CHRB Awards Totaling $893,791 to
Eleven Medical & Health Researchers in Virginia
RICHMOND —Chairman of the Commonwealth Health Research Board, Mr. S. Lawrence Kocot
today announced awards totaling $893,791 to 11 medical and health researchers in
Virginia.
The researchers are from Eastern Virginia Medical School, Virginia Commonwealth
University, University of Virginia, and the University of Richmond.
“The proposals selected for funding have a tremendous potential to enhance the
health and well being of Virginia citizens,” said Chairman Kocot. The eight new grants funded this year include support for
studies on: complications of diabetes in African-Americans; a method for
preventing thickening of the heart muscle in children with congenital heart
defects; the effect of aspirin and ibuprofen on fertility; a new technology for
measuring blood potassium; causes of sex differences in development of
hypertension; treating acute renal failure; use of consumer surveys as a tool
to improving behavioral healthcare services; and, controlling cancer cell
growth and halting tumor progression.
Three investigators have received a 2nd year of funding to enable them to
continue studies on the following areas: examining the cause of thrombosis in
some women being treated for breast cancer; studying a protein made by leukemia
virus that causes DNA damage; identifying possible new therapies for treating
malignant melanoma; examining novel therapeutic agents to treat antibiotic
resistance; and, developing an animal model that could lead to better
diagnosing and treating attention-deficit hyperactivity.
“It is extremely gratifying to see the success of our competitive grant program
this year, “added CHRB Vice Chairman Kamlesh N. Dave. “The Board received 46 grant applications. Many of these were excellent
proposals.”
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 is 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 and the
delivery of health care.
The CHRB has the flexibility to provide grant funding for creative and
innovative research projects that have scientific merit and hold promise.
Results from these research projects can often secure the major funding
necessary to bring these ideas to fruition. CHRB grant recipients, for grant
awards made in 1999 through 2002, have leveraged almost $13 million in
additional private and federal grant funds to further their research studies.
The members of the Board are: S. Lawrence Kocot, Chairman, Alexandria; Kamlesh
N. Dave, M.D., Hopewell; David L. Bernd, Norfolk; The Honorable George E.
Broman, M.D. Forest; Jan Burrus, R.Ph., Alexandria; Robert S. Call, M.D.,
Richmond; Mark J. Werner, M.D., Roanoke.
