Osteopathic Heritage Foundation awards nearly $11.5 million to Ohio University for medical research and medical education

For more information:
Rick Vincent
Osteopathic Heritage Foundation
Toll-free 866/737-4370 or
Leonard Raley
Ohio University
740/593-0061

(COLUMBUS, OHIO) – The Columbus-based Osteopathic Heritage Foundation (www.osteopathicheritage.org) today announced grants totaling $11,461,289 to Ohio University for osteopathic medical research and medical education programs and a research facility. With these grants, the Foundation has approved more than $15 million in grants to the university since 1999.


Integrated Research Facility

A $10 million contribution to the university will cover one-third of the cost to design, construct and equip an integrated research facility on the Athens campus. In keeping with the university’s establishment of biotechnology research and education as priorities, the 100,000-square-foot research facility will bring together multi-disciplinary teams of researchers from the College of Osteopathic Medicine, the Fritz J. and Dolores H. Russ College of Engineering & Technology, the College of Health & Human Services and the College of Arts & Sciences to work together to develop new methods of medical diagnosis and treatment.

“The ultimate goal of the integrated research facility is to improve health and quality of life in the community-at-large, and specifically Appalachian Ohio, by focusing research efforts on diseases endemic to the region,” said Richard Vincent, Foundation president. “Additional beneficiaries include the medical, engineering and other students and their faculty mentors.”

“We are deeply grateful to the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation for its enthusiastic commitment to osteopathic medical training at Ohio University. The Integrated Research Facility will enable osteopathic medical students to engage in cutting-edge multidisciplinary research,” said Ohio University President Roderick J. McDavis. “The strengthening and expansion of our osteopathic medical program with this new facility will substantially advance research, research education and training capacity. It is an investment in the future of the osteopathic medical profession and the future health and well-being of the community we serve.”

The integrated research facility project is contingent upon Ohio University obtaining the remaining $20 million needed. If fundraising is successful, the facility could open by the end of 2008.


College of Osteopathic Medicine awards for medical education and research

The Foundation also approved $1,461,289 in funding for the Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine over the next five years. It enables the College of Osteopathic Medicine to establish a central research office for the Centers for Osteopathic Research and Education ($777,618), conduct interdisciplinary neuromusculoskeletal research ($397,421), and establish the infrastructure for diabetes education research and physician training ($286,250).

The Centers for Osteopathic Research and Education consortium includes nearly 400 medical students and 500 post-graduate physicians at Ohio University and 11 Ohio hospital training sites. The Foundation grant will fund research administrators and biostatisticians at a central office and four regional centers to increase students’ and physicians’ skills and interests in conducting clinical research that can lead to improved methods of diagnosing and treating patients. The staff will provide support and instruction to design studies, improve the quality of research conducted and coordinate multi-site clinical trials.

The first post-graduate research site developed will be at Doctors Hospital in Columbus.

Foundation funding will also help provide faculty and staff for Ohio University’s Institute for Neuromusculoskeletal Research, promoting interdisciplinary research on the musculoskeletal system and its neural control.

“This research capitalizes on the traditional strengths of osteopathic musculoskeletal medicine and will encourage physicians at osteopathic medical colleges to collaborate on studies determining the efficacy of osteopathic manipulative medicine as an adjunctive and complementary treatment,” said College of Osteopathic Medicine Dean Jack Brose.

“The osteopathic profession has an opportunity to enhance its impact on healthcare as well as strengthen its leadership in manual medicine through research into neuromusculoskeletal systems,” Vincent said. “The Osteopathic Heritage Foundation is proud to play a role in advancing osteopathic medicine and the quality of healthcare.”

“With the Centers for Disease Control predicting one in three Americans born in the year 2000 will develop diabetes and an even higher rate expected in Appalachia, it is essential that primary care physicians are prepared to manage this disease,” Vincent explained.

The Foundation award enables the College of Osteopathic Medicine to develop the nation’s first diabetes fellowship for primary care physicians – a one-year program to train primary care osteopathic family practitioners, internists and pediatricians as specialists in diabetes.

The fellowship also includes a two-year program with a research component to train osteopathic clinical faculty and physician researchers.

“This advanced training will improve the quality of patient care in southeast Ohio and add to the College of Medicine’s regional and national recognition as a leader in diabetes research and care,” according to Brose.

In 2000 a $1.5 million Foundation gift established the J.O Watson, DO, Endowed Research Chair at the College of Medicine. That position is dedicated to diabetes and cardiovascular research.

The Osteopathic Heritage Foundation, which has approved funding awards in excess of $68 million since 1999, supports health and quality of life issues in central Ohio through targeted initiatives. It is also the nation's pre-eminent foundation supporting osteopathic medical education and research. Additional information about the Foundation is available online at www.osteopathicheritage.org.

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