Associated Press - October 7, 2009 4:55 AM ET

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) - Biomedical research at West Virginia University is getting a $2 million share of federal stimulus funding.

The grants are from the National Institutes of Health and will last for two years.

Timothy Nurkiewicz (NERK' uh witz) will study the effects nanoparticles can have on tiny blood vessels when inhaled. Nanomaterials are tiny particles present in thousands of consumer and industrial products, from fuel and paint to makeup.

James O'Donnell will lead a team of scientists at WVU and two other schools, the University of Kentucky and the University of New Mexico.

They're investigating whether an enzyme in brain cells could be regulated by new drugs to control anxiety, depression and other psychiatric disorders.

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