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$19 million approved for research grants here

Obama announces medical stimulus

By Jerry Zremski
NEWS WASHINGTON BUREAU CHIEF

 WASHINGTON — President Obama on Wednesday announced $5 billion in federal economic-stimulus funding for medical research, including more than $19 million targeted to the Buffalo area.

Researchers at the University at Buffalo will get an additional $9.7 million from the National Institutes of Health under the stimulus allocation, while scientists at Roswell Park Cancer Institute will receive $6 million. Cleveland Biolabs and the Hauptman-Woodward Medical Research Institute will also receive additional funding.

“I’ve long said, the goal of the Recovery Act was not to create make-work jobs, but jobs making a difference for our future,” Obama said in announcing the grants. “There is no better example than the jobs we will produce or preserve through the grants we are announcing this morning.”

UB has received about $82 million in NIH research funding in the last year, so the additional $9.7 million is a major boost, said Dr. Jorge V. Jose, vice president for research at the university.

“The money is geared toward creating jobs, so we need to spend it in a couple of years,” Jose said. “It will make a significant impact.”

UB did well compared with other public universities in the state, with 41 stimulus grants from NIH. Only the State University at Stony Brook, with 46, had more.

In addition, the National Science Foundation is sending UB researchers an extra $8.5 million under the stimulus plan, Jose added.

“This administration has really been willing to support research for science,” Jose said.

Among the newly announced medical research grants for UB, the biggest went to Dr. John M. Canty Jr., a professor of medicine. Canty’s $2 million grant will allow him to study the use of PET scans and CT scans for cardiovascular research.

UB’s other 40 grants are spread among various researchers for a wide array of subjects, including cancer prevention for the urban poor, staph infections and alcoholism.

Roswell Park will do additional cancer research with its new federal funding. Cancer in children, prostate cancer and lymphoma are among the many areas to be studied.

Meanwhile, Cleveland Biolabs will get $3.3 million to study radiation injuries, and Hauptman-Woodward will get $475,000 to study AIDS-responsive drugs and other issues.

“This significant federal investment in Buffalo’s biomedical industry is good for our physical health and the health of our local economy,” said Rep. Brian Higgins, D-Buffalo.

“Medical research happening right here on Buffalo’s Medical Campus is creating quality jobs and developing breakthrough research that will lead to tomorrow’s treatment and cures.”

jzremski@buffnews.com