By Joyce Kryszak
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wbfo/local-wbfo-771337.mp3
Buffalo, NY – UB's school of pharmacy was awarded a $7.6 million federal grant to oversee the quality of new treatments being developed around the globe to combat HIV/AIDS.
The World Health Organization says there are an estimated 33 million adults and children living with HIV worldwide. The global epidemic has spawned research in the countless regions and countries hit by the disease. UB's role will be to coordinate the efforts of those various networks as they race to create new and generic drugs. David Dunn is UB's Vice President for Health Sciences. He said this will ensure patients get the best treatments possible.
In addition to training personnel and managing data, UB also will continue its own research and drug development. Lead investigator Gene Morse has been doing AIDS research at UB for 25 years. He said the grant allows them to make a huge impact in the fight against the disease by transferring their knowledge and experience to those who can best deliver the treatments.
UB officials say the university's unique role in the effort also helps them build the reputation of UB's Centers of Excellence. Bruce Holm is Senior Vice provost and Executive Director of the Center for Excellence in Bioinformatics. He said multi-million dollar grants such as these have given UB a thirty to one return on the university's investment.
Officials said that the university's reputation for attracting these large federal grants also helps to secure other lucrative awards.
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