Washington, DC – Congresswoman Rosa L. DeLauro (Conn. -3) announced over $2.2 million for medical research projects at universities in Connecticut, including Yale, Fairfield University, Connecticut College, and the University of Connecticut through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for medical research. The National Institute of Health directs funding to projects that focus on basic research to improve the quality of life and reduce the burdens of illness and disability.

“Investing in medical research allows for scientific development and critical breakthroughs that will enhance people’s quality of life. In doing so, we will help stimulate the economy, as well as ensure America’s leadership in medical research and development,” said DeLauro.

“Congress has recognized that federal support for basic research is an essential piece of the nation’s economic strength and resilience,” said Richard Jacob, associate vice-president for federal relations at Yale University. “Yale is pleased to be a recipient of these funds, which will pave the way for advances that will reduce the cost of healthcare and improve quality of life, while preserving and creating jobs for Connecticut residents.”

Specifically, six Universities and laboratories are receiving recovery funding for the following projects:

Yale University

· Exploring Novel Targeting Strategies for AIDS Protozoal Pathogens, $413,750: to study parasitic enzymes that could serve as targets for the discovery of new drugs to prevent infections in AIDS patients.

· Circadian Regulation of Innate Immune Mechanisms of Viral Recognition, $248,250: to gain basic knowledge about the regulation of the antiviral response, which may help with the design and optimization of new therapies.

· Tick Midgut Proteins Critical for Borrelia Transmission, $206,875: Study aims to identify tick midgut proteins that interact with the Lyme disease bacterium during growth and migration and to examine the impact of this interaction on disease transmission.

· A Systems Biology Approach for Investigating Coxielle burneti Infection, $47,176: to analyze the Coxiella burnetii infection to better understand bacteria-host interactions at the molecular level; may reveal new therapeutic approaches against this pathogen.

· Role of TRIM proteins in the innate cellular antiviral response to HCV, $9,103: to increase understanding of how hepatitis C virus evades the body’s cellular defense, which could inform strategies to develop vaccines or better treatments.

· The Role of Decidual Innate Immunity in the Pathogenesis of Preclampsia, $35, 583: to support one summer position for a teacher to conduct research in pregnancy and maternal-fetal medicine.

· Student and Teacher Training Opportunities, $290,918: to hire student(s) and/or teacher as part of an effort over the next two summers to hire over 3,700 high school and college students and science teachers at NIH-funded laboratories across the country.

University of Connecticut, Storrs

· Mechanism for activation of the antiviral kinase PKR, $299,724: to research how the enzyme PKR is activated. This research may help researchers design new antiviral drugs that will activate PKR to avoid side effects and evade resistance

John B. Pierce Laboratory, Inc. (New Haven, CT)

· Multimodal flavor integration and retronasal olfacation in the rat, $360,000: to investigate the neural basis of flavor perception and the potential benefit to better understand and possibly treat eating-related disorders such as obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Haskins Laboratory (New Haven, CT)

· Student and Teacher Training Opportunities, $16,460: to hire student(s) and/or teacher as part of an effort over the next two summers to hire over 3,700 high school and college students and science teachers at NIH-funded laboratories across the country.

Fairfield University

· Low Coherence Enhanced Backscattering Tomography, $219,395: to develop a new technique for the evaluation of potential surface cancers such as skin, colon, and cervical cancers.

Connecticut College

· Student and Teacher Training Opportunities, $21,482: to hire student(s) and/or teacher as part of an effort over the next two summers to hire over 3,700 high school and college students and science teachers at NIH-funded laboratories across the country.