DEC Announces Receptients of $5 Million Equipment Grant 1
beau...@mr4dec.enet.dec.com
Date: 18-Jun-1992 11:54am EDT
From: Angie Beaudette @MRO
BEAUDETTE.ANGIE
Dept: Education Marketing
Tel No: 297-7001
TO: Remote Addressee ( _decwrl::"esl-l%ubvm.bitnet" )
Subject: DEC Announces Receptients of $5 Million Equipment Grant
Jamie Pearson
(508) 493-2149
DIGITAL EQUIPMENT CORPORATION ANNOUNCES
RECIPIENTS OF $5 MILLION EQUIPMENT GRANT
TO HIV/AIDS AND ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE RESEARCH
MAYNARD, Mass. -- June 17, 1992 -- Digital Equipment Corporation
today announced the recipients of a $5 million program that
provides equipment resources to 23 research, education and
hospital programs worldwide dealing with HIV/AIDS and Alzheimer's
Disease research.
The 23 HIV/AIDS and Alzheimer's Disease research institutions
receiving equipment resources from Digital were selected based on
a Request for Proposals (RFP) process which began in November
1991. Originally planned as an 18 month program, the process was
completed in 6 months, due to overwhelming response from the
institutions.
The equipment grant program, funded through Digital's Corporate
Contributions Program, selected the institutions based on their
use of computer technology to enhance major research and support
leading-edge programs for populations at risk. The recipient
organizations, and their use of Digital's equipment grants
include:
Institut Pasteur, France
World Health Organization, Switzerland
Medical Nobel Institute, Sweden
Prince Leopold Institute for Tropical Medicine, Belgium
Scripps Clinic and Research Foundation, La Jolla, CA
Boston University Medical Center Multi-Institutional
Research in Alzheimer Genetic Epidemiology (MIRAGE),
Boston, MA
INSERM, France
Laboratoire B3E - Faculte de Medecine St Antoine, France
Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research,
Rochester, MN
Mt. Sinai Medical Center, New York, NY
University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill Department of
Radiation Oncology, Chapel Hill, NC
Washington University Medical Center Institute for
Biomedical Computing, St. Louis, MO
In addition, HIV/AIDS and Alzheimer's education and awareness
programs were selected to receive equipment grants. These
include:
Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Association,
(ADRDA), Chicago, IL
American Foundation for AIDS Research, New York, NY
(AMFAR)
Family Health International (FHI), Research Triangle
Park, NC
State of New York Department of Health: AIDS Institute,
Albany, NY
Tel Aviv Elias Sourasky Medical Center, Israel
The following hospital programs health services also will receive
grants:
Bailey-Boushay House, Seattle, WA
Centre Hospitalier de Tourcoing, France
Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Grenoble, France
Sacco Hospital, Italy
St. Clair's Hospital, Spellman Center for HIV-Related
Disease, New York, NY
St. Vincent's Hospital and Medical Center of New York,
New York, NY
Digital's investments in health care represent a long-term,
ongoing commitment to making high-quality, affordable services
available to its employees, their families and the communities in
which they live and work. The company provides grants to promote
advances in research and encourages creative initiatives that
provide education and awareness of health concerns, disease
prevention and rehabilitation.
In addition to the RFP, Digital has invested more than $5 million
in program that promote research, education and awareness of the
AIDS pandemic since 1986. "We are gratified by the caliber of the
response we received to the RFP," said Jane Hamel, Digital's
manager of the Corporate Contributions Program. "By supporting
these leading health organizations, Digital continues its
commitment to helping find solutions for critical health issues
worldwide."
A detailed list of recipients is attached.
Digital Equipment Corporation, headquartered in Maynard,
Massachusetts, is the leading worldwide supplier of networked
computer systems, software and services. Digital pioneered and
leads the industry in interactive, distributed and multivendor
computing. Digital and its partners deliver the power to use the
best integrated solutions - from desktop to data center - in open
information environments.
####
CORP/92/701
HIV/AIDS AND ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE INSTITUTIONS
RECEIVING EQUIPMENT GRANTS FROM DIGITAL EQUIPMENT CORPORATION
THROUGH HEALTH CARE INITIATIVE REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS PROGRAM
The following institutions have been named recipients of
equipment resources from Digital Equipment Corporation.
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
INSTITUT PASTEUR, FRANCE -- Due to the rapid growth of the AIDS
epidemic, the Institut Pasteur will invest mainly in research of
a vaccine. A $620,000 equipment grant from Digital will help the
institute to federate multiple labs through a common network of
computing resource allocations in order to share information.
WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION, SWITZERLAND -- A $500,000 equipment
grant was awarded in support of the WHO's program on dementia,
including Alzheimer's disease. The WHO conducts and coordinates
international, multi-center studies in which clinical, biological
and epidemiological data of individual patients are collected.
National research institutions and clinics participate in such
work. Large amounts of data on individual patients are
collected, including blood data, and biological signals obtained
in the EEG, brain-mapping, PET (Positron Emission Tomography).
MEDICAL NOBEL INSTITUTE, SWEDEN -- Digital approved a $345,000
equipment grant to assist the Institute in research pertaining to
electron microscopic technology (EMT) applied in HIV cells.
Using Digital's DECstation systems, the EMT technique has been
employed to visualize in 3-D the various structures the
infectious genome of the HIV attains during its course of
organization towards a highly infectious state in the mature
virus.
PRINCE LEOPOLD INSTITUTE FOR TROPICAL MEDICINE, BELGIUM -- The
Institute has more than 60 years of experience in tropical
disease control. It was created in 1931 to prepare physicians to
work in Africa. After 1960, the Institute's activities spread to
South America and Asia. As an international institution involved
in scientific research and post-graduate education on third world
healthcare, the laboratory has played an important role in the
discovery of a new test in 1987 to detect the AIDS virus, and in
1988 in the discovery of a variant of the AIDS virus. With an
$80,000 equipment grant, Digital's technology will be used for
statistical processing of data gathered in Africa from high risk
populations.
SCRIPPS CLINIC AND RESEARCH FOUNDATION, LA JOLLA, CA -- More
than $97,000 was awarded to enhance research pertaining to a
select number of human brain problems including addictive
disorders, Alzheimer's Disease and the dementia associated with
HIV/AIDS. Research is conducted in collaboration with leading
investigators at the University of California, San Diego, as well
as with Mt. Sinai School of Medicine in New York. Ongoing
research will have strong impact on other unexplained
neuropsychiatric disorders including Alzheimer's, schizophrenia,
Parkinson's and Huntington's.
BOSTON UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER MULTI-INSTITUTIONAL RESEARCH IN
ALZHEIMER GENETIC EPIDEMIOLOGY (MIRAGE), BOSTON, MA -- The
Neurogentics Laboratory received a $26,000 equipment grant to
further research of inherited neurological disorders and assist
in providing clinical services to patients. Research is done in
collaboration with Byran Alzheimer's Disease Research Center
(ADRC) at Duke University, Massachusetts ADRC, Toronto ADRC and
related Disorders Clinic, U/Washington Alzheimer Disease Patient
Registry and the Wein Center at Mount Sinai Medical Center in
Miami and is supported by several grants from the National
Institute of Health and private foundations.
INSERM -- INSERM, the equivalent of the U.S. National Institute
for Health, received a $483,000 equipment grant from Digital. To
determine risk factors for DAT (Dementia for Alzheimer Type)
Digital's technology is putting in place a process that would use
a modeling technique based on the biggest population sample as
possible and several generations for each individual. These data
are combined with numerous criteria, either genetic or
environmental, that lead to complex volume calculations. The
main models are PAQUID (over 4000 people) and EVA (1500 people).
LABORATOIRE B3E - FACULTE DE MEDECINE ST. ANTOINE, FRANCE -- B3E
is a group of laboratories hosted by the St. Antoine Hospital.
They are the only laboratories in France to deal simultaneously
with both statistical analysis and pure biological research on
AIDS. Digital's $420,000 grant will enhance research on
transfusion associated risk, epidemiology modeling and molecular
epidemiology.
MAYO FOUNDATION FOR MEDICAL EDUCATION AND RESEARCH, ROCHESTER, MN
-- The foundation is the administrative parent for the
independent programs of clinical practice, education and research
with campuses in Rochester MN, Jacksonville FL, and Scottsdale
AZ. A $372,212 equipment grant will expand the Rochester
VAXcluster to permit more effective service for the Alzheimer's
Brain Bank (one of 50 nationwide). The equipment will also
enhance administration and networking between the Alzheimer
Research Team in Jacksonville and colleagues at other Mayo
campuses.
