CHRB Announces Awards Totaling $734,390 to 8 medical and health researchers in
Virginia
RICHMOND —Chairman of the Commonwealth Health Research Board, Dr. Robert S. Call today
announced awards totaling $734,390 to 8 medical and health researchers in
Virginia. The researchers are from Eastern Virginia Medical School, James Madison
University, University of Virginia, and Virginia Military Institute.
“The Commonwealth Health Research Board [CHRB] provides great opportunities for
researchers to improve the health of Virginia’s citizens,” said Dr. Call. “Virginia’s own CHRB is also a unique resource dedicated to help Virginia’s scientists achieve their dreams.”
The two new grants funded this year include: examining the role certain
monocytes, CD16+, play in causing HIV NeuroAIDS and designing a novel treatment
for the hearing impaired.
Six investigators have received a second year of funding to enable them to
continue studies in the following areas: examining how estrogen impacts the cardiovascular system; the role of hormones
in overuse/stress injuries; a new treatment for bacterial ocular diseases; the
effect of novel antimicrobial agents on the bacterium Bacillus anthracis
(anthrax); prevention of re-closure of cardiac blood vessels following
deployment of a metal stent; and developing a new method for treating
radioresistant lung cancer.
“It is always difficult, but fascinating, to choose those to be funded - - doubly
so this year with lots of quality papers and less cash to distribute. We have a prime selection of researchers.” added CHRB Vice Chairman Dr. George E. Broman.
The list of researchers, their respective research institutions, the amounts of
their awards, the matching funds supplied by the recipient institutions, and
the titles of the projects are attached.
The Board was established in 1997 by the Virginia General Assembly using funds
provided from the conversion of Trigon from a mutual company to a stock
company. The Board awards grants for traditional medical and biomedical research as well
as research related to health services the delivery of health care. From 1999 to 2009, the CHRB has awarded $8.9 million dollars in research grant
funds.
The CHRB has the flexibility to provide grant funding for creative and
innovative research projects that have scientific merit and hold promise for
maximizing human health benefits for citizens of the Commonwealth OF Virginia. CHRB grant recipients, for grant awards made in 1999 through 2003, have
leveraged $13.8 million in additional private and federal grant funds to
further their research studies.
