Chloe Lamprect of Bellevue is 12-years-old and has Type 1 diabetes. On Wednesday, she joined members of the American Association Medical Colleges (AAMC) at a Washington news conference to thank President Obama and Congress for passing the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009. The act is referred to as stimulus funding.
Lamprecht praised government leaders and the nation’s scientists for their support of biomedical research that may one day lead to cures for diseases such as diabetes.
"I would urge everyone to keep doing what they’re doing because we’re getting closer to a cure," she said.
The act generated hundreds of millions dollars for lifesaving biomedical research and stimulated economic development, AAMC leaders said at the news conference, which was held on National Medical Research Day.
UNMC’s Jennifer Larsen, M.D., associate dean for clinical research in the College of Medicine, and Mark Bowen, director of UNMC Government Relations, attended the news conference. They lauded the act’s passage and urged Obama to stick to his plan to use NIH funding as a pillar for economic development.
"Research funding not only represents jobs in Nebraska but is an investment in our future, our future health and our future economic health as it often represents new business ventures, as well," Dr. Larsen said.
Since the act was passed in the spring, scientists at UNMC have received nearly $10 million in ARRA funds.
"We are truly grateful for the wise and thoughtful acts of President Obama, as well as Sen. Ben Nelson, who have made this possible," said Tom Rosenquist, Ph.D., vice chancellor for research at UNMC.
Major ARRA grants received by UNMC scientists include:
· Awards totaling more than $1 million for James Turpen, Ph.D., to further develop the Nebraska Research Network in Functional Genomics;
· A $1 million supplement to Irving H. Zucker, Ph.D., to investigate the role statin drugs play in improved heart performance during heart failure and support to hire a new cardiovascular researcher; and
· A $1 million challenge grant awarded to Carol Casey, Ph.D., to find therapeutic strategies to reduce the severity and progression of alcoholic liver disease.
ARRA funds help researchers find answers to pressing health problems and create high-paying jobs across the nation, said Dr. Rosenquist, who noted that studies show $1 million in grant funding supports more than 30 jobs.
"These are excellent, challenging jobs with a future," he said.
As the state’s only academic health science center, UNMC is on the leading edge of health care. Breakthroughs are possible because hard-working researchers, educators and clinicians are resolved to work together to fuel discovery. In 2009, UNMC’s extramural research support topped $100 million for the first time, resulting in the creation of 3,600 jobs in Nebraska. UNMC’s academic excellence is shown through its award-winning programs, and its educational programs are responsible for training more health professionals practicing in Nebraska than any other institution. Through its commitment to education, research, patient care and outreach, UNMC and its hospital partner, The Nebraska Medical Center, have established themselves as one of the country’s leading health care centers. UNMC’s physician practice group, UNMC Physicians, includes 550 physicians in 50 specialties and subspecialties who practice primarily in The Nebraska Medical Center. For more information, go to UNMC’s Web site at www.unmc.edu.