Louisiana State university has been awarded more than two million dollars—the largest grant it has ever received— to establish an international center for medical research and training.
The grant, totaling $2,090,588, came'from the National Institutes of Health, Allergies and Infectious Diseases section of the US Public Health Service.
Gen. Troy H. Middleton, president of LSU, said the five-year grant "will enable the university to make an important contribution to the health of this part of the world." Name Given
The international center will be known as the Middle America
Center for Medical Research and Training, he said.
Dr. William W. Frye, vice-president of the university and dean of the school of medicine in New Orleans, will be director of the grant. He is also professor of tropical medicine at the school.
The center will conduct collaborative research and training at the two units, one at the school of medicine and the other in San Jose, Costa Rica.
Expand Research
"We will expand research on aealth problems common to the Middle Americas, such as the various parasitic and, diarrheal diseases, amebiasis, carcinoma of the stomach, the various virus diseases, atherosclerosis and leprosy," said Dr. Frye.
"We will also strengthen research on certain diseases localized in tropical countries, such as leishmaniases, chagas disease and onshocerciases. We will also develop long-term epidemiological studies dealing with specific health problems of the different areas."
The Middle American center will deal with the area geographically surrounding the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea, the southern coast of North America, the islands of the Caribbean, the northern coast of South America, Panama, Central America and Mexico.
List Facilities
The overseas unit's facilities will include the San Juan de Dios hospital and the new University of Costa Rica medical school, and it will co-operate with t h e Costa Rican Public Health Department and other medical facilities; according to Dr, Frye.
Personnel to staff the two units of the center are now being appointed. Operations are expected to begin Sept. 1.
The US Public Health Service announced grants in March to four other universities to establish similar research centers in co-operation with foreign medical institutions. The grants: were to Tulane university, the University of California, Johns Hopkins university and the University of Maryland.
