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Mission-Driven Discovery

Give scientists a challenge and they will pursue it with ferocious tenacity.

In 2020, the challenge of fighting COVID-19 unleashed the dedication of many UT Southwestern physician-scientists. More than 200 research projects have been launched related to coronavirus research, including more than a dozen clinical trials on promising treatments. The year also led to a record in research funding from the National Institutes of Health, an impressive all-time-high in the number of faculty members elected to the prestigious National Academy of Sciences, and a commitment to expand biotechnology commercialization through a new partner project.

Dr. Kim Orth

A record year for scientific achievement

UTSW was honored to have four faculty members inducted into the National Academy of Sciences – a record number for the University in a single year. The inductions pushed UTSW’s total NAS membership to 23, more than any other Texas institution. UTSW also had one faculty member elected into the National Academy of Medicine, bringing its roster of NAM members to 17. 

NAS NAM

Red Pegasus horse with wings

Partnering to boost biotech innovation

UT Southwestern is joining with Lyda Hill Philanthropies and J. Small Investments to create the Biotech+ Hub at Pegasus Park, set to open in 2021 across Interstate 35 from UTSW’s campus. The project will include nonprofits, life science startups, and the first Texas site for BioLabs, which manages shared laboratory space around the country, advancing Dallas as a leading hub for biotech business growth.

Pegasus Park

Dr. Ryan Hibbs conducts research in his lab

Laser focus on COVID-19 research

UT Southwestern investigators from across the spectrum of clinical, data, and the basic sciences have taken on the challenge of fighting COVID-19, launching more than 200 research projects to date. Some research efforts have already led to clinical trials, such as one now testing atovaquone, a drug with a long history of treating infectious diseases of the lungs.

Clinical Trials

Image of the NIH Pioneer Award

Pioneering COVID-19 research

Dr. John Schoggins has received a coveted NIH Director’s Pioneer Award from the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Schoggins will receive $3.5 million over the next five years to examine whether animals that carry viruses such as Ebola and SARS-CoV-2 possess antiviral genes that allow them to survive. The hope is that this information could help researchers develop treatments for humans who contract diseases like COVID-19.

Pioneer Award

A record year for NIH funding

UT Southwestern researchers secured record funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the last fiscal year, which will support research into areas including advanced interventions for substance use disorders, the causes of Ewing sarcoma, a rare childhood cancer, and the role of circuits in the brain that contribute to the beneficial metabolic effects of exercise.

$235 million: Amount of research funds approved for current and future projects for the fiscal year ending Aug. 31, 2020
153: Number of new grants approved this year - a 17% increase from 2019
630: Total active NIH investigations taking place on campus
$13 million: Amount of a five-year grant awarded to Dr. Madhukar Trivedi to investigate novel interventions for substance abuse disorders

NIH Funding

Continue the Journey in UT Southwestern's Annual Review