Six research project grants aimed at improving human health awarded

Six research project grant awards totaling $5.1 million will be made to Washington life sciences organizations and their partners, the state’s Life Sciences Discovery Fund announced today. The projects are aimed at improving human health and will concentrate on promoting bone healing; optimizing limb amputation procedures; enhancing cancer treatment; facilitating the validation of biomarkers; generating a wheat variety that is safe for individuals with celiac disease; and developing novel cancer chemotherapeutics.

The Life Sciences Discovery Fund awardees are: Norman Karin, Battelle, Pacific Northwest Division; Daniel Leotta, University of Washington; Andre Lieber, University of Washington; Daniel Martin, Institute for Systems Biology; Tomikazu Sasaki, University of Washington; and Diter von Wettstein, Washington State University.

“The Life Sciences Discovery Fund is pleased to further expand its diverse portfolio by making awards to these outstanding investigators. Their projects represent an impressive breadth of focus, from novel cancer therapies and cutting-edge agricultural science to new technologies to facilitate biomedical research and enhance human health and quality of life,” said executive director Lee Huntsman.

The Life Sciences Discovery Fund Board of Trustees selected the awardees from among 61 proposals that were evaluated by national experts convened by the American Association for the Advancement of Science. In a highly competitive process, each proposal was rated on its scientific merit and its potential to improve health and health care in Washington and provide statewide economic returns.

Overall, the Board of Trustees was impressed with applicants’ attention to both health and economic development. Board chairman Lura Powell said that the funded projects in particular “demonstrate a keen understanding of the Life Sciences Discovery Fund’s mission and exhibit potential for both near- and long-term impact on Washington’s economy, the well-being of its citizens, and the state’s life sciences competitiveness.”