AGA Foundation for Digestive Health and Nutrition Awards First Hartzheim Grant

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• Michael Y. Choi, MD

The AGA Foundation for Digestive Health and Nutrition (FDHN) has named Michael Y. Choi, MD, as the first recipient of the Mary Terese Hartzheim Award for Neuroendocrine Tumor Research.

The Mary Terese Hartzheim Award for Neuroendocrine Tumor Research is a new research award that provides $75,000 per year for 2 years (total $150,000) to a junior investigator who will make meaningful contributions to understanding the biology of carcinoid and neuroendocrine tumors and/or the development of novel therapeutic approaches to this group of diseases. The award's objective is to expand interest and expertise in this specific field of research at academic medical institutions, and to attract new scientists who may not have previously worked in this area. Dr Choi is an investigator at Massachusetts General Hospital and an instructor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, Boston. He was previously named an AGA Foundation Research Scholar Award recipient in 2005.

“We are pleased to be working with the Mary Terese Hartzheim Foundation and Caring for Carcinoid Foundation to fund this grant for individuals who show promise in researching the development, diagnosis and treatment of carcinoid and neuroendocrine tumors,” said Sidney Cohen, MD, AGAF, chairman of the Foundation for Digestive Health and Nutrition. “The AGA Foundation for Digestive Health and Nutrition helps fund gifted scholars to enable them to begin and/or maintain their research programs. We are especially pleased when previous grant recipients continue their work and qualify for additional funding to further their research.”

The 5-year survival rate for intestinal carcinoids in the United States between 1973 and 2002 has remained at 60%. This lack of improvement in treatment success is largely due to an incomplete understanding of the biology underpinning both neuroendocrine tumors and the corresponding neuroendocrine cells.

For more information on the Caring for Carcinoid Foundation, including the group's researchers' scientific work or supportive resources for patients, visit: www.caringforcarcinoid.org.