UTA is in the process of hiring additional researchers for its \u201cbrain health cluster\u201d to study dementia. Weisberg was one of the two faculty members hired so far, and the university plans on hiring two more. The university invested $6.2 million in its new Clinical Imaging Research Center last year, cemented by a new magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine.<\/p>\n
Nelson and O\u2019Bryant said their schools intend to seek the new funding available through the new state institute.<\/p>\n
The Dementia Prevention and Research Institute of Texas is the second of its kind created by the state. Voters approved creating the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, or CPRIT, in 2007.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As of February, the cancer institute awarded $3.7 billion in grants to Texas-based researchers. In a press release<\/a>, the institute reported it has aided the establishment, expansion or relocation of 74 companies to the Lone Star State.<\/p>\n O\u2019Bryant noted many universities didn\u2019t have large-scale cancer research before CPRIT. Given what has resulted from that investment, including new cancer therapies and the creation of new research facilities, O\u2019Bryant expects a similar effect for dementia.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s really hard to say how important this is and how amazing the implications it has for our broad base for the state of Texas,\u201d O\u2019Bryant said. \u201cFor the patients, for our economy, this is just amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n From Weisberg\u2019s perspective, the new funding is important. Dementia research is costly given the resources needed to gather enough people for large studies and track them over time.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cSimilar to researching other diseases, there\u2019s an opportunity to actually help people by doing this research, and we can learn something fundamental\u201d about dementia, Weisberg said. \u201cWho knows what future innovation this is going to lead to as a result.\u201d<\/p>\n Ismael M. Belkoura is the health reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at ismael.belkoura@fortworthreport.org<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here<\/a>.<\/p>\n \n\tRelated\n<\/p>\n Fort Worth Report is certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative<\/a> for adhering to standards for ethical journalism.<\/p>\n Republish This Story<\/p>\n
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