FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, August 1, 2017
Contact: Leah Payne, Director of Public Affairs, Schools of Medicine and Pharmacy, 304-691-1713
                Ian Moore, West Virginia Clinical and Translational Science Institute, 304-581-1781

Marshall University partners with West Virginia University on multimillion-dollar research grant

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Marshall University today announced it is a partner with the West Virginia Clinical and Translational Science Institute (WVCTSI) on a $20 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that further supports research aimed at improving the health of West Virginians and those in the Appalachian region.

As part of the federal grant to West Virginia University, the WVCTSI institution of record, Marshall will receive $4.3 million over a five-year period, which will support continuing research in several areas.

“We are excited about being part of the WVCTSI and contributing to this statewide initiative to support clinical and translational research,” said Gary O. Rankin, Ph.D., vice dean for basic sciences at the Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine and the grant’s associate director. “This program will provide research and collaborative opportunities for our faculty that could ultimately lead to improvements in health for all West Virginians. With our expertise in genomics, strong interest in addiction research and capacity for conducting clinical trials, Marshall will provide added strength to an already strong program.”

According to the grant application, mortality rates in Appalachia have progressively increased during recent years, in contrast to decreasing mortality rates in the rest of country. The grant will focus on research that supports workable solutions.

Marshall School of Medicine Dean Joseph I. Shapiro, M.D., said the school is continuing to make strides in biomedical research.

“I am very pleased to participate in this partnership with WVU, which will enable our medical school to increase our research footprint and address the health care problems that trouble our West Virginia communities.”

Shapiro went on to say that in addition to helping patients, the grant allows new research and educational opportunities for Marshall medical students and residents.

Sally Hodder, M.D., the grant’s primary investigator and associate vice president for clinical and translational science at West Virginia University, said partnerships like the one with Marshall are invaluable.

“I am delighted with the partnership between WVCTSI and Marshall University and look forward to working with Drs. Rankin, Shapiro and others at Marshall to drive improvements to health outcomes in West Virginia,” Hodder said.

In addition to Marshall University, other partners on the grant include the Charleston Area Medical Center, West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine, as well as the University of Kentucky, the Veterans Administration and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

The National Institutes of Health, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 institutes and centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments and cures for both common and rare diseases. The IDeA-CTR (Institutional Development Award for Clinical and Translational Research program builds research capacities in states that historically have had low levels of NIH funding by supporting basic, clinical and translational research; faculty development; and infrastructure improvements. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.

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Date Posted: Tuesday, August 1, 2017