{"id":47423,"date":"2000-04-26T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2000-04-26T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/2000\/04\/26\/1-3-million-renewable-award-to-unmc-researcher\/"},"modified":"2022-08-29T10:55:31","modified_gmt":"2022-08-29T15:55:31","slug":"1-3-million-renewable-award-to-unmc-researcher","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/2000\/04\/26\/1-3-million-renewable-award-to-unmc-researcher\/","title":{"rendered":"$1.3 Million Renewable Award to UNMC Researcher"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/FONT><\/I><\/p>\n


UNMCs Dr. Lynell Klassen Receives Prestigious MERIT<\/p>\n

Award from NIH<\/FONT><\/B><\/p>\n

University of Nebraska Medical Center researcher Lynell Klassen, M.D.,<\/p>\n

has received the prestigious Method to Extend Research in Time (MERIT)<\/p>\n

Award from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism of the<\/p>\n

National Institutes of Health. The five-year award totals $1.3 million.<\/p>\n

Dr. Klassen, the Stokes-Shackleford Professor of Medicine and associate<\/p>\n

chief of staff for research for the Omaha Veteran’s Administration Medical<\/p>\n

Center, is only the second UNMC faculty member ever to receive the award.<\/p>\n

Irving Zucker, Ph.D., professor and chairman of physiology and biophysics,<\/p>\n

received a MERIT Award in 1992.<\/p>\n

“This means the work of our research team has been recognized at a national<\/p>\n

level as being important and productive,” Dr. Klassen said. “It also makes<\/p>\n

it much easier to continue our work for a longer period of time.”<\/p>\n

Chancellor Harold M. Maurer, M.D., said the national award is a testimony<\/p>\n

to Dr. Klassen and UNMC. “Only a small number of MERIT Awards are made<\/p>\n

each year and it’s rare for a clinician to get one of these awards,” Dr.<\/p>\n

Maurer said. “It’s great national recognition for Dr. Klassen and demonstrates<\/p>\n

the outstanding research being done by him at our campus.”<\/p>\n

Established in 1986, the MERIT Award is designed to provide long-term,<\/p>\n

stable support to investigators who are noted for their superior research,<\/p>\n

competence and productivity. Dr. Klassen was selected for his outstanding<\/p>\n

contributions to immunology and alcohol research. His grant examines how<\/p>\n

the body reacts to abnormal proteins formed when people drink excessive<\/p>\n

amounts of alcohol.<\/p>\n

Prospective candidates for the MERIT Award are identified by institute<\/p>\n

staff members and reviewed by the National Advisory Council on Alcohol<\/p>\n

Abuse and Alcoholism. Criteria for selection include a regular research<\/p>\n

project grant that is considered highly meritorious, a previous record<\/p>\n

of scientific achievement and grant support and research in an area of<\/p>\n

recognized importance or special promise.<\/p>\n

“This is an award to the team, not specifically to me,” said Dr. Klassen.<\/p>\n

“This is a highly collaborative research project depending on a variety<\/p>\n

of people.”<\/p>\n

Dr. Klassen’s immunology and alcohol research has been active since<\/p>\n

the early 1990s. Because the MERIT Award can be renewed in five years if<\/p>\n

the research project continues to meet certain criteria, it means Dr. Klassen’s<\/p>\n

research likely will be funded for 10 years.<\/p>\n

Co-investigators for the project are Geoff Thiele, Ph.D., Dean Tuma,<\/p>\n

Ph.D., Mike Sorrell, M.D., all of internal medicine; and Tom McDonald,<\/p>\n

Ph.D., pathology and microbiology.<\/p>\n

A native of Hillsboro, Kan., Dr. Klassen joined UNMC in 1982 as an associate<\/p>\n

professor. He was elevated to professor in 1990. He received his M.D. from<\/p>\n

the University of Kansas School of Medicine in 1973. Prior to joining UNMC,<\/p>\n

he was on the faculty at the University of Iowa. From 1975 to 1977, he<\/p>\n

served as a clinical and research associate in the Arthritis and Rheumatism<\/p>\n

Branch of the NIH.<\/p>\n

UNMC is the only public academic health science center in the state.<\/p>\n

Through its commitment to research, education, outreach and patient care,<\/p>\n

UNMC has established itself as one of the country’s leading centers for<\/p>\n

cancer research and treatment, solid organ transplantation and arthritis.<\/p>\n

During the past year, nearly $31 million in research grants and contracts<\/p>\n

were awarded to UNMC scientists, and UNMCs funding from the National Institutes<\/p>\n

of Health increased by 28 percent, going from $16.2 million to $20.7 million.<\/p>\n

UNMC’s educational programs are responsible for training more health professionals<\/p>\n

practicing in Nebraska than any other institution.<\/p>\n


 <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

UNMCs Dr. Lynell Klassen Receives Prestigious MERIT Award from NIH University of Nebraska Medical Center researcher Lynell Klassen, M.D., has received the prestigious Method to Extend Research in Time (MERIT) Award from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism of the National Institutes of Health. The five-year award totals $1.3 million. Dr. Klassen, the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":79,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-47423","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","department-press-release"],"yoast_head":"\n$1.3 Million Renewable Award to UNMC Researcher<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"UNMCs Dr. Lynell Klassen Receives Prestigious MERIT Award from NIH University of Nebraska Medical Center researcher Lynell 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