MT. SINAI MEDICAL CENTER, NEW YORK, NY -- An internationally
renowned center in New York consisting of Mt. Sinai Hospital and
Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, the center is one of the nation's
Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers (ADRC) funded by the
National Institute on Aging. Digital's $145,000 equipment grant
will expand existing systems at the Fishberg Research Center for
Neurobiology, and enhance collaboration with researchers at other
laboratories using Digital technology, including Scripps Research
Institutes in La Jolla, CA. The equipment will provide the power,
speed and flexibility necessary to do 3-D reconstruction of nerve
cells and brain regions.
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA - CHAPEL HILL DEPT. OF RADIATION
ONCOLOGY, CHAPEL HILL, NC -- As a major HIV/AIDS research center,
one of the Department's emphasis in AIDS research is with a
National Institute of Health project under which an AIDS Dementia
Center has been established. Digital's nearly $125,000 equipment
grant will be used in the NIH-funded project to research the
onset and progress of dementia. The project is being done in
collaboration with Washington University, St. Louis (see below)
U/Washington, Seattle and the National Cancer Institute.
WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER (WUMC) INSTITUTE FOR
BIOMEDICAL COMPUTING, ST. LOUIS, MO -- WUMC is among the the
nation's NIH-supported Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers
(ADRCs), and is a leader in the development of methods for early
diagnosis. A $500,000 equipment grant will support both Rural
Education Networking and Research Computing facilities for
advancements in Alzheimer's and AIDS. The Center and its
collaborators will enhance the application of high-performance
parallel-processing systems for research. In rural areas,
equipment will also assist WUMC in educating physicians while
processing additional clinical information needed for the
research program at the Alzheimer's Disease Research Center.
EDUCATION/AWARENESS PROGRAMS
ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE AND RELATED DISORDERS ASSOCIATION, CHICAGO IL
(ADRDA) -- Established in 1980 as a national voluntary health
agency dedicated to researching the prevention, cure and
treatment of Alzheimer's and related brain diseases, ADRDA
comprises 215 chapters in all 50 states, more than 1,600 support
groups and over 35,000 volunteers nationally. The organization
received $335,000 to acquire technology that will support its
many research, education and service programs. The equipment
grant will also help initiate the automation of local and
regional Alzheimer's chapters nationwide.
AMERICAN FOUNDATION FOR AIDS RESEARCH, NEW YORK NY (AMFAR) --
Internationally renowned for its interest in funding significant
AIDS biomedical investigations, the organization has provided
more than $39 million to more than 620 AIDS-related projects in
areas of biomedical research, prevention education and public
policy development. Digital awarded AMFAR nearly $147,000 to
acquire DECpc's and networking to enhance administrative
capabilities, educational programming and communications. The
equipment will upgrade existing systems at its three sites in
Los Angeles, New York and Washington D.C.
FAMILY HEALTH INTERNATIONAL (FHI), RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC --
A major multi-disciplinary organization engaged in research and
technical assistance for contraceptive development, reproductive
health, family planning and AIDS and other Sexually Transmitted
Disease (STD) prevention in developing countries, FHI was awarded
a $500,000.00 equipment grant to implement AIDSTECH. With a $168
million AIDS prevention grant awarded to the organization by the
U.S. Agency for International Development, FHI is launching
AIDSTECH to increase the ability of developing countries to
design, and evaluate AIDS prevention programs at the community
and national level. Digital's equipment will pilot the
networking of project offices in Thailand, Zimbabwe, Senegal and
South American countries.
STATE OF NEW YORK DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH: AIDS INSTITUTE, ALBANY NY
-- As the central agency coordinating New York State's response
to the HIV/AIDS epidemic the AIDS Institute implements HIV
prevention programs, coordinates health care and support
services, educates the public and health care providers in New
York and develops policy and directs regional and state planning.
Digital's equipment grant of more than $121,000 will complement
funds allocated to the organization through the Ryan White Act of
1990 to establish a Pediatric HIV/AIDS Comprehensive Care Center.
