Wayne State collects millions in new research grants

metromode, 2/4/2010

Wayne State University continues to rake in the research dollars, taking in even more federal and stimulus funds.

Among the recent wins are $775,000 to study PCBs and their relation to cancer, $60,000 for Schizophrenia research and $2.7 million to investigate attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children. This caps what looks to be a big year for research at the Detroit-based university, which has counted $175 million in federal research grants so far for 2009, including $31 million in federal stimulus funds.

The biggest recent research victory is the $2.7 million from the National Institute of Mental Health. Wayne State researchers will track the development of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in the brains of children and teens in the hope of developing more effective therapies. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is one of the most common childhood illnesses.

The federal stimulus is funding two grants totaling about $775,000 to study the potential role of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the progression of breast cancer. Wayne State researchers will also delineate the role of a liver enzyme in the development of metabolic diseases such as heart disease, abnormal cholesterol metabolism, and insulin resistant type II diabetes.

The Wayne State University School of Medicine received a $60,000 Young Investigator research grant from the National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia & Depression. The money will be used to develop a better understanding of the neurochemical and functional bases of schizophrenia, one of the most debilitating mental illnesses in the world. Research suggests the illness is related to disordered brain neurochemistry and function.

Source: Julie O'Connor, spokeswoman for Wayne State University
Writer: Jon Zemke

Higher Education , Medical Research , Medical Research , Research , Research , Wayne County , Wayne State University

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