Hria Medical Foundation 2012 Review
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20․12 DI VISION REVIE W Where Science and Philanthropy Converge IN THIS ISSUE: About Us and Our Services / 2 Funding Opportunities Jeffress Trust /8 Hood Foundation /10 Noonan Memorial Research Fund /11 Klarman Family Foundation /12 King Trust /13 Thome Foundation /14 Smith Family Foundation /16 Davis Foundation /17 Lymphatic Research Foundation /18 Scientific Review Committees /19 Gene Discovery in Anorexia Nervosa / 6 The Medical Foundation, a division of HRiA About Us Since 1957, foundations, bank trusts and individuals have engaged us to create and manage customized biomedical research grant programs that accelerate the pace of scientific discoveries. As evidenced by the more than 145,000 visits to our website this year alone, our funding announcements reach thousands of potential applicants for every grant cycle. And, by building a distinguished Scientific Review Committee for each program, we ensure critical and unbiased selection of the best minds in science. In 2012, we were privileged to work with foundations and bank trust departments whose grant programs distributed more than $18 million to investigators and physician-scientists across the United States and worldwide. Sally E. McNagny, M.D., M.P.H., F.A.C.P., Vice President Since 2001, Dr. McNagny has served as Vice President and head of HRiA’s Medical Foundation division where she leads biomedical research grantmaking and life sciences consulting. Dr. McNagny also serves on the faculty at Harvard Medical School and is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians. She holds a B.S. in Biology from Stanford University, an M.D. from Harvard Medical School, an M.P.H. from the Harvard School of Public Health, and completed her medical residency in 1988 at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital. She served on the faculty at Emory University School of Medicine for 12 years, where she was Principal Investigator of Emory’s N.I.H. Women’s Health Initiative and other clinical research trials in the field of postmenopausal hormone replacement therapy. She also conducted health services research studies in access to care, high blood pressure management and smoking cessation. Beginning in January 2012, Dr. McNagny began a two-year term as Board Chair of the Health Research Alliance, a membership organization of non-governmental funders of medical research and training whose member organizations distribute more than $1.5 billion annually. John P. Kanki, Ph.D., Scientific Director Dr. Kanki provides scientific oversight for the King Trust Postdoctoral Fellowship Program, the Jeffress Trust Awards Program and two Thome Foundation research programs in Alzheimer's disease and age-related macular degeneration. Together with Dr. McNagny, he conducts life sciences consulting projects, identifies expert scientific reviewers and is involved in new client development. Dr. Kanki received a B.S. in Psychology with Honors from Wesleyan University and his Ph.D. from the University of California San Diego. His postdoctoral studies focused on neurobiology in the Department of Biology at the Univer - sity of Michigan, embryonic pattern formation in the Department of Molecular Biology at Princeton University, and pancreatic organogenesis in the Department of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. For 12 years prior to joining HRiA’s Medical Foundation division, Dr. Kanki was a Senior Research Scientist at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston supervising research on leukemia and neuroblastoma. Dr. Kanki is an accomplished grant and scientific writer with an extensive publication record. A i R H www.hria.org/tmfservices f o n o i s i v i D a ⁄ n o i t a d n u o F l a c i d e M e h T [2] Our Team Services We Provide Sally E. McNagny, M.D., M.P.H., Vice President, [email protected], 617-279-2251 Creation and Oversight of John P. Kanki, Ph.D., Scientific Director, [email protected], 617-279-2240, ext. 329 Biomedical Research Grant Gay Lockwood, Senior Program Officer, [email protected], 617-279-2240, ext. 702 Programs Jeanne Brown, Program Officer, [email protected], 617-279-2240, ext. 709 Life Sciences Consulting Linda Lam, M.B.A., Program Officer, [email protected], 617-279-2240, ext. 710 Strategic Planning Linley Nykiel-Bub, Grants Associate, [email protected], 617-279-2240, ext. 320 Grant Program Evaluation Our team is supported by a talented array of finance, operations, human resources, design, and information technology professionals. Learn more about our Services on page 4 of this Review. Raymond Considine From the President of Health Resources in Action I am pleased to share with you our 2012 Medical Foundation Division Review. This year’s Review highlights our clients’ work promoting the careers of newly minted scientists, awarding grants to established investigators, and making major institutional investments to advance medical discoveries. For more than 55 years, HRiA has been at the forefront of efforts to improve health outcomes by supporting medical