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Gallo Research Center to Lead $15 Million U.S.
Army-Funded National Research Program
Source: UCSF press release
Date: July 11, 2012
KQED Interview with William Sawyers
<LINK>
The UCSF-affiliated Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research
Center has been selected to administer and manage a U.S.
Army-funded research program intended to accelerate the
discovery and development of new medications to treat
alcohol and substance abuse in the context of post-traumatic
stress and combat injury.
The new program, known as the Institute for Molecular
Neuroscience (IMN), will rely on the expertise of a team
of national experts who are unaffiliated with grant applicants
to conduct an independent, peer-review process.
The first round of pilot research grants awarded by the IMN
was announced today, July 11, 2012.
“The IMN Program holds great promise for combating national
security health issues,” said John A. De Luca, PhD, chairman of
the board of the Gallo Center and senior advisor to University of
California President Mark Yudof. “It was created through Congressional
appropriations to the Department of Defense in recognition of the
increasing problem of alcohol and substance abuse facing our military
personnel and veterans.” In many cases, he added, “substance abuse is
related to post-traumatic stress or other combat related injuries,
which can significantly impair patient medical treatment.”
The Gallo Center is a nationally recognized center of excellence
for research in the neurobiology of addiction. “IMN,” according
to William R. Sawyers, chief administrative officer of the IMN and
the Gallo Center, “is a program of national importance, and we hope
it serves as a model for future Department of Defense research
efforts.”
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Steven L. Batki
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Northern California Institute for Research and Education (NCIRE)
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$598,519
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John C. Crabbe
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Oregon Health & Science University
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$315,170
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Howard L. Fields
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Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center
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$450,000
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R. Adron Harris
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University of Texas at Austin
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$247,390
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Peter W. Kalivas
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Medical University of South Carolina
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$445,984
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Eric R. Kandel
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Columbia University
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$450,000
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Jacqueline F. McGinty
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Medical University of South Carolina
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$249,776
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Robert O. Messing
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Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center
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$250,000
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Ismene L. Petrakis
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Yale University
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$449,719
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Dorit Ron
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Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center
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$250,000
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“The IMN Program offers scientists an opportunity to help
discover new medications to address a critical issue facing
our military personnel and veterans,” said Sawyers. “Our
independent review committee is able to actively shape the
research proposals to optimize the chances for success.”
This proactive approach to managing translational research,
according to U.S. Army Col. Karl Friedl, director of the Army’s
Telemedicine and Advance Technology Research Center (TATRC), “sets
the IMN program apart from many other research programs.”
The IMN Program has established an Advisory Council consisting
of prominent scientists and clinicians with relevant expertise
to advise on the strategic direction and priorities of the program.
Current members of the IMN Advisory Council are:
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- Antonello Bonci, MD
National Institute on Drug Abuse
- John M. Carney, PhD
US Army/Department of Defense - Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research
Center
- Ronald L. Hoover, PhD
US Army/Department of
Defense - Military Operational Medicine Research Program
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G. Kenneth Lloyd, PhD
Nereus Pharmaceuticals, Inc., San Diego, CA
- Mary E. McCaul, PhD
Johns Hopkins University School of
Medicine
- Mack C. Mitchell, M.D.
University of Texas
Southwestern Medical Center
- Murray A. Raskind, MD
University of Washington
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"These efforts will address a critical research gap surrounding alcohol use in
service members returning from war,” said Col. Carl Castro, director of the Army’s
Military Operational Medicine Research Program. “Congratulations to the recipients,
and we look forward to the results of their research efforts on behalf of our service
members and their families."
Congressional appropriations for the IMN Program to date are $6.375 million for
FY 2010, $5.25 million for FY 2011 and $4.5 million for FY2012. The IMN expects to
select from these pilot projects to provide additional funding to extend and confirm
the most compelling research findings, said Sawyers.
The UCSF-affiliated Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center is one of the world’s
preeminent academic centers for the study of the biological basis of alcohol and substance
use disorders. Gallo Center discoveries of potential molecular targets for the development
of therapeutic medications are extended through preclinical and proof-of-concept clinical
studies.
UCSF is a leading university dedicated to promoting health worldwide through advanced
biomedical research, graduate-level education in the life sciences and health professions,
and excellence in patient care.
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