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yana cen

Dr. Yana Cen receives grant from VCU Quest Fund awards

Oct. 5, 2026

The two-year award will support the project, "Targeting NAD Biosynthesis in Malaria Parasites: A Novel Antiparasitic Strategy."

VCU professors Javier González-Maeso, Ph.D., and Malgorzata Dukat, Ph.D., have collaborated for more than 10 years to better understand the therapeutic potential of psychedelics. (Dean Hoffmeyer, Enterprise Marketing and Communications)

Psychedelic drug candidate could boost mental health while preserving gut health

Aug. 31, 2026

VCU researchers are exploring psychedelic-inspired treatment for psychiatric disorders that avoids gastrointestinal side effects.

A smiling Provost Saavedra, in a suit with a black and gold bow tie, gestures toward the audience to emphasize a point while onstage at the School of Pharmacy's 4th Annual Convocation.

Provost at Convocation: As problem-solvers, 'in 20 years, think, what will no longer be a problem?'

Aug. 25, 2026

Keynote speaker Arturo Saavedra, M.D., Ph.D., M.B.A., addressed faculty, staff and new students to share what motivates him and what’s next for VCU’s academic enterprise before the community celebrated seven faculty and staff honorees and three faculty promotions.

malgorzata dukat

Dukat’s research featured in Royal Society of Chemistry publication

Aug. 4, 2026

Professor Malgorzata Dukat contributed to research exploring a redesigned psychedelic compound with therapeutic potential and fewer unwanted side effects.

(File photo)

VCU fuels new and emerging research endeavors and cross-campus collaboration with 2026 Quest Fund awards

July 28, 2026

These competitive internal grants empower faculty to launch pilot studies, restart research programs and drive transdisciplinary discoveries.

Vamsi Yadavalli, Ph.D., a professor in the College of Engineering, has turned his expertise developing biosensors from biological materials toward cortisol, the body’s primary stress hormone. (Photo by John Battiston)

Rapid cortisol test, aerial vehicle tech and water tanks are among VCU faculty research projects receiving new awards

July 10, 2026

Six initiatives are selected in the Commercialization Fund’s latest round of funding that helps bring campus innovation to the marketplace.

bharath villuri

Postdoctoral fellow Dr. Villuri featured in The Scientist

April 22, 2026

Bharath Villuri, Ph.D., shared insights about the translational potential of his work in the magazine's Postdoctoral Portrait series.

Ally Thompson smiles for a photo after her dissertation defense.

Dr. Thompson successfully defends dissertation

April 10, 2026

Ally Thompson, Ph.D., defended her dissertation this month and has earned her Ph.D. in pharmaceutical sciences with a concentration in medicinal chemistry.

bharath villuri

Bharath Villuri, Ph.D., accepted into NSF's I-Corps Customer Discovery Workshop

March 31, 2026

I-Corps and its workshops focus on translating academic research into commercialization opportunities.

the biotech one building at v.c.u.

Ph.D. students Ally Thompson and Albert Opare win 2026 J.D. Smith Award

March 31, 2026

The J.D. Smith Award is given annually to graduate students in the Department of Medicinal Chemistry with the most significant distinction in scholarship, research, teaching and service