Georgia State University has created two new research centers—the Mark Chaffin Center for Healthy Development and the Center for Molecular and Translational Medicine—dedicated to health and medicine.

Researchers in the centers have already procured more than $55 million in external research funding.

“These new university-level research centers are tremendous resources for Georgia State to meet the health care challenges of the 21st century,” said James Weyhenmeyer, vice president for research and economic development at Georgia State. “These researchers will play a key role in bringing scientific innovations into the everyday practices and policies that directly affect people’s lives and the health of communities.”

The Mark Chaffin Center for Healthy Development will promote and produce the health, safety and well-being of children, adults and families with and without disabilities through research, service and advocacy.

“Our center’s multi-faceted work is focused on the prevention and treatment of child maltreatment, reduction in family violence and improvements in the lives of persons with disabilities and their families,” said John Lutzker, director of the Mark Chaffin Center for Healthy Development and associate dean of faculty development at Georgia State. “We will utilize the resources provided by the university research center model to build upon our existing capacity and infrastructure to catalyze existing programmatic research.”

The center is named in honor of the late Mark Chaffin, whose practice, teaching, research and publications focused mainly on the development, adaptation and implementation of evidence-based service models in youth-serving prevention and social services systems, such as child welfare, juvenile justice and early childhood developmental disabilities systems.

The Center for Molecular and Translational Medicine will transform information gained from biomedical research into knowledge improving the state of human health and disease. The research focus of the center is to dissect molecular insights of cardiovascular remodeling in obesity and obesity-related diseases, including diabetes, hypertension, heart diseases and stroke with special emphasis on the regulation of these processes.

“Our center meets healthcare needs by converting significant research findings into diagnostic tools and medicines to improve the health of individuals,” said Ming-Hui Zou, director of the Center for Molecular and Translational Medicine. “The center is designed to help millions of people suffering from heart disease, diabetes and other illnesses.

Both centers’ research agenda includes working with scientists across all disciplines and continuing to provide leadership at local, national and international levels.