Medindia LOGIN REGISTER
Medindia
Advertisement

Global Probiotics Council Announces First Awardees for New Young Investigator Grant for Probiotics Research

Friday, July 25, 2008 General News
Advertisement
ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 24 The Global Probiotics Council(GPC), a committee established in 2004 by Groupe DANONE and Yakult Honsha Co.,Ltd., announced the two awardees who will receive the inaugural YoungInvestigator Grant for Probiotics Research (YIGPRO) today. The program wascreated to identify young rising stars who will continue to contribute to theadvancement of probiotics and gut microbiota research in the United States.
Advertisement

Ajay S. Gulati, MD, an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics in the departmentof Pediatric Gastroenterology at the University of North Carolina at ChapelHill, was selected for his research proposal, "Antimicrobial Peptide MediatedAlterations of the Gut Microbiome in Nod 2/IL-10 Deficient Mice." Thisresearch will focus on a very important mechanistic process that could helpresearchers understand how host immune responses control the bacterialpopulation that lives in the gut.
Advertisement

The other grant will be awarded to Matthew A. Ciorba, MD who is anInstructor in Medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology at WashingtonUniversity in Saint Louis. His proposal, "Probiotic Bacteria Protect fromRadiation Induced Intestinal Injury: Mechanisms of Action" also scored at thetop. This study could make an important contribution in understanding themechanisms by which a probiotic may protect the intestine from celldestruction caused by radiation.

The Global Probiotics Council was pleased with the impressive quality ofthe applications received. A rigorous review and evaluation of all theapplications was provided by the U.S. Probiotics Scientific Board SelectionCommittee, which is composed of W. Allan Walker, MD, Conrad Taff Professor ofNutrition at Harvard Medical School, Mary Ellen Sanders, PhD, ExecutiveDirector, International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics(ISAPP), and Balfour Sartor, MD, Distinguished Professor of Medicine,Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Thiscommittee scored the research proposals submitted by Dr. Ciorba and Dr. Gulatithe highest.

The objectives of the grant program are to stimulate innovative researchrelevant to the field of gut microbiota, to support young investigators, andto attract new researchers into this field. Every year, new evidence is beingdiscovered about the benefits of probiotics on human health, in areas likehelping fight infections or improving gut comfort. The full potential ofmicro-organisms that help all of us live better continues to be unraveled. Newresearch is now emerging that looks at functions of our gut microbiota inareas like obesity and inflammation. This is why it is believed thatadvancement in this whole research field is key to the development ofprobiotic food that contributes to good health at all ages of life.

"We received many excellent applications for the first year of thisgrant," said Sven Thormahlen, Executive Vice President R&D, Danone Research."We hope the two young investigators will advance our knowledge in the growingfield of probiotics and provide insight into the mechanistic processes whichpromote human health."

"We have a long history working with probiotics in Japan. We hope this newprogram will spark interest and excitement in the global field of probiotics,"says Mr. Ryuji Chino, Senior Managing Director, Yakult Honsha Co., Ltd.

The Global Probiotics Council will provide $50,000 over the course of oneyear to both Dr. Ciorba and Dr. Gulati and their respective institutions.

Additional details and future announcements on the Young InvestigatorGrant for Probiotics Research program can be found athttp://www.probioticsresearch.com.

The Global Probiotics Council (GPC) is a committee established in 2004 byGroupe DANONE and Yakult Honsha Co., Ltd. The role of the GPC is to promoteand/or advance probiotics in the world, through means such as:

i. Raising public awa
Sponsored Post and Backlink Submission


Latest Press Release on General News

This site uses cookies to deliver our services.By using our site, you acknowledge that you have read and understand our Cookie Policy, Privacy Policy, and our Terms of Use  Ok, Got it. Close