Congressman Cohen Announces $2.3 Million in Health and Human Services Grants to UTHSC, St. Jude and Methodist Le Bonheur Community Outreach

WASHINGTON - Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) today announced that the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) will receive a $1 million grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to expand the maternity care workforce under the direction of Dr. Mary Fouquier of the College of Nursing. Congressman Cohen also announced Methodist Le Bonheur Community Outreach will receive a grant of $450,000 for its Delta Region Maternal Care Coordination Program from HRSA.

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital will receive a grant of $921,871 from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke to study the structural basis of signal instigation under the direction of Dr. Georgios Skiniotis, director of its Center of Excellence for Structural Cell Biology. Proteins are 3-dimensional and drug-binding, and can subtly alter that shape to induce, enhance, reduce, or prevent something else downstream in the biological system from occurring. Dr. Skiniotis' team will use advanced cryogenic electron microscopy techniques to directly observe several proteins, the metabotropic glutamate 2 and 5 (mGluR2 and mGluR5), and γ-aminobutyric acid B receptors (GABABR) which bind the neurotransmitters glutamate and glycine receptor, in combination with another critical protein class, called the G-proteins. The mGluR2, mGluR5, and GABABR are part of a substantial class of receptors, called the G-protein coupled receptors (GPCR). Approximately 35 percent of all FDA-approved drugs target these GPCRs. Thus, the detailed structural information that Dr. Skiniotis' team seeks to uncover will assist in the development of new drugs for these critical targets.

Congressman Cohen made the following statement:

"In a region with high levels of infant and maternal mortality, these investments in training nurses and outreach to the community will save lives. St. Jude continues to do critical research at the cellular level that will result in discoveries and improve outcomes. I congratulate all three recipients of this funding for the life-saving work they are doing."

# # #