Vicky L. Funanage, Ph.D.

Nemours Biomedical Research

Director of Biomedical Research of the Nemours Foundation

Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children
Nemours Biomedical Research
1600 Rockland Road
Wilmington, DE 19803

Phone: (302) 651-6819
FAX: (302) 651-6876
E-mail: vfunanag@nemours.org

Education:
Ph.D., Biological Sciences, University of Delaware, 1981
M.S., Genetics, Pennsylvania State University, 1977
B.S., Biology, Pennsylvania State University, 1975

Biography:
Dr. Funanage received a BS in biology and a Master's degree in genetics from the Pennsylvania State University in University Park, PA and a Ph.D. in Biological Sciences from the University of Delaware in Newark, DE. Following her Ph.D. she joined Nemours in 1981 where she worked under the direction of the Chief of Microbial Genetics at the Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, Delaware.

Since 2000, she has been the Director of Biomedical Research of the Nemours Foundation. Although located in Wilmington, Dr. Funanage oversees all operating functions for the Delaware and Florida research programs and is also responsible for spearheading research partnerships and collaborative initiatives with the scientific, medical and educational communities. In addition, she is Director of Medical Research, Director of the Molecular Diagnostic Lab (genetests.org), and Chief of the Musculoskeletal Inherited Disease Research Program, at the Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children. She is also Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, PA.

Ongoing research conducted in Dr. Funanage's laboratory (Musculoskeletal Inherited Disease Laboratory [MID]) involves projects designed to provide benefit to children afflicted with neuromuscular diseases such as muscular dystrophy, spinal muscular atrophy, and myotonic dystrophy. In addition, Dr. Funanage is involved in a number of collaborative efforts including the study of leptin, an important hormone that regulates energy metabolism and utilization and its importance in fetal and neonatal growth and development; and investigation of the genetic and biochemical basis of hypoplastic left heart syndrome.

Dr. Funanage is strongly published in peer-reviewed journals and is an editorial reviewer for six prestigious journals. She is a member of the Alliance of Independent Academic Medical Centers, the International Society for Heart Research, the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Society of Human Genetics and the American Society for Cell Biology. Her committee involvement is extensive and includes the Delaware Science and Technology Council, American Heart Association Research Council, External Advisory Committees of INBRE and IGERT, and the Myotonic Dystrophy Working Group of the Muscular Dystrophy Association. She holds several patents for her research efforts, was inducted into the Phi Sigma Biological Honor Society, and most recently received the University of Delaware's Distinguished Alumnus Award for Biological Sciences.

RECENT PRESS

Health experts to address issues in education, research, practice
January 26, 2012--DHSA will hold its inaugural Global Health Symposium on Saturday, Feb. 4 at CCHS. The program will focus on education, research and practice, with presentations on topics ranging from refugee health clinics and relief medicine to anthropological approaches to the study of global health.

Christiana Care issues a call to men to prevent domestic violence
January 24, 2012--Christiana Care, a National Community Center of Excellence in Women's Health, has been working for years to help women who are victims of domestic violence at an annual event that offers resources, education and support.

After Holiday Eating Marathon, Jefferson Dietitian Offers 10 Tips to Get Back on Track and Kick Start New Year's Weight Loss Resolution
January 4, 2012--Celebrating the New Year goes hand-in-hand with creating resolutions to get healthy and trim - especially after weeks of holiday marathon eating. Dietitian Emily Rubin, R.D., L.D., with the Division of Gastroenterology at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, says you can stay committed to being healthy and fit by following these 10 tips.

Procedure saves teen after rare carotid trauma
January 4, 2012--Neurointerventionalist Gregg Zoarski, M.D.'s recent surgical grand rounds lecture on carotid artery injuries focused on how to repair traumatic injuries to these vital vessels that supply blood to the brain.

Medical students delighted with Delaware branch campus Christiana Care is participating in Jefferson Medical College�s Delaware Branch Campus program, underscoring the transformative role the health system plays in medical education.
December 23, 2011--This achievement specifically spotlights our core competency in providing clinical education to third- and fourth-year medical students. Christiana Care has a long-standing relationship in providing first-rate medical education to students from Jefferson, one of the country's top-rated medical collleges.

Healthy Kids Delaware (HKD) Network celebrated its one-year anniversary earlier this month.
December 22, 2011--Earlier this month the Healthy Kids Delaware (HKD) network celebrated its one-year anniversary. The Healthy Kids Delaware network has been working to address health and wellness needs of children throughout New Castle County.

Interprofessional Care for the 21st Century: Redefining Education and Practice
December 14, 2011--Registration is now open for Jefferson InterProfessional Education Center's (JCIPE) 2012 conference: Interprofessional Care for the 21st Century: Redefining Education and Practice. The conference will be held on May 18-19, 2012 at Dorrance H. Hamilton Building, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA. The purpose of this conference is to showcase scholarly work and works in progress advancing interprofessional education and/or practice. This conference reflects on innovative implementation and evaluation strategies of the interprofessional competencies.

Nemours participates in Partnership for a Healthier America Summit
December 8, 2011--The Partnership, of which Nemours is a founding member, has a mission of supporting First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! campaign by working with the private sector to fight childhood obesity. The theme that emerged at the summit, a gathering of leaders from business and industry, academia, nonprofits and government, was: "Make the healthy choice the easy choice."

DHSA plans workshop on collaborative education for clinicians and scientists
December 8, 2011--DHSA will host "Creating Clinical and Research Teams for the Future: Workshop on Collaborative Education for Clinicians and Scientists" on Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2012, at the Ammon Education Center of Christiana Hospital. This workshop focuses on developing skills to write educational grants. The program will include information on how to obtain educational grant funding, set goals and evaluate an educational program, and develop an application for the DHSA Education Pilot Award.