Oct. 7, 2003
GW Receives Funding for Biodefense
Research to Focus on Media Training, DNA Vaccines
The University continues to position itself as a leader
in homeland security efforts as it was named a Regional Center for Excellence
(RCE) in Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases by Health and Human
Services (HHS) Secretary Tommy Thompson. Thompson is funding eight RCEs
with grants totaling $350 million over five years. GW joins a nationwide
group of multidisciplinary centers as a key element in HHS strategic
plan for biodefense research.
We have moved with unprecedented speed and determination to prepare
for a bioterror attack or any other public health crisis since the terrorist
attacks of 2001, Thompson said. These new grants add to this
effort and will not only better prepare us for a bioterrorism attack,
but will also enhance our ability to deal with any public health crisis,
such as SARS and West Nile virus.
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, a part of HHS
National Institutes of Health, is providing the grants and will administer
the RCE program. A total of $45 million will go to the 60 scientists participating
in this Middle Atlantic RCE.
Funding for GW covers two project areas, according to Dr. Peter Hotez,
chair of the Department of Microbiology and Tropical Medicine.
We will be doing media training for biodefense scientists and will
also have a role in developing DNA vaccines for the disease tularemia,
he said.
For the media training, Hotez and his department will work with GWs
School of Media and Public Affairs and the Center for Emergency Preparedness.
Jean Folkerts, associate vice president for special academic initiatives
and professor of media and public affairs, is the principal investigator
on the project along with Hotez. Dr. Milcho Mincheff of the microbiology
and tropical medicine department will head up the vaccine development
project.
The anthrax scare brought out the need for trained spokespeople
in the field to be in the media spotlight, Folkerts said. This
training will enable bioscientists to translate complicated information
for media dissemination in a way that will be informative and reassuring
to the public.
There is important work to be done to ensure the preparedness for
our region, and GW is happy to be a part of this effort, noted Frank
Cilluffo, GWs associate vice president for homeland security. This
funding addresses a real gap and will connect the research with real solutions.
Being a part of this newly designated RCE is another homeland security
initiative for the University. GWs Center for Emergency Preparedness
is finishing a preparedness-training project with the DC Department of
Health and recently received a $5 million allocation to establish the
Response to Emergencies and Disasters Institute. In addition, via the
Ronald Reagan Institute of Emergency Medicine, GW will be training DC
citizens in emergency preparedness through the Citizen Corps Program.
Send feedback to: bygeorge@gwu.edu
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Related Link
Key
Positions Filled for GW's Homeland Security Initiatives
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