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Smith Family Foundation and the American Diabetes Association Award Excellence in Diabetes Research

Posted on: Thursday, 8 September 2005, 12:01 CDT

BOSTON, Sept. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Diabetes Association (ADA) Research Foundation today announced that the following scientists from Harvard Medical School, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center: Anthony Hollenberg, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine, (principal investigator); Christian Bjorbaek, PhD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Joel Elmquist, DVM, PhD, Associate Professor of Medicine and Neurology; and Young-Bum Kim, PhD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, received the Richard and Susan Smith Family Foundation Pinnacle Program Project Award for their study of the interaction of the brain and hormones which impact obesity and blood glucose metabolism.

This premier award supports investigators who are developing basic science, clinical and translational research aimed at better understanding or preventing the onset of type 2 diabetes. The Pinnacle Program Project Award, which is jointly funded by the Smith Family Foundation and the American Diabetes Association, was established to provide grant support to stimulate new collaborations between investigators working on independent but complementary research projects in diabetes. The grant, totaling $1.5 million, began September 1, 2005 and will continue through August 31, 2007. The Richard and Susan Smith Family Foundation established the first ADA Pinnacle Program Project in the nation; this is the second group of investigators to receive this award.

The American Diabetes Association funds research aimed at preventing and curing diabetes, as well as research designed to help people with diabetes live longer, healthier, more normal lives. The goal of the ADA research program is to leverage its investment in research to achieve the greatest possible benefit for people with diabetes. In funding innovative research such as that led by this group, the research program supports research projects that cover the spectrum of diabetes-related investigation.

To receive the Smith Family Foundation Pinnacle Program Project Award, each investigator submitted an independent research grant application, including additional details about how his or her project complements those of other applicants under the umbrella of a unifying theme.

"We're honored to have been chosen for this award and are very grateful to the ADA and the Smith Family Foundation. This funding will allow us to further investigate pathways in the brain that regulate body weight and glucose metabolism and determine their impact on the development of obesity and type 2 diabetes," said Anthony Hollenberg, MD, principal investigator of the umbrella project. "We have a superb team of investigators working on this project, and we look forward to getting one step closer towards the goal of advancing diabetes prevention and treatment."

Pinnacle Awards are designed to encourage and enable collaboration across several scientific disciplines. This group's Pinnacle Award funds an umbrella project entitled "Identification of novel hypothalamic signaling pathways regulating body weight and glucose homeostasis," and includes the following individual projects:

* Anthony Hollenberg, MD "Transcriptional regulation of arcuate nucleus function" * Christian Bjorbaek, PhD "Hypothalamic leptin and insulin receptor signaling and neuropeptide release" * Joel Elmquist, DVM, PhD "The role of PI3K signaling in the arcuate nucleus" * Young-Bum Kim, PhD "Role of hypothalamic Rho-kinase in the regulation of food intake and glucose homeostasis"

"As the incidence of type 2 diabetes continues to rise dramatically, we need more resources in the fight against this often preventable disease," said Don Wagner, Chair, American Diabetes Association Research Foundation. "Thanks to the Smith Family Foundation's generous support, we can help direct valuable funds to projects such as these that will truly help with the prevention and treatment of this devastating disease."

"The Smith Foundation Pinnacle Award is unique in that it encourages several scientists, working in diverse disciplines, to collaborate and move forward toward a common goal," said Richard Smith, Co-Chairman of the Richard and Susan Smith Family Foundation. "This is the second such grant funded by the Foundation through the American Diabetes Association, and we look forward to continuing our support of cutting edge science that will contribute toward prevention, treatment and even a cure."

Diabetes is a chronic disease and a silent killer. 18.2 million Americans have diabetes and more than 1,000,000 are newly diagnosed each year. Diabetes is the nation's fifth deadliest disease, killing more than 213,000 people annually. In 2002, diabetes cost the United States $132 billion, up from $98 billion in 1997. A major risk factor for heart disease and stroke, diabetes is also the leading cause of blindness, kidney failure and amputations.

The American Diabetes Association is the nation's premier voluntary health organization supporting diabetes research, information and advocacy. Founded in 1940, the Association has offices in every region of the country, providing services to hundreds of communities. The Association's commitment to research is reflected through its scientific meetings; education and provider recognition programs; and its Research Foundation and Nationwide Research Program, which fund breakthrough studies looking into the cure, prevention, and treatment of diabetes and its complications. For more information, please visit http://www.diabetes.org/ or call 1-800-DIABETES (1-800-342-2383). Information from both these sources is available in English and Spanish.

American Diabetes Association

CONTACT: Diane Tuncer, ADA National Office, +1-703-549-1500 ext. 2290,or Lauren Wiley, ADA Boston Office, +1-617-482-4580 x3459, both of AmericanDiabetes Association

Web site: http://www.diabetes.org/

Source: PRNewswire

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