NIH Director awards $8 million for innovation
October 2010 | Volume 9, Issue 5
Photo courtesy of Embrace
Stanford University will use
Recovery Act funding to
integrate existing multi-
disciplinary programs into
a consortium to develop
new diagnostics, drugs
and devices that can be
implemented in the
developing world, such as
this low-cost infant
warmer that uses an
innovative wax
incorporated into a
sleeping bag.
An $8 million NIH Director's award will provide Recovery Act funds to establish a global health consortium at Stanford University to accelerate progress in rolling out affordable diagnostics, drugs and devices for global health. Fogarty will administer the grant, which will encourage integration of the university's business, design, medicine and engineering programs to cultivate new collaborations and expand scientific progress in global health.
"Many scientific advances in global health are stalled in the developing world due to lack of affordability, design modeling or business implementation plans," says Dr. Michele Barry, who will lead the effort. "Our economists and social scientists will ensure that new or redesigned diagnostics, drugs and devices are scalable, have high impact and can be implemented and commercialized."
Barry also expects to stimulate new jobs in the U.S. by encouraging innovative business models for global health products. The research capacity of each program will be strengthened by cross-fertilizing disciplines, she says. Economic projections and cost-effectiveness analysis will be an early component in any design process.
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