Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation Announces 2015 Research Fund To Cure Pulmonary Fibrosis Award Recipients

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Oct 01, 2015, 12:32 ET

CHICAGO, Oct. 1, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (PFF) announced today the recipients of the 2015 Established Investigator and Junior Investigator Awards. The Established Investigator and Junior Investigator Awards are funded by the PFF's Research Fund to Cure Pulmonary Fibrosis and are intended to support advances in the scientific understanding and treatment of pulmonary fibrosis (PF).

"The PFF is focused on advancing the care of patients with pulmonary fibrosis through its support of scientific innovation and new therapeutics," said Gregory P. Cosgrove, MD, PFF chief medical officer. "The Research Fund to Cure Pulmonary Fibrosis awards, now in their fourth year, are an integral part of our mission."

The PFF Research Fund directly supports promising research programs and helps researchers obtain additional public and private funding to continue their important work. The fund also provides junior researchers with critical support to continue their studies, without which many researchers might leave the field. PFF follows the ongoing research of past awardees with great interest, such as the recent award of $1.8 million from the National Institutes of Health to Dr. James Hagood of the University of California, San Diego, who is the PFF's 2012 recipient of the Albert Rose Established Investigator Award.

The 2015 Albert Rose Established Investigator Award recipients are:

Tracy Luckhardt, MD, MS: University of Alabama at Birmingham
"Frailty as an Outcome Measure in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis"
Funded by Boehinger Ingelheim
Hon Yuen, PhD, MS: University of Alabama at Birmingham
"Home-Based Pulmonary Rehab for Patients with Pulmonary Fibrosis"

The 2015 I.M. Rosenzwieg Junior Investigator Award recipients are:

Jose D. Herazo-Maya, MD: Yale University
"Serum microRNA Expression Profiles as Biomarkers in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis"
Funded by Genentech
Jonathan Kropski, MD: Vanderbilt University
" RTEL1 and DNA Damage Signaling in Pulmonary Fibrosis"

About the Albert Rose Established Investigator Award and the I.M. Rosenzwieg Junior Investigator Awards
The Research Fund to Cure Pulmonary Fibrosis supports two funds that are awarded each year: the Albert Rose Established Investigator Award and the I.M. Rosenzwieg Junior Investigator Award. The Albert Rose Established Investigator Award is named for PFF co-founder Albert Rose and provides support to established investigators to develop new projects that explore innovative areas of research. The I.M. Rosenzweig Junior Investigator Award is named for Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (PFF) co-founder Mike Rosenzweig and provides support to researchers in the early stages of their academic careers that may maintain and enhance their interest in pulmonary fibrosis (PF).

Launched in 2012, these awards support projects that work toward a better understanding of PF and encourage collaboration between industry and academic researchers. Each grant underwent a peer review process that was administered by the PFF's Scientific Advisory Committee. Each award recipient will receive a $50,000 grant that is distributed over two years. These awards are made possible by private gifts to the PFF and generous sponsorships.

About the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation
The mission of the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (PFF) is to serve as the trusted resource for the pulmonary fibrosis (PF) community by raising awareness, providing disease education, advancing care and funding research. The PFF collaborates with physicians, organizations, people with PF and caregivers worldwide. The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation has a four-star rating from Charity Navigator and is a Better Business Bureau accredited charity. The PFF's Summit 2015: From Bench to Bedside, its third biennial international healthcare conference, will be held November 12-14, 2015 in Washington, D.C. For more information visit www.pulmonaryfibrosis.org or call 844.TalkPFF (844.825.5733) or +1 312.587.9272 from outside of the U.S.

About Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a condition in which, over a period of time, lung tissue becomes thickened, stiff and scarred. The development of the scar tissue is called fibrosis. As the lung tissue becomes scarred and grows thicker, the lungs lose their ability to transfer oxygen into the bloodstream. As a result, the brain and other organs don't receive enough oxygen. In some cases, doctors can determine the cause of the fibrosis, but in many cases, there is no known cause. When the cause of the fibrosis is unknown (and certain pathologic or radiographic criteria are met), the disease is called idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis or IPF. There is no cure for IPF. Presently, there are two FDA-approved treatments for IPF in the U.S.

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SOURCE The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation