Glycoscience Center of Research Excellence
GlyCORE supports investigators in glycoscience through direct funding of selected research projects, establishes mentors for early career investigators, supports the recruitment of new faculty in glycoscience, and develops local and regional meetings for investigators to discuss their work.
School:
School of PharmacyEmail:
kkballer@olemiss.eduOffice Location:
Faser Hall 443Phone:
662-915-5153
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What is Glycoscience?
Carbohydrates are one of the four major classes of biomolecules and play a central role in almost all biological systems, from their central role in energy metabolism to roles in cell-cell communication and protein regulation that we are only beginning to understand.
Sustained and impactful innovation in glycoscience requires a concentration of both specific core research capabilities as well as expertise in the chemistry, biochemistry, and cellular biology of carbohydrates and carbohydrate conjugates. The University of Mississippi hosts accomplished faculty in glycoscience in a wide variety of disciplines, including glycoside natural products isolation and characterization, glycan analysis, protein-carbohydrate interactions, and physiological responses to protein glycation. Additionally, we have reached a critical concentration at the University of Mississippi of faculty members whose interests intersect with glycoscience from a variety of disciplines. This confluence has presented an opportunity to nurture these interests and develop a core of expertise necessary for the long-term development of institutional excellence in glycoscience, leveraging our unique history and resources in natural products.
Recognizing the opportunity to contribute to the future of glycoscience research, the University of Mississippi has established the Glycoscience Center of Research Excellence (GlyCORE), a new University-wide NIH COBRE Phase 1 center to study how carbohydrates and carbohydrate-containing molecules affect human health. GlyCORE supports investigators in glycoscience through direct funding of selected research projects, establishes mentors for early career investigators, supports the recruitment of new faculty in glycoscience, and develops local and regional meetings for investigators to discuss their work. GlyCORE also hosts three central Research Cores to support these investigators with cutting-edge biomedical research tools. Our goal to lower the barriers to entry to glycoscience for researchers across the spectrum of biomedical research is what makes GlyCORE innovative; we do not solely serve the dedicated glycoscience community but rather develop the infrastructure and dedicated expertise necessary to support glycoscience research from various communities.
In addition to our primary goal of serving The University of Mississippi, GlyCORE seeks to develop, support, and foster glycoscience throughout the Mid-South region (including Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Missouri). We encourage students, faculty, and scientists in the region to contact us regarding potential collaborations, participation in seminars and lecture series, and any other ways in which we can help support and promote glycoscience research at your institution.
Publication Acknowledgement
Research reported in this publication was supported by an Institutional Development Award (IDeA) from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health under award number P20GM130460.Upcoming Events
Check out what's going on in the Glycoscience Center for Research Excellence! Join GlyCORE’s mailing list to receive up-to-date news and links to our public events.
2026 Mid-South Glycoscience Meeting
SAVE THE DATE: Thursday, August 6, 2026
Many thanks to everyone who attended and presented at our Mid-South Glycoscience Meetings during Phase 1 of the Glycoscience Center of Research Excellence (GlyCORE). Your participation, insights, and enthusiasm were instrumental in making each event a success. We were inspired by the breadth and quality of the research shared by faculty, staff, and students, and it was exciting to see the collaborative spirit and innovative ideas that emerged from these gatherings.
As we move into Phase 2, we look forward to continuing these important conversations and building on the strong momentum established in previous years. The 2026 Mid-South Glycoscience Meeting is scheduled for August 6, 2026, at the Thad Cochran Research Center at the University of Mississippi. We hope you will join us to share your latest work, engage with colleagues across the region, and further strengthen the connections within our glycoscience research community.
Please check back in the spring for additional information on registration and abstract submission. Full details, including deadlines, presentation guidelines, and instructions for submitting abstracts, will be announced as they become available.
The GlyCORE Seminar Series is a regular event hosted by the University of Mississippi's Glycoscience Center of Research Excellence, which features presentations by glycoscience researchers. These seminars provide a forum for researchers to present and discuss their latest work, network with colleagues, and learn about advances in glycoscience, covering topics ranging from mass spectrometry and cancer research to glycomics and related fields.
- Purpose: To share and discuss the latest research in glycoscience, foster collaboration, and highlight advancements in the field.
- Content: Talks often cover a wide range of topics within glycoscience, from specific research updates to broader topics like cancer metastasis and drug delivery methods.
- Hosts: The seminar series is a key event of GlyCORE, which is the Mid-South's dedicated glycoscience research center at the University of Mississippi.
- Audience: The series is open to all interested researchers and students, regardless of their level of experience.
- Format: The seminars can be attended in person and are held in the School of Pharmacy’s Thad Cochran Research Center.
December 2, 2025, 11 a.m. TCRC 2066
Prof. Brenton Laing, “Perineuronal net expression patterns in the anterior hypothalamic area”
December 4, 2025, 11 a.m. TCRC 2066
Prof. Yi Hua, “Tiny Molecules, Big Impact: The Role of Glycosaminoglycans in Eye Biomechanics”
Meet the Center
Joshua Sharp
- Professor of Pharmacology, Research Professor in RIPS, and Affiliated Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Karin King Ballering
- Project Coordinator
Bakhtyar Sepehri
- Postdoctoral Research Associate
Sandeep Misra
- Research Associate Professor of Biomolecular Sciences
Anter Shami
- Senior R&D Chemist
Gregg Roman
- Professor of Pharmacology in Biomolecular Sciences and Research Professor in the Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences
John Adams Sabestian
- Research Assistant Professor of Biomolecular Sciences
Robert Doerksen
- Associate Dean of the Graduate School, Professor of Medicinal Chemistry and Research Professor in the Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Affiliate Professor of Biomedical Engineering
Joshua Bloomekatz
- Associate Professor of Biology
Sasmitha Singh
- Research Associate
James Stewart
- Associate Professor of Pharmacology and Research Associate Professor in the Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Paul Boudreau
- Assistant Professor of Pharmacognosy and Research Assistant Professor in the Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Jing Li
- Assistant Professor of Medicinal Chemistry and Research Assistant Professor in the Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Eden Tanner
- Assistant Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Co-Director for the Center for Nano-Bio Interactions
Cole Stevens
- Associate Professor of Pharmacognosy and Research Associate Professor in the Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences
David Colby
- Professor of Medicinal Chemistry and Research Professor in the Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Director of Online Graduate Programs for BioMolecular Sciences
Vitor Pomin
- Associate Professor of Pharmacognosy and Research Associate Professor in the Research Institute Pharmaceutical Sciences
Thomas Werfel
- Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Affiliate Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering and Affiliate Associate Professor of Biomolecular Sciences and Co-Director the Center for Nano-Bio Interactions
Yu-Dong Zhou
- Principal Scientist
Call for Proposals
GlyCORE supports four concurrent Junior Investigator Projects of $150,000/year of direct costs for three years and two Pilot Project Program Awards of $100,000/year of direct costs for one year. The awards include four mechanisms of support: financial support of the research program, highest priority access to subsidized Research Cores, a required mentorship program, and research dissemination opportunities.
Research Project Leaders must hold a tenure-track faculty appointment (or equivalent at research institutes); however, established investigators who are making significant changes in their research to include glycoscience are also eligible to apply.
The next scheduled Call for Proposals will begin in the Summer of 2026.
Learn More
For further information, please contact the Project Coordinator, Karin King Ballering.Our Junior Investigators
An important component of the Glycoscience Center of Research Excellence (GlyCORE) is the Junior Investigator program. The purpose of the program is to develop investigators with no history of major independent funding who have research interests in glycoscience (as well as more senior investigators making a major switch in research focus) into faculty serving as PIs on major independent research grants (i.e., R01 grants and their equivalents).
GlyCORE will support four concurrent JI Projects involving four mechanisms of support: financial support of the research program, highest priority access to subsidized Research Cores, a required formal mentorship program, and research dissemination opportunities.