PNNL

Pacific northwest bioMedical Innovation Co-laboratory (PMedIC) named Biochemist Joshua Adkins and Physician-Scientist Dr. Jamie Lo, new co-directors of the research collaboration. PMedIC is a joint research collaboration of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU).

“Our partnership in PMedIC integrates advanced measurement technologies, comprehensive data analyses, and clinical expertise for transformational healthcare outcomes. Our new co-directors will continue PMedIC's efforts to move patient care away from a one-size-fits-all approach and towards a truly individualized and targeted therapeutic landscape,” said Malin Young, associate laboratory director for Earth and Biological Sciences at PNNL.

Joint research collaborations bring together complementary expertise and resources to address significant scientific and engineering challenges. Individual differences in genes and proteins can allow a disease to develop, grow, and spread in one person but not another, and dictate how individuals respond to treatments. PMedIC was launched in 2018, harnessing the strengths of both institutions to provide scientific insights that lead to improved patient outcomes through tailored therapies that consider individual patients’ genetics, environments, and lifestyles. 

“I am thrilled to join the PMedIC team and work with Joshua Adkins to amplify OHSU’s research mission with the rich resources and expertise at PNNL to foster innovative research collaborations at both campuses,” said Lo. “As a physician scientist, my goal is to improve human health. I am very excited to experience and participate in the cutting-edge science, discoveries, and creativity that comes from PMedIC.”

Lo is an associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology in the Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine at OHSU School of Medicine and the Division of Reproductive Health and Developmental Sciences at the Oregon National Primate Research Center. Her research focuses on the effects of environmental exposure on reproductive health and offspring outcomes using non-human primate models and human cohorts.

Adkins is a Laboratory Fellow at PNNL. His research centers primarily on applying cutting-edge mass spectrometry capabilities to nationally important biological research, like the comprehensive characterization of proteins through organization (associated proteins, structural determinants, and localization) and time cycles like before and after treatment, cell cycle, day-night cycle, and evolutionary changes.

Adkins said, “This opportunity is an exciting new direction for me as PNNL and OHSU continue to bring together their extraordinary capabilities and research portfolios to create true complementary teams. With the leadership of Dr. Jamie Lo and our teams, I believe we are poised to catalyze new human health research, harnessing the incredible potential of PMedIC.”

“I’d like to thank outgoing co-directors Beth Habecker and Bobbie-Jo Webb-Robertson for their outstanding leadership these last several years,” said Dr. Dan Marks, senior associate dean for research at OHSU School of Medicine. “The PMedIC grant portfolio has grown more than five-fold since the collaboration began. During their tenures, Habecker and Webb-Robertson helped PMedIC move beyond its original precision medicine focus to areas, such as neuroscience, nutrition, reproductive health, and infectious disease. They oversaw a name change to better align PMedIC with its programmatic expansion. Their work built a strong foundation for the next era of joint research. I congratulate incoming co-directors Dr. Jamie Lo and Joshua Adkins, and look forward to working with them on this important collaboration.”