College of Medicine efforts to strengthen research mission recognized by Blue Ridge rankings
The Ohio State University College of Medicine rose in many key areas in the annual Blue Ridge rankings, an independent national analysis of National Institutes of Health (NIH) research funds awarded to colleges and universities. Departments that moved up include emergency medicine, neurosurgery, neurology, neuroscience and microbial infection and immunity.
The NIH is the largest public funder of biomedical research in the world, supporting and funding research as well as the training of the next generation of research investigators. In 2022 alone, the NIH invested more than $45 billion to advance research aimed at improving health.
“These rankings are a strong indication that Ohio State is a leader in making life-altering biomedical discoveries that will transform care and save lives,” says Carol R. Bradford, MD, MS, FACS, dean of the Ohio State College of Medicine. “I am really proud of our faculty, researchers, learners and staff for their dedication to provide mentorship and collaborate to drive discovery.”
Here are some Ohio State highlights from the 2022 rankings:
• NIH funding increased by 4.8%, while funding to colleges and universities in the top 20 increased 1.4%
• Neurosurgery moved up four spots to No. 7
• Neuroscience moved up three spots to No. 21
• Microbial Infection and Immunity skyrocketed 10 spots to No. 27
• Neurology moved up eight spots to No. 51
• Five departments rank in the top 20
o Neurosurgery: 7
o Surgery: 8
o Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation: 9
o Otolaryngology: 11
o Physiology and Cell Biology: 12
Peter Mohler, PhD, vice president of Research at The Ohio State University and chief scientific officer of The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, says new and emerging areas of research are also being funded, such as traumatic brain injuries and the safety of gene therapy for children born with rare genetic disorders.
“We are on a positive trajectory of growth of our research portfolio,” says Dr. Bradford. “The college is also recruiting top-tier scientists and clinicians, mentoring junior faculty and helping them get their first grant.”
Ohio State is opening an interdisciplinary research center this summer. This five-story, 305,000-square-foot laboratory building will be one of the most advanced research facilities in the world, equipped with the spaces, technologies and resources needed for researchers to work across disciplines to accelerate new discoveries.
“This facility will support our goal of increasing collaborations with industry, government and community partners to accelerate biomedical discoveries and their translation into new treatments and therapies for our patients,” Dr. Bradford says. “Research is absolutely critical to transforming the health of our communities.”
