Bard Professors Craig Anderson and Swapan Jain Awarded $427,016 National Institute of Health Research Grant
L–R: Craig Anderson, Wallace Benjamin Flint and L. May Hawver Professor of Chemistry and Director of Undergraduate Research, and Swapan Jain, professor of chemistry.
Bard College is pleased to announce that Craig Anderson, Wallace Benjamin Flint and L. May Hawver Professor of Chemistry and Director of Undergraduate Research, and Swapan Jain, professor of chemistry, have been awarded an R15 Academic Research Enhancement Award (AREA) by the National Institute of Health (NIH). The three-year grant, in the amount of $427,016, will support Anderson and Jain’s research on the synthesis and biochemical evaluation of ruthenium complexes.
The project consists of the synthesis, characterization, and biochemical evaluation of ruthenium-based compounds as potential pharmaceutical agents. Ruthenium compounds have gained attention as potential therapeutic agents against infections, cancer, and diabetes. Most pharmaceutical agents either target DNA or proteins; however, ruthenium compounds offer the opportunity to target RNA, a polymeric molecule that is essential for most biological functions. This project, supported by the NIH grant, will investigate how ruthenium complexes bind to various RNA molecules.
“We are very excited about this NIH award as it will increase and enrich research opportunities for our undergraduate students at Bard College,” said Anderson and Jain. “We believe that undergraduate research is one of the highest impact practices that contributes to the success of our students. We would like to thank Johnny Brennan in OIS and Bard College leadership for their help and support.”
The National Institutes of Health is part of the US Department of Health and Human Services and the country’s medical research agency. The Institute’s goal is to seek fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems and the application of that information to enhance health, lengthen life, and reduce illness and disability. Research mentioned above and published through this project is supported by the National Institute Of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number R15GM159331. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.
Post Date: 09-23-2025
The project consists of the synthesis, characterization, and biochemical evaluation of ruthenium-based compounds as potential pharmaceutical agents. Ruthenium compounds have gained attention as potential therapeutic agents against infections, cancer, and diabetes. Most pharmaceutical agents either target DNA or proteins; however, ruthenium compounds offer the opportunity to target RNA, a polymeric molecule that is essential for most biological functions. This project, supported by the NIH grant, will investigate how ruthenium complexes bind to various RNA molecules.
“We are very excited about this NIH award as it will increase and enrich research opportunities for our undergraduate students at Bard College,” said Anderson and Jain. “We believe that undergraduate research is one of the highest impact practices that contributes to the success of our students. We would like to thank Johnny Brennan in OIS and Bard College leadership for their help and support.”
The National Institutes of Health is part of the US Department of Health and Human Services and the country’s medical research agency. The Institute’s goal is to seek fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems and the application of that information to enhance health, lengthen life, and reduce illness and disability. Research mentioned above and published through this project is supported by the National Institute Of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number R15GM159331. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.
Post Date: 09-23-2025