A New Generation of Scientists
”Debate Flaring Over Grants for Research” read the headline of a recent article in the New York Times.
The issue was increased support for young scientists by the National
Institutes of Health (NIH)—which translates into less money for
seasoned researchers.
NIH grants are crucial to
scientists who want to work in academia because university budgets
can’t cover the cost of most projects, and the grants are a major
stepping stone for new researchers. Deciding the proper balance of
funding between new and veteran scientists is beyond our ken, but the
results of a recent survey of scientists who have received grants from
The Trust are interesting.
The Francis Florio Fund
is one of a number of funds in The Trust set up for scientific
research. Mr. Florio, who owned real estate in Brooklyn and Queens,
lost a good friend to a blood disease. In his will, he set up a fund to
support research in blood diseases. Since 1974, we have been carrying
out his intent. Indeed, we made one of the first private grants for
AIDS research from the Florio Fund, a blood disease that didn’t exist
when Mr. Florio wrote his will. More recently, grants have been awarded
to young researchers to help train the next generation of scientists in
a wide range of blood diseases.
In the summer of 2009 we sent
a survey to 11 blood disease researchers who were funded for two years
of research through the Florio Fund from 1996 to 2003. Of the ten
respondents, all reported that their Trust-funded research provided a
critical foundation for their current work, and cited us for launching
their careers and allowing them to take on riskier projects that are
difficult to fund. Nine researchers had their NYCT-funded research
published in peer-reviewed journals. Since they completed their
Trust-funded research, eight have gotten NIH or other federal grants,
for a combined total of more than $20.5 million.
All ten have since had
a number of articles published in peer-reviewed journals, and some have
presented their research at national and international conferences and
universities. These researchers have received total of 16 awards,
including: the NIH MERIT Award, the Damon Runyon/Eli Lilly
Translational Research Award, the Irma T. Hirschl Career Scientist
Award, the Irene Diamond Professorship in Immunology, the Howard Temin
Award from the National Cancer Institute, the Searle Scholars Award,
the Keck Young Scholars Award (2), the Kirkland Scholar Award, the
Dubois Award-American College of Rheumatology 2009, the Burroughs
Welcome New Initiatives in Malaria Research Award, the Burroughs
Wellcome Investigator in Pathogenesis of Infectious Diseases Award, the
Kimmel Young Investigator, a fellowship with the American Heart and
American Cancer Societies, and Research Chair of the Brain Tumor
Society.
Here is some of what the respondents wrote:
“It is an excellent award and very important for career development.”“Starts young faculty members in their careers.”
“Support during a critical juncture.”
“It helps explore high-risk projects that may be otherwise underfunded.”
“Important for the community, [as it] gives young people the means to do experiments and provides [a] confidence boost.”
“Allows for survival and time for growth.”
“Enormous benefit to help junior investigators establish credentials, generates data, and be published.”
“Provides money when funding is scarce.”
Where they are now:
NYCT Research Cycle, 1996 - 1998Dr. Leif BergsagelPhysician and Professor of Medicine, Mayo Clinic
Current research: studying the molecular genetics of multiple myeloma
Dr. Yongwon ChoiProfessor, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
Current research: autoimmunity, bone metabolism, osteoimmunology
Dr. Todd EvansProfessor and Vice Chair of Surgery, Weill Cornell Medical College
Current
research: stem cells and organogenesis, using zebrafish and mouse and
human ES cell systems; cardinogenesis, hematopoiesis, liver development
and regeneration
NYCT Research Cycle, 1998 - 2000Dr. Anne DavidsonInvestigator, Feinstein Institute for Medical Research
Current research: pathogenesis and treatment of SLE
Dr. Yan LuoPrincipal Investigator/Lab Head, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (Singapore)
Current research: cell cycle control, cancer-metabolism connection, glucose signaling
Dr. Jacob RandDirector of Hematology, Advanced Coagulation and Protein Separation Laboratories, Montefiore Medical Center
Current Research: investigating the mechanism(s) for thrombosis in an autoimmune condition known as Antiphospholipid Syndrome
Dr. Milton WernerPresident and CEO, Inhibikase Therapeutics
Current
research: leads a company developing a new strategy for treating
bacterial and viral infectious disease using a single agent
NYCT Research Cycle, 2001 - 2003Dr. David Armond FidockAssociate Professor in the Departments of Microbiology and
Immunology and Medicine (Division of Infectious Diseases) and Graduate Director of Microbiology, Columbia University
Current
research: investigations into mechanisms and genetic determinants of
anti-malarial drug resistance and also focusing on fatty acid
metabolism in malaria parasites
Dr. Madhav DhodapkarProfessor of Medicine, Yale University
Current research: cancer immunology and host defense
Dr. Nina PapavasiliouAssociate Professor/Head of Lab, Rockefeller University
Current
research: antibody diversification and the humoral immune response;
innate antiviral responses; trypanosome antigenic variation through
coat switching
Find out more about setting up a fund at The Trust>>