Kaptur Brings Together NIH Director and Ohio Medical College Leaders

Press Release

At a meeting facilitated by Congresswoman Kaptur, officials at Ohio's seven medical schools discussed biomedical research on Wednesday, June 6 with Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Leaders at the University of Toledo's College of Medicine and Life Sciences organized the Capitol Hill session.

"Research initiatives at our medical schools in Ohio can benefit greatly from greater collaboration with the NIH," said Congresswoman Kaptur. "Our state ranks among the top four in the nation for biotechnology, which holds tremendous promise for job creation."

Dr. Collins, formerly at the University of Michigan, is a physician-geneticist who directed the National Human Genome Research Institute at NIH for 25 years. As NIH director, he oversees the largest source of funding for biomedical research--from basic to clinical research--in the world.

Dr. Collins discussed biomedical research with members of the Ohio Council of Medical School Deans, including Dr. Jeffrey P. Gold, who serves as UT chancellor and dean of the College of Medicine and Life Sciences, and also several members of the Ohio congressional delegation.

"I was pleased to bring top officials at NIH together with Dr. Gold and other leaders," Kaptur said. "Greater collaboration can mean only greater successes in the future."
Dr. Gold noted that almost 65 percent of the $711 million that NIH has awarded to organizations in Ohio has gone to Ohio medical schools conducting biomedical research.

"The expertise Dr. Collins can share with us will be key to advancing translational research across the state," Dr. Gold said. "It's also an opportunity to showcase the advances medical schools have made with funds NIH has invested in us."

Other medical school leaders represented Case Western Reserve, Ohio University, the University of Cincinnati, Wright State University, Ohio State University and the Northeastern Ohio Medical University.

NIH research creates hundreds of thousands of high-quality jobs by funding thousands of scientists in universities and research institutions in every state across America and around the globe.

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