research and promoting effective policy and environmental change within communities. Since our inception in 1957, important health issues have receded while others have emerged. What hasn’t changed is our commitment to strengthening communities, advancing health equity and accelerating medical discoveries. Uniquely positioned to work with a range of clients and partners, we bring extensive knowledge of public health practice and biomedical research funding to enhance the nation’s health. These capabilities were recognized last year by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services when we received one of only 107 Innovations Awards to pioneer new and less costly approaches to asthma control. From our community assessments that enable hospitals and health departments to better meet emerging needs to our development of new approaches to reduce problems such as youth violence, we create solutions to today’s most fundamental health challenges. Health Resources in Action has become a trusted source of knowledge and expertise in the ongoing effort to advance individual and population health. Thank you for your interest in our work and in our mission. A We invite you to follow our progress at www.hria.org. i R H f o n o i s M. Laurie Cammisa, Esq., Chair James Corbett, M.Div., J.D. Stephanie Pollack, Esq. i Board of Directors v i D Mary Fifield, Vice Chair Chester W. Douglass, D.M.D., Ph.D. Lisa M. Queenin Health Resources in Action a Eric Kramer, Ph.D., J.D., Treasurer Timothy Edgar, Ph.D. Joan Quinlan ⁄ n o i Nelson Valverde, Assistant Treasurer Lori Fresina Jennifer K. Santos, Esq. t a d Harriet G. Tolpin, Ph.D., Secretary Walter Guralnick, D.M.D. Thaleia Tsongas Schlesinger n u o F Raymond Considine, President Peter Hiam, Esq. Harry P. Selker, M.D., M.S.P.H. l a c Carole E. Allen, M.D. LeRoi S. Hicks, M.D., M.P.H. Miles F. Shore, M.D. i d e M Philip Caper, M.D. Allen B. Kachalia, M.D., J.D. Nebulla Stephen e h T [3] Life Sciences Consulting and Strategic Planning Finding the Best Minds in Science The Medical Foundation division’s Life Sciences Consulting Exploring Philanthropy’s Role and Impact in Supporting provides foundations, bank trust departments and individuals Biomedical Research with the powerful combination of in-depth knowledge spanning Philanthropy has a critical role to play in supporting research laboratory science to clinical research, a wealth of data sources discovery. When a client is considering whether to fund scientific and commitment to finding the best minds in science. investigations, we offer strategic planning to help guide the process. Based upon specific interests, time horizon and funds Imagine you are a funder who wishes to support cutting-edge available, we lay out a range of approaches that maximize the research relevant to a particular disease and you need help impact of their philanthropic support for biomedical research. in identifying leaders in the field, learning about the latest breakthroughs and judging what research projects merit sup - Unlike the National Institutes of Health which must answer to port. To assist such clients, we contact thought leaders from Congress, philanthropists are free to seek out investigators more a vast network of research colleagues representing academic likely to innovate, experiment and take risks. Nongovernmental institutions, the nonprofit funding sector, and pharmaceutical funders are able to move quickly to fill identified gaps in support and biotechnology companies. We also scan the N.I.H. grants and can choose their own distinctive niche. We also work with database, review the scientific literature and evaluate abstracts our clients to define goals at the outset of any funding program of preliminary research findings presented at recent scientific so that a clear evaluation plan is in place to measure the degree meetings. to which program objectives are achieved. The Avis and Clifford Barrus Medical Research Foundation wanted to support innovative research in drug development that could lead to effective therapies for individuals suffering from severe, refractory depression. They retained us to search across the U.S. scientific research community and recommend several accomplished investigators for their consideration. Following review of invited applications, the Barrus Foundation Trustees elected to award $300,000 to Carrie K. Jones, Ph.D., Director of In Vitro and Translational Pharmacology at the Vanderbilt Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Dr. Jones is developing a new compound that may offer rapid alleviation of depression by blocking glutamate receptors, a mode of action completely different from that of antidepressants currently being prescribed. The Harold S. Geneen Charitable Trust enlisted our consulting services to identify promising junior faculty in cardiovascular research. Among those we recommended for consideration, the Geneen Trustees selected Margaret Doyle, Ph.D., University of Vermont, who is analyzing plasma biomarkers to develop a specialized blood test that may improve risk predic - tion of coronary artery disease.