NIH Grant Brings Advanced Live-Cell Imaging Technology to SHSU-COM

NIH Grant Brings Advanced Live-Cell Imaging Technology to SHSU-COM

Researchers at the Sam Houston State University College of Osteopathic Medicine will soon have a new way to study some of the smallest and most dynamic processes in the body: watching living cells move, respond and change in real time.

A $249,979 grant from the National Institutes of Health will allow SHSU-COM to acquire a spinning disc confocal microscope, an advanced imaging system that produces high-speed, three-dimensional images of living biological specimens.

The grant-funded effort is led by Vinoth Sittaramane, PhD, DVM, principal investigator and chair of SHSU-COM’s recently announced Department of Biomedical and Digital Health Intelligence in Clinical Systems, known as BioMedics.

For students and faculty, the new technology will open the door to research questions that are difficult to explore with standard imaging tools. It could allow researchers to observe how cells communicate, track changes associated with disease, examine how cells respond to potential treatments and study processes such as neurological development, tissue repair and cell movement.

“The addition of this technology positions SHSU to integrate cutting-edge imaging with artificial intelligence and biomedical research in ways that were not previously possible,” Sittaramane said. “It will strengthen interdisciplinary collaborations through the Institute for Medical Artificial Intelligence, the MABS program, and the Department of BioMedics while accelerating discoveries that translate from the laboratory to patient care”

Unlike a traditional microscope that provides a largely static view, a spinning disc confocal microscope captures images from multiple layers of a specimen and combines them into a detailed three-dimensional view. It can also record changes over time, allowing researchers to follow biological processes as they happen.

The system is especially valuable for live-cell research because it captures images quickly while limiting the amount of potentially damaging light directed at a specimen. This allows researchers to observe delicate living cells for longer periods and develop a more complete understanding of how they behave.

The technology will support research on neurological disorders, disease models, cellular responses to therapies, and other biomedical questions with potential relevance to rural and medically underserved communities. The specific research directions will be driven by the interests and collaborations of SHSU-COM faculty, students, and research partners.

The microscope will also expand hands-on research opportunities for students. Depending on the projects developed, students may gain experience preparing biological samples, capturing and interpreting advanced images, analyzing three-dimensional data and contributing to faculty-led studies.

The award also supports the broader work of BioMedics, which was created to bring together biomedical science, emerging technology and clinical applications. The new microscope will provide important research infrastructure for work at those intersections, including projects that use advanced imaging data to better understand disease and inform future approaches to healthcare.

“This microscope is an important addition to our research infrastructure and comes at a time when research activity across the college is continuing to grow. It will provide faculty and students with access to advanced imaging capabilities that support a wide range of projects and future collaborations,” said Patrick Davis, PhD, associate professor and director of research at SHSU-COM. “This investment will give our students meaningful exposure to advanced research while giving faculty new tools to pursue discoveries that may ultimately improve human health.”

More broadly, the award represents an investment in the research capacity of a college established to serve rural and medically underserved communities. By bringing advanced technology to SHSU-COM, the grant will create new opportunities for discovery, collaboration and student learning while supporting research aligned with the college’s mission.

The NIH-funded project, “Enhancing Biomedical Research Infrastructure with a Spinning Disc Confocal Microscope at a Rural-Serving Medical Institution,” begins Aug. 1, 2026.

Funding acknowledgment: The acquisition of the spinning disc confocal microscope is supported by a $249,979 award from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number S10GM164845. The content is solely the responsibility of Sam Houston State University and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.