Kaptur Applauds Award of Over $400,000 for UToledo to Study Alcohol Abuse TreatmentsPress ReleaseJobs and the EconomyHealth Care

Washington, DC - Today, Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09) announced that the University of Toledo's Health Science Campus will be receiving a federal grant from the Department of Health and Human Services' National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. This $419,701 funding award will support further research into the GLT-1 protein, which shows promise of combatting alcohol addiction. Congresswoman Kaptur has long been supportive of initiatives that curb substance abuse and dependency which impacts millions of Americans, including many across Northwest Ohio.

"Alcohol addiction and abuse wreaks havoc on far too many homes within our region, state, and country," said Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09). "Countering the tragically easy pathways of addiction and abuse is a mission that requires all of us to help those suffering, and the families, and lives it impacts. I am thrilled that the scientific community at the University of Toledo is committed to leading this vital effort and was happy to help them secure Federal funding to do so."

"I have been fortunate to receive $2.2 Million over five years from the National Institutes of Health to develop small molecule compounds that show potential in treating alcohol addiction," said Youssef Sari, Ph.D. Professor and Vice Chair of the University of Toledo College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. "These compounds have been proven to decrease alcohol dependence by restoring brain chemistry and protecting the brain. Having reached the end of preclinical testing, we are now seeking support to advance these small molecules into clinical trials."

Research teams at the University of Toledo's Health Science Campus receiving this funding are led by Professor Youssef Sari, Ph.D., a research expert and academic focused on finding and testing therapeutic drugs and small molecules for the treatment of alcohol and opioid abuse and dependency. Due to his numerous scientific achievements, he has received Federal funding for a variety of research through the National Institute for Health over the past 15 years and has published many high impact, peer reviewed articles and books on the subject.

As a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee, Congresswoman Kaptur has been instrumental in delivering federal support to University of Toledo research efforts. UToledo was recently recognized with as an R1, top-tier university for Doctoral Universities: Very High Research Activity in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.

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