During a time of fierce competition for federal funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other governmental entities, researchers at Penn State College of Medicine and Penn State Hershey responded through enhanced collaboration, greater focus on translational research, an increase in the number of total grant submissions and continued reliance on a broad range of funding sources.

The result was one of the most successful years the College and Medical Center have experienced in terms of securing extramural research funding. The organization reported more than $98 million in research funding support during the 2006-07 fiscal year, the second highest total in its history.

Over the past year, Penn State researchers at Hershey have secured funding for vital health sciences endeavors such as diabetic retinopathy, colorectal cancer, and reducing disparities for treatment and care among diverse populations in the communities we serve. Clinical trials have been conducted to explore the roles of blood sugar and high cholesterol on the fertility of women considered high risk; study an implantable mesh sleeve designed to maintain or reduce the size of an enlarged heart as an option for treating chronic heart failure; and test the effectiveness of a drug—originally designed to treat alcohol and drug addiction—in relieving inflammatory symptoms related to Crohn’s disease.

The new Hershey Center for Applied Research opened in May 2007 adjacent to the Medical Center campus, beginning a new chapter of collaboration between Penn State Hershey and the private sector. The Center is the result of an innovative partnership between the Hershey Trust, The Harrisburg Regional Chamber and Capital Region Economic Development Corporation, The Harrisburg Keystone Innovation Zone, and owner/developer Wexford Science and Technology. Building One now houses Penn State College of Medicine’s Department of Pharmacology and Office of Technology Development. The Hershey Center for Applied Research is intended to foster opportunities for “bench to community” translational research as private firms recruited to the new Center add their business expertise to the College and Medical Center’s culture of discovery.

Meanwhile, Penn State Hershey continues to be the beneficiary of many private organizations and foundations that support its research. They include the Foreman Foundation, which has contributed nearly $900,000 toward melanoma research at Penn State Hershey, and the Jake Gittlen Cancer Research Foundation, which has raised more than $11 million over the past 38 years and funded studies on the Human Papillomavirus  that contributed significantly to the development of Gardasil®, the world’s first cervical cancer vaccine.