Portland, Ore.

OHSU School of Medicine moves up nine positions; Oregon Opportunity contributes to success

Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine moved up to 23rd in the nation for competitive funding from the National Institutes of Health in 2004, according to an NIH report released this week. In 2003 OHSU School of Medicine ranked 32nd. NIH is the single largest supporter of university research in the country.

In 2004 OHSU School of Medicine researchers located on OHSU's Marquam Hill and West Campuses attracted $162.8 million in 2004, slightly more than Harvard Medical School.

"In reaching this benchmark, the school's faculty continue a long and proud tradition of excellence in research at the OHSU School of Medicine," said Joseph Robertson, M.D., M.B.A., dean of the OHSU School of Medicine. "A healthy research enterprise is an integral part of preparing physicians to deliver the best and most innovative care for patients. This accomplishment bodes well for the future of medical training and medical care in Oregon."

The Oregon Opportunity is a statewide public/private partnership to make Oregon a national leader in medical research. OHSU received its first installment of public Oregon Opportunity funds in late 2002. NIH research funding garnered by OHSU School of Medicine faculty in 2002 was $117.6 million.

"Through the Oregon Opportunity, we have recruited new faculty and created new resources to house, conduct and translate research into better care for Oregonians," said Daniel Dorsa, Ph.D., OHSU vice president for research. "The fact that we are witnessing this kind of growth even before completion of OHSU's new Biomedical Research Building documents the excellence of our own existing faculty as well as those who have recently been recruited to OHSU. When this and our South Waterfront buildings are complete and occupied, we expect to see a new  level of growth."

Through the Oregon Opportunity, more than 70 top-tier researchers have joined an already impressive roster of OHSU researchers. These include leaders in anesthesiology, biomedical engineering, head and neck cancer, medical genetics, advanced imaging, surgical oncology and many other areas of medical advancement. They come from prestigious institutions such as Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins and Stanford University, among others.

OHSU's Biomedical Research Building, also supported by the Oregon Opportunity, is a 274,000-square-foot building where world-class scientists will work together to translate basic science research into new drugs and treatments for disease. The building will be complete in fall 2005.

Additionally, milestones reached thus far in the Oregon Opportunity effort include:
*  Research funding awards for the entire university have increased 17 percent since 2002 to more than $260 million.
*  A new biomedical engineering program with an average incoming student GPA of 3.7 has been founded.
*  A record number of new companies based on OHSU technologies were created in 2004, for a total of 16 new companies founded in the last three years.
*  A record number of 43 technologies were licensed in 2004, for a total of 89 in the last three years.
*  New research programs have been founded in 23 rural communities.
*  Research capabilities for 120 rural primary care clinicians have been established.
*  State-of-the-art research facilities have been built at Eastern Oregon University in La Grande.