Congressman Cohen Announces $996,893 in NIH Grants to UTHSC

MEMPHIS - Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) today announced that the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) will receive two grants totaling $996,893 from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

One, for $747,893 is for research on Angiotensins, Prostaglandins and Adrenergic Interactions and comes from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. The research is under the direction of Dr. Kafait Malik of the Department of Pharmacology, Addiction Science and Toxicology, who has been at the university for more than 50 years. These studies will help us better understand the underlying sex differences in hormonal metabolism which will aid in the development of new medications to treat hypertension and certain types of neuroinflammation, vascular dysfunction, and kidney damage in both men and woman.

The second, for $249,000, is for extended amygdala somatostatin's role in post-traumatic stress and alcohol use disorder and comes from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. PTSD and alcohol use disorder are often comorbid diseases, and their interactions can drive greater risks in alcohol drinking and relapse. The research is under the direction of Dr. Bryan Cruz, also of the Department of Pharmacology, Addiction Science and Toxicology. Dr. Cruz is working to identify the molecular mechanisms underlying PTSD and alcohol use disorder in specific regions of the brain associated with stress, anxiety, and fear behaviors.

Congressman Cohen made the following statement:

"Understanding the chemistry involved in heart disease and alcoholism is critical in developing the kinds of therapies used to treat them. I commend Drs. Malik and Cruz on their dedication to this important work, and to the university for its support of these projects."

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