FSU professor part of $20M NSF Award to support center to study how complex biological processes arise

A Fayetteville State University faculty member is a part of securing a $20 million dollar grant from the US National Science Foundation (NSF) to support the establishment and operation of the National Synthesis Center for Emergence in the Molecular and Cellular Sciences (NCEMS) at Penn State University.

Justin Graham, Ph.D., assistant professor at Fayetteville State University, serves as the Minority Serving Institution Liaison for NCEMS. His role focuses on MSI partnerships with the center.

“I am excited to emphasize the crucial role of MSIs in our collaboration with Penn State and the NSF,” said Graham in a press release. “MSIs contribute vital perspectives, connecting with marginalized communities and fostering sustainable scientific partnerships. We aim to enrich this initiative with our diverse insights and expertise, ensuring NCEMS’ success and showcasing the importance of inclusive collaboration in advancing research and benefiting society.”

The center will enable research that uses existing, publicly available data to glean new insights about how complex biological systems, such as cells, emerge from simpler molecules. Findings from the research could eventually inform the development of disease treatments and other applications such as minimizing the negative effects of aging.

“This is a huge accomplishment for Fayetteville State University, Dr. Graham and the entire NCEMS leadership team” said Afua Arhin, Ph.D., dean of FSU’s Lloyd College of Health, Science and Technology, in a press release. “His drive to build collaborations to provide opportunities and access for FSU students and the university is a true definition of res no verba, does not mean words.”

The center will be based at Penn State’s University Park campus with cyber infrastructure provided by the University of Arizona’s CyVerse initiative, the world’s largest publicly funded open-source cyber infrastructure for life sciences. Involving more than 1,600 scientists from across the nation and the world, the center will feature a strong outreach component, including multiple partnerships with minority-serving institutions, to offer workshops, training events, and research-based learning opportunities to build a future skilled workforce in computational, data and life sciences.

NCEMS will work to broaden participation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, both to democratize access to research and provide training for careers rich in computational and data sciences. Several internship positions will be available to students from minority serving institutions including the initial NCEMS partner institutions of Claflin University, Alcorn State University and Fayetteville State University. The center will manage a National Remote Research Experience to support research during the school year that will be open to anyone across the country.