IU School Of Medicine Set Record For 2017 Funding

The Indiana School of Medicine announced a record year in research funding. Scientists helped bring in more than $135 million last year from the National Institutes of Health.

The funding sets the school in the top 33 systems funded by the federal agency. It has increased more than 40 percent since 2013 and has helped build the school’s research infrastructure.

IU School of Medicine dean Jay Hess says they also benefit from an environment of collaboration in Indianapolis.

“We have an excellent research ecosystem here with the support and collaboration of other universities and foundations,” says Hess.

Anantha Shekhar, executive vice president of academic affairs for clinical research, says the school leads research efforts in one area.

“Two of our biggest grants are really addressing both the discovery part as well as the clinical part of Alzheimer’s,” says Shekhar.

The largest grant was a $7.6 million gift to start research on a early onset Alzheimer’s. Other focus areas of research include Alzheimer’s, cancer and diabetes.

The grants also benefits the central Indiana area.

“For every dollar invested in research at a medical school it provides $2.60 in economic activity through both direct spending by the schools and their employees,” says Hess, referencing a 2011 economic study.

The school received more than $316 million in research funding from all sources last year.