PEDIATRIC BIOSCIENCE ANNOUNCES “DISCOVERY GRANT” WITH UNIVERSITY OF
CALIFORNIA TO STUDY GENE EXPRESSION IN AUTISM
M.I.N.D Institute Researcher to Lead Project
SACRAMENTO, California (May 22, 2007) – Pediatric Bioscience LLC, today announced that it has reached an agreement for an Industry University Collaborative Research Program (IUCRP) Discovery Grant with the University of California. According to the terms of the agreement, Pediatric Bioscience will sponsor research in the laboratory of Dr. Frank Sharp, Professor in the Department of Neurology, School of Medicine and part of the Research Faculty of the M.I.N.D. Institute.
Pediatric Bioscience was formed in 2006 by a group of researchers, parents and experienced business leaders with the goal of bringing to market diagnostics and therapeutics to predict, diagnose and eventually treat children with autism.
“Dr. Sharp is a leader in the research of the genetic causes of autism. Hopefully the research we are supporting will provide insight into whether or not certain specific gene expression traits are being passed on from parent to child, leading to susceptibility to autism in those children,” said Dr. Thomas R. Anderson, CEO of Pediatric Bioscience. “This is an early step, but a very important one, in the effort to create a realistic test for prospective parents.”
As part of the Discovery Grant, Pediatric Bioscience will provide funds to support a two-year effort in Dr. Sharp's laboratory; the State of California will provide matching funds.
About UC Discovery Grants
UC Discovery Grants are matching grants awarded by the Industry-University Cooperative Research Program (IUCRP) with state and university funding to leverage industry investments in UC research, effectively forming a 3-way research partnership between UC, California Industry, and the State. The IUCRP was founded in 1996 to strengthen California's R&D economy. UC Discovery Grants help California R&D companies and University of California researchers build long term partnerships through cooperative research projects. Companies report that UC Discovery Grants enable them to perform research that they could not have undertaken in-house, and young companies say the grants help them raise money from investors.
UC Discovery Grants invest in 5 fields of science that drive the competitiveness of California's economy: biotechnology, communications and networking, digital media, electronics manufacturing and new materials, and information technology for life sciences. There are three grant submission cycles with proposal submission deadlines in October, January and May for all fields. More than $15 million in IUCRP funds is available each year. For more information, please visit www.ucdiscoverygrant.org.
About Pediatric Bioscience
Pediatric Bioscience was formed in 2006 by a group of researchers, parents and experienced business leaders with the goal of bringing to market diagnostics and therapeutics to diagnose and eventually treat children with autism. The company is based in Sacramento, California. For more information about Pediatric Bioscience, please visit www.pediatricbioscience.com.
Media Contacts:
For information on Pediatric Bioscience
Josh Morgan
Morgan/Dorado Public Relations
Phone: (916) 941.0901
Email: josh@morgandorado.com |
