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SUNY scientists at the heart of cardio research
Oct. 6, 2005 SUNY Buffalo researcher Glenna Bett Over the years, research has been a key weapon in the fight against heart disease and stroke, which kill about 960,000 Americans annually. And the State University of New York is among the institutions in the Northeast sharing in more than $40 million in funding from the American Heart Association for research projects aimed at eliminating the nation's No. 1 and No. 3 killers. "Most young investigators in cardiac and stroke research rely on the AHA to provide money to perform the pilot studies that later develop into large, government-funded projects," said Glenna Bett, a scientist who heads one of five ongoing studies in Buffalo funded by the heart association and its northeast affiliate. Bett is a member of the Buffalo Health Sciences Center chapter of United University Professions, the New York State United Teachers affiliate representing academic and professional faculty at SUNY. SUNY Buffalo and SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse together are receiving nearly $2.8 million from AHA to fund a total of 15 heart and stroke research studies. One study in Bett's lab involves a key protein that regulates electrical activity in the heart. "Unfortunately, in recent years, numerous sudden cardiac deaths have been linked to unintended interactions between this protein and drugs prescribed for conditions seemingly unrelated to the heart," she explained. If scientists can better understand this protein and why it interacts with such a wide assortment of drugs, she added, it will aid the development of more targeted drugs and lead to fewer deaths. The heart association also provides support for training pre- and post-doctoral students, noted Bett, a former AHA post-doctoral fellow herself. The AHA's research committee chair for the six-state northeast region said there is a reason for funding researchers in the early stages of their careers. "By providing assistance and support at this crucial career junction, we hope to be able to increase the ranks of physician-scientists who choose to make research a significant part of their contribution to the mission," said Dr. Wilson Colluci of Boston Medical Center in Massachusetts. — John Strachan |
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