TRUSTEES: Behavioral Medicine Center

NEW INSTITUTE TO RESEARCH CONNECTION OF MIND, BODY

COLUMBUS -- The Institute for Behavioral Medicine 
Research at The Ohio State University will enhance research 
in psychoneuroimmunology -- a new field of medicine that 
investigates the connection between mind and body.

The University Board of Trustees on Friday (2/2) 
approved a proposal from a group of pioneering researchers 
from four colleges at Ohio State to establish the institute.

In 1982, seven faculty joined to study how behavior 
influences interaction of the central nervous system, the 
immune system and endocrine system, said Ronald Glaser, 
professor of medical microbiology and immunology.  Glaser, 
who holds the Gilbert and Kathryn Mitchell Chair in the 
College of Medicine, will serve as the institute's first 
director.

Today, the 12 members of the group have expertise in 
immunology, virology, psychiatry, psychology, endocrinology, 
molecular biology, behavior, heart reactivity, oncology and 
neuroscience.

The research group is one of the largest in the world 
to study the relationship of stress and disease using human 
subjects. Faculty are looking at topics related to 
preventive medicine, such as how the stress of caring for 
Alzheimer's disease patients affects the health of 
caregivers.

Eventually, the institute will have 20 faculty members 
who, in addition to conducting research, will work with 
graduate students from several disciplines and post-doctoral 
fellows.

The group already is successful in obtaining research 
grant support, with an annual budget of $4.5 million. 
Included are National Institutes of Health grants such as a 
$2 million, 10-year Merit Award and a four-year, $4 million 
program project grant.

The formation of an institute helps the group compete 
for increasingly scarce government funds, and opens the door 
to establishing an endowment with private donations and 
grants from private foundations, Glaser said.

The institute will benefit the entire university, 
Glaser noted. For instance, faculty already have received 
attention from newspapers, magazines, television networks 
and radio stations nationwide.  Also, several members of the 
group have been appointed to prestigious professional 
committees and organizations.

                          #

Contact: Ronald Glaser, (614) 292-5526, or William Malarkey, 
member of the institute's executive committee, (614) 293-
8775.
Written by Gemma McLuckie.


[Submitted by: Von Reid-Vargas (ereid@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu)
               
Mon, 5 Feb 1996 09:00:23 -0500]
All documents are the responsibility of their originator.