In addition, Digital's technology will help implement an
innovative training and information exchange program regarding
prevention programs, health care, support services and treatment.
TEL AVIV ELIAS SOURASKY MEDICAL CENTER, ISRAEL -- Among the many
areas of treatment and research, the Center is particularly
involved in Alzheimer's disease because of the elderly population
in Tel Aviv -- about 2-3 times that of other cities in Israel.
The Center is involved in a population-based survey on dementia
and in the study of risk-factors for dementia in Alzheimer's
disease. The Medical Center's Clinic Immunologic Unit
coordinates the AIDS program. Its main functions are diagnosis
and treatment of HIV-positive subjects, social support,
education, HIV testing of blood and tissue donors, detection of
high-risk behavior and follow-up. They are carrying out an
extensive epidemiologic survey among risk groups in greater Tel
Aviv. Digital's $151,000 equipment grant will assist in the
implementation of both AIDS and Alzheimer's projects.
HOSPITAL PROGRAMS HEALTH SERVICES
BAILEY-BOUSHAY HOUSE, SEATTLE, WA -- A 35-bedroom, 24-hour
skilled nursing facility and adult day health program for people
living with AIDS in Seattle-King County, Bailey-Boushay is a
first of its kind facility in the country that is dedicated to
the care of people with AIDS. Digital's $172,500 equipment grant
will support the clinical, financial, evaluative, and research
functions for the residential portion of the facility and the
Adult Day Health Program. As a national pilot program, database
information will be shared, published and made available to
communities serving People with AIDS and those who are
HIV-positive.
CENTRE HOSPITALIER DE TOURCOING, FRANCE -- Digital approved a
$198,000 equipment grant to launch a project to build an
inter-hospital multimedia network that will support a therapeutic
AIDS research pilot experiment in France. This network will
transfer files including text and numerical data, scanner images,
and vocal data and will provide help to patients treated by
complex therapeutic protocols in different sites of the same
area. It will also provide physicians with an efficient
real-time cooperative tool on a regional, and later national,
scale.
CENTRE HOSPITALIER UNIVERSITAIRE DE GRENOBLE, FRANCE -- A
$192,000 equipment grant was awarded to initiate a program that
would allow for better patient/doctor contact. Since it is
impossible to provide for daily visits by the doctor or nursing
care, Digital's technology will provide remote computerized
homecare. Practically, through regular private phone lines, the
patient will enters data about his condition daily on a small
numeric-only terminal. Based on this input, the doctors can
decide to modify the prescription, as well as collect data for
epidemiological and therapeutical statistical analysis.
SACCO HOSPITAL, ITALY -- The Sacco Hospital is located in Milan,
whose region counts for more than 35% of the AIDS cases in Italy.
A $520,000 equipment grant was made to the hospital to improve
assistance to all HIV-positive patients through the
computerization of its general and diagnosis services. The
technology will also assist in providing data to the hospital's
researchers.
ST. CLAIR'S HOSPITAL, SPELLMAN CENTER FOR HIV-RELATED DISEASE,
NEW YORK, NY -- The largest designated acute and ambulatory care
program for HIV on the East Coast in the area of Manhattan --
reported by the Department of Health as having highest per capita
HIV incidents in the nation -- Spellman received a $57,000
equipment grant to expand outreach efforts to deliver early
intervention services to underserved populations that are seen as
hardest hit by the epidemic including drug users, women,
minorities, homosexual men, parolees and the homeless.
Digital technology will replace a manual system to evaluate
treatment protocols, investigate risk factors, and conduct
analysis of any other combination of factors affecting the course
and severity of HIV-related disease.
ST. VINCENT'S HOSPITAL AND MEDICAL CENTER OF NEW YORK, NEW YORK,
NY -- A University Hospital of New York Medical College, the
Hospital's Infectious Disease Clinic (IDC) receives over 700
outpatient visits monthly and, annually, over 7000 patients
attend one of the nine weekly clinical sessions. With a $90,000
equipment grant, an AIDS Center Database Project will be
established in support of medical, case management, and
administrative functions of the Center's outpatient program. The
equipment will provide a computerized clinical and social work
database to allow 24-hour access and will provide a replicable
model for other caregivers.
####
Note to Editors: DECpc, DECstation, and VAXcluster are
trademarks of Digital Equipment Corporation.