“NIH funding has been critical every step of
the way,” Ranum said. “We’ve cloned genes
that cause various neurological diseases.
We’ve used preclinical models to understand
how those diseases work, and now we’re
using those models to develop therapeutic
strategies to prevent and reverse disease.”
The 2017 fiscal year marked a milestone for
the UF College of Medicine: For the first time
in its 61-year history, the college’s annual
grant awards from the National Institutes of
Health eclipsed $100 million.
or decades, Laura P.W. Ranum, PhD, director of the UF Center for
NeuroGenetics, has worked to understand the fundamental causes
F
of ALS and similar diseases.
Along with her colleagues, she has made extraordinary discoveries in the
area of gene mutations and continues to challenge conventional wisdom in her
pursuit to find effective treatments for a number of neurological disorders.
Since 1994, Ranum’s lab has been awarded key grants from the National Institutes of
Health, the federal agency that funds biomedical and public health research, including
several projects and programs at the UF College of Medicine.
2010 $62,058,946
2011 $72,157,623
2012 $83,890,252
2013 $84,898,636
2014 $88,002,897
2015 $89,517,847
2016 $93,638,074
2017 $101,609,557
$100m
For the first time
in its 61-year history,
the college’s annual
grant awards from the
National Institutes of
Health eclipsed
$100 million.
NIH awards
per year
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
continued on page 6
IN THIS ISSUE:
Honoring a young girl's dream to help children | 3
Extending a helping hand to Puerto Rico | 4
PhD students host distinguished guest | 6
Tackling a sight-robbing disorder | 10
Remembering Dr. Sey Park | 12
COLLEGE OF MEDICINE ALUMNI NEWS
SUMMER 2018
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