The Department of Surgery received $1.94 million in grant funding in the month of October, increasing the department’s extramural funds to $7.25 million, more than double the FY18 baseline of $3 million.
“The steady increase of our portfolio is validation of the tremendous talent and resilience of our surgeons and their scientific curiosity across the translational science continuum,” said Vice Chair of Research, Dr. Peter J. Gruber.
One third of the department faculty currently receive funding for projects that encompass the basic, clinical, and outcomes sciences.
“Outcomes and genetics will be key research areas for surgery in the coming year, as continue to grow our ranking and reputation,” said Dr. Gruber.
The Department of Surgery was listed #36 in The Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research 2019 report, which ranks U.S. Medical Schools by analyzing the National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant awards each year.
Dr. Gruber’s five-year goal for the department is to break the Blue Ridge top 20; however, he is quick to clarify:
“Blue Ridge captures only a sliver of a school’s portfolio. Our real research mission in the department is to foster a thriving culture that supports the full diversity of our investigators efforts and sets up the next generation of surgical-scientists to lead the field.”