improving access to care in rural and underserved communities in Texas.
Center for Human Identification
Michael Coble, PhD, Executive Director
The University of North Texas Center for Human Identification (UNTCHI) is an accredited forensic laboratory that is globally recognized as a leader in forensic identification. Located on the HSC campus, UNTCHI services include forensic genetic and anthropological examinations for criminal casework, missing person identification, and local CODIS operations. UNTCHI also is committed to the training of students and professionals in various aspects of forensic genetics and maintaining an active, innovative research program to improve forensic identification capabilities. Interdisciplinary expertise in forensics, genetics, genomics, microbiology, molecular biology, anthropology, bioinformatics, and other related disciplines are available within UNTCHI to support its mission.
With funding support from the State of Texas and various federal government agencies, UNTCHI continues to support forensic DNA testing. To date, UNTCHI has processed the majority of missing person samples for the United States that reside within the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS). UNTCHI has also been instrumental in decreasing sexual assault and criminal casework backlogs within Texas. In addition to forensic and missing person DNA services, UNTCHI provides anthropological examinations of skeletal remains to determine gender, ancestry, age, stature, possible signs of trauma, and whether the remains are of forensic significance.
Active research efforts support the service work at UNTCHI and are collaborative with scientists from around the world. In the past several years, UNTCHI has published more than 120 peer-reviewed publications related to forensic genetics in the areas of human identification, microbial forensics, and molecular autopsy. Most of the mentored master’s and doctoral students involved in the research continue on to active, successful careers.
Institute for Health Disparities
Jamboor Vishwanatha, PhD, Regents Professor and Vice President
The Institute for Health Disparities aims to advance career paths in biomedical sciences and health professions that reflect the diverse constituency they serve. The Institute addresses health disparities identified through community health needs assessment through community engagement, diversity training, and disparities research. The Institute began in 2005, as the Texas Center for Health Disparities, and was designated as a National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities Center of Excellence in 2012. Signature programs include the annual Texas Conference on Health Disparities, Undergraduate Summer Research Internships, STAR leadership program, and the National Research Mentoring Network. Most recently, the Institute was funded to lead the National Institutes of Health’s Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning Consortium to Advance Health Equity and Research Diversity, the lead the Texas Community Engagement Alliance (CEAL), and a Healthy People 2030 ambassador.
To learn more or get involved visit https://www.unthsc.edu/ihd.
Institute for Translational Research (ITR)
Sid O’Bryant, PhD, Executive Director
The Institute for Translational Research (ITR) is focused on bringing novel diagnostics and interventions to patients (and families) diagnosed with neurodegenerative diseases.
In order to achieve these goals, the ITR has multiple cores and collaborations with outside institutions.
Cores: The ITR consists of an Administrative Core, Clinical Core, Biomarker Core, Genetics Core, Data Core, Imaging Core, and Clinical Trials Core.
HABS-HD:The ITR is the home for the most comprehensive study of health disparities in Alzheimer’s disease and brain aging in history, the Health & Aging Brain Study - Health Disparities (HABS-HD). HABS-HD was funded to investigate the biological and social underpinnings of health disparities in cognitive aging and Alzheimer’s disease among African Americans, Hispanics and non-Hispanic whites. This study includes collaborators from across the U.S. To date, over 3,000 participants have been enrolled into this study with the most recent grant expanding the age range to 30 and above to better understand the lifecourse nature of the study.
Precision Medicine: Investigators in ITR have developed blood tests designed to aid primary care providers in screening for Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB) as well as Alzheimer’s disease among adults with Down Syndrome. Additionally, ITR investigators have generated precision medicine approaches to targeting Alzheimer’s Disease and Parkinson’s disease. Therefore, ITR is actively engaged in fully translational research into brain aging and neurodegenerative diseases from a broad range of aspects.
North Texas Eye Research Institute (NTERI)
Dimitrios Karamichos, PhD, Executive Director
Since 1992, our researchers and clinicians in the field of visual science and ophthalmology have been driven to increase awareness about disease development and the need for novel therapies, especially among ethnic and minority populations who have or will develop debilitating vision disorders and related health disparities.
NTERI mission:
- Initiate and facilitate collaborative projects in vision research.
- Develop innovative multidisciplinary graduate training programs.
- Engage and inform the community on the importance of eye diseases and vision research.
- Attain research outcomes that will lead to the development of new and effective treatments for ocular diseases, including glaucoma, macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, optic neuritis, and dry eye disease.
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