Research is the path to understanding pulmonary
hypertension. Ultimately, it is the path to a cure. Individual
donations, bequests, and numerous special events held throughout
the country are projected to raise over $400,000 for research
in 2004 alone. PHA has raised over $2 million since we began
fundraising for research in 1999. Through PHA's financial
support of advanced research on this illness, the dream of
finding a cure is becoming a reality. The money PHA raises
supports two major research programs with new awards being
granted on an annual basis.
Direct funding is not the only way PHA supports
the growth of the PH research agenda. Advocacy and awareness
activities are helping to generate millions of additional
dollars for PH research.
Mentored Clinical Research Grants (K08
/ K23 program)
In 2003, PHA and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
(NHLBI) began a cooperative relationship to jointly fund five
five-year mentored clinical research grants for PH research.
These grants are awarded to one new researcher each year,
with PHA providing $62,500 in annual support for each grant
and NHLBI providing up to an additional $100,000 per researcher
per year and covering all administrative costs.
Upon maturation of the five-year cycle in 2008,
PHA's annual commitment of just over $300,000 per year will
be leveraging a total of $800,000 per year in new PH research.
In 2004, PHA and NHLBI expanded the program to allow applicants
to apply not only through the Mentored Clinical Scientist
Development Awards (K08) program, but also through the Mentored
Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award (K23) program.
PHA has given out two of these awards and is pleased to announce
this year's winner, Theresa Grover, M.D., University of Colorado
Health Sciences Center. As PHA continues its efforts to raise
money for research, it may soon become possible for PHA to
fund both the K08 and K23 grants on an annual basis.
Young Researcher Fellowships
Each year, PHA funds at least two outstanding researchers
at the front end of their careers. To assure that these grants
fund the strongest science, the proposals are reviewed and
ranked under a contract PHA has initiated with the American
Heart Association. The grants, for up to $35,000 per year
for two years, attract talented individuals from prestigious
universities throughout the United States. PHA has awarded
over 11 grants since 2000 and is pleased to announce Georg
Hansmann, M.D., Stanford University School of Medicine, and
Anita Umesh, Ph.D., Johns Hopkins University, as the 2004
awardees.
New $25 Million Research Fund
As part of the fen-phen court settlement of the 1990's, a
$25 million fund for medical research was established. During
the past several years, PHA has been pleased to work with
physicians and attorneys to assure that all the funds will
be used for pulmonary hypertension research.
The governing foundation established a consulting
group to advise on how to distribute these funds most effectively.
Members of PHA's Scientific Leadership Council act as consultants
to the foundation. We hope to report in 2005 that this extraordinarily
large PH research funding process will have started, bringing
new hope to the PH community.
|
NHLBI Research Portfolio:
An Upward Path in Training and Research Funding for
Pulmonary Hypertension
FY 99-04
|
|
FY
|
TOTAL
|
|
1999
|
$12,147,753
|
|
2000
|
$15,267,827
|
|
2001
|
$19,777,025
|
|
2002
|
$19,303,053
|
|
2003
|
$25,828,967
|
|
2004
|
$27,643,160
|
Joint Research Proposal
In 2003, the National, Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
organized a meeting for leading PH researchers to discuss the
future of PH research. This meeting gave rise to a proposal
for the funding of a multi-center research program designed
to encourage experts to work together and share information
during the course of their research studies. Written under the
banner of PHA by David Badesch, M.D., Vice-Chair of PHA's Scientific
Leadership Council, this proposal expresses the importance of
collaboration between PH research centers located throughout
the United States. The integration and sharing of information
between research centers will facilitate greater progress and
ultimately help build a more closely connected network of research
experts dedicated to fighting this illness.
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