U of A Health Sciences colleges climb in national Blue Ridge rankings

Several University of Arizona Health Sciences colleges rose in the latest Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research rankings as the university expanded its federal research footprint. The U of A R. Ken Coit College of Pharmacy anchored this growth, maintaining its No. 4 national ranking for National Institutes of Health funding and leading a broader surge in research support across the health sciences.

The Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research is a nonprofit organization that annually ranks U.S. institutions, investigators and health sciences schools based on the funding they receive from the NIH. As the largest public funder of biomedical research in the world, NIH grant totals serve as a key metric for institutional research growth and impact.

The R. Ken Coit College of Pharmacy increased its NIH funding by nearly $2.8 million over the past year, reaching $18.6 million. This performance represents the highest national ranking among all U of A Health Sciences colleges and underscores the program’s sustained excellence in pharmaceutical research.

Overall, the University of Arizona advanced seven spots in the Blue Ridge rankings, moving from No. 58 to No. 51 nationally, as its total NIH funding increased from $170.5 million to $186.4 million last year.

The university’s competitive standing remained high across the health sciences as multiple programs reinforced their status among the nation’s top-tier research institutions

• The U of A Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health achieved the largest jump across the U of A Health Sciences, leaping seven spots to No. 30 nationally. This rise was fueled by $8.6 million in NIH funding, a $2.1 million increase over the previous year.
• The U of A College of Medicine – Tucson and the U of A College of Medicine – Phoenix: The two primary clinical campuses, which Blue Ridge combines for ranking purposes, increased their combined funding to $108.2 million, boosting their national rank two spots to No. 55.  The College of Medicine – Tucson and its associated centers and institutes accounted for $79.3 million in awards. The College of Medicine – Phoenix totaled $28.9 million, an $11 million increase in funding compared with the prior year.
• The U of A College of Nursing maintained its status as a Top 25 program, ranking No. 24 nationally with $3.5 million in NIH research funding.

The new research projects that contributed to the rankings include:

• Yin Chen, PhD, a professor of pharmacology and toxicology at the R. Ken Coit College of Pharmacy and a BIO5 Institute member, was awarded a National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases grant to conduct the first comprehensive study of the lung’s early innate immune response to Valley fever. The research investigates how specific antimicrobial proteins act as a primary barrier to fungal infection to develop new diagnostic tools and therapies.
• M. Maya Kaelberer, PhD, an assistant professor of physiology at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson and a BIO5 Institute member, received an NIH Director’s New Innovator Award to investigate how the gut acts as a sensory organ to shape “nutritional memory.” The research explores how early life dietary experiences create lasting impressions on gut cells to influence lifelong food preferences and metabolic health. 
• Dan Theodorescu, MD, PhD, the Nancy C. and Craig M. Berge Endowed Chair for the Director of the U of A Comprehensive Cancer Center and a professor of urology and cellular and molecular medicine at the College of Medicine – Tucson, was awarded a National Cancer Institute Outstanding Investigator Award to study how the loss of the Y chromosome in cancer cells and immune cells enables bladder tumors to grow and evade treatment. The research aims to exploit this genetic vulnerability to develop new strategies for cancer prevention, early detection and therapeutic approaches. 
• Michael Grandner, PhD, an associate professor at the College of Medicine – Tucson, director of the Sleep and Health Research Program and a BIO5 Institute member, and Fabian Fernandez, PhD, an associate professor of psychology and a BIO5 Institute member, are using a National Institute of Mental Health grant to test the “mind after midnight” hypothesis. The study examines how being awake during the biological night impairs decision-making and increases impulsivity to help develop targeted prevention strategies.
• Yanqiao Zhang, MD, MS, a professor of internal medicine and director of the Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism Program at the College of Medicine – Phoenix, received a National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute grant to study how a newly discovered membrane protein, TMEM141, regulates cholesterol and lipoprotein metabolism in the liver. The research aims to determine the protein’s role in the development of atherosclerosis to identify potential new strategies for treating coronary artery disease.

What they are saying

Michael M.I. Abecassis, dean, College of Medicine – Tucson 

“We take enormous pride in the science produced at our college, guided by so many incredible researchers whose compassion and curiosity shape the future of health and medicine. Our research spans the basic sciences, translational sciences and clinical trials, forming an arc that begins with transformative discovery and ends with clinical application.”

Brian Ahn, dean, College of Nursing 

“This national recognition reflects the extraordinary dedication, expertise and creativity of our faculty, staff and students. While rankings are one measure of success, our true impact is evident in the advances we make in nursing science and the improvements we drive in care delivery for individuals, families and communities.”

Brian Erstad, PharmD, interim dean, R. Ken Coit College of Pharmacy 

“The mission statement of the R. Ken Coit College of Pharmacy is to improve the health and well-being of individuals in diverse and global communities. We do this not only through education but also by generating new knowledge and innovative solutions to optimize health and patient outcomes. Our Blue Ridge ranking demonstrates successful ongoing research efforts by faculty, staff and students in generating new knowledge and innovation.”

Iman Hakim, dean, Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health

“I’m very proud of our public health researchers for the work they do to improve health across diverse communities, and our grant funding from the NIH reflects that, so I’m happy to see we have risen in the Blue Ridge rankings. It is important to add that our college also receives substantial research funding from other federal agencies, such as the CDC and FEMA, which are not part of NIH, so our Blue Ridge ranking only represents a portion of our research impact.”

Fredric Edward Wondisford, MD, MS, MBA, dean, College of Medicine – Phoenix

“A key initiative of the College of Medicine – Phoenix’s strategic focus is driving discovery across areas of the greatest clinical and scientific impact to our communities. As our research recognition and funding have grown, the potential for life-changing therapeutic innovations has also grown — placing the college at the forefront of a healthier future for Arizona and beyond.”