The University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences recently hauled in $3.1 million in government and private sector funding for innovative research that will promote new investigations, develop educational programs and research effective treatments for diseases.
The School of Nursing received a huge boost in the form of a $1.19 million grant that will elevate the program to one of the four nationwide centers of excellence for nursing faculty. The grant from the Health and Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) will facilitate faculty development in the emerging areas of infomatics, telehealth, distance education, and high fidelity simulation.
”Part of the reason there’s a nursing shortage is there is a shortage of faculty,” explains Dr. Helen Burns, associate professor of the Dept. of Health and Community Systems in the school of nursing. “Teaching faculty to teach these technologies will expand the capacity of the school to educate an increased number of students who will be prepared for 21st century health care practice.”
The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine received the largest of the grants, $1.2 million from the National Cancer Institute to delve into the role of beta-catenin in the development and growth of the most common form of liver cancer. Beta-catenin is a key protein and researchers believe it is related to the development of hepatocellular cancer, the most common form of liver cancer.
"What many of the region’s citizens don’t realize is that every $1 million of research funding creates approximately 28 direct and indirect jobs, according to a study by the Association of American Universities," adds Dr. Arthur S. Levine, dean of the Pitt School of Medicine. "Good science is good business for the region.”
Writer: Deb Smit
Source: Dr. Helen Burns, Dr. Arthur S. Levine, Megan Grote, University of Pittsburgh