Life Sciences Discovery Fund Awards Health Research Program Grants

The Life Sciences Discovery Fund (LSDF) has announced its latest grant recipients. Four Washington State-based research organizations will receive life sciences program grants totaling more than $18 million.

The newly-funded health research initiatives will focus on advancing vaccine development, improving the potential of cardiac resuscitation technology, improving the delivery of mental health and substance abuse services in rural communities, and developing highly-targeted intracellular drug delivery mechanisms.

The Life Sciences Discovery Fund awardees are: Lawrence Corey, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center; Thomas Rea, Seattle & King County (Washington) Department of Public Health; John Roll, Washington State University; and Patrick Stayton, University of Washington.

The grantees were selected by the Life Sciences Discovery Fund Board of Trustees from among 29 proposals that were evaluated by national experts convened by the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

In a rigorous competitive process the proposals were weighted on their scientific merits and their abilities to utilize this funding to provide statewide economic returns, to build a competitive life sciences industry, and to advance health care for Washingtonians.

Funding for the LSDF grant competitions comes from Washington’s allocation of bonus payments under the Master Tobacco Settlement, revenues arising from multi-state litigation with tobacco product manufacturers. This group of awardees is the fourth to be funded by LSDF.