Scientific Support

“We grew funding in most of our colleges and in every category,” said Richard S. Larson, MD, PhD, vice president for Health Sciences research. “This continues to show the success of our research strategy.”

The total included $173 million in funding from federal sources, including $73 million from the National Institutes of Health.

Research in the UNM School of Medicine accounted for $189 million of the total, with another $13.7 million in the College of Pharmacy, which is one of the leading pharmacy programs nationally for NIH grant awards. In addition, the UNM Clinical & Translational Science Center (CTSC) received nearly $29 million in funding.

The CTSC has been instrumental in building support structures to help faculty conduct research, Larson said, adding that staying nimble to take advantage of emerging federal research priorities has also been key to UNM’s success.

UNM Health Sciences research has had a meaningful impact on health care in New Mexico and the U.S., Larson said. “Our research advances the understanding, diagnosis and treatment of numerous diseases, including behavioral health, asthma, cancer, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, substance abuse, heart disease and many others.”

HSC researchers have established projects in many underserved and rural areas of New Mexico that have improved their access to treatment, explored new ways to address chronic disease and increased access to clinical trials and state-of-the-art technologies, Larson said. “In short, research brings hope.”

The Health Sciences research mission also provides significant economic impact and job creation, Larson said. 

“New discoveries and patents stimulate the creation of new private companies in our state,” he said. “The growth of the bioscience industry in New Mexico depends on a vibrant and growing academic health center research mission at its foundation."

Larson credited Health Sciences researchers for this year’s achievement. “Without the dedication, insight and ideas of our faculty, the important works of UNM Health Sciences would not be possible,” he said.