Precision Medicine Initiative To Get Big Boost with $40 M Grant

BLOOMINGTON - Indiana University announced the first recipient of nearly $40 million in funding as part of a new research initiative Monday. The winning project focuses on disease prevention and treatment and will result in the hiring of 40 new faculty members.

IU calls it the Grand Challenges Program, what amounts to $300 million awarded to up to five different programs over the next five years. It aims to bolster strengths within the university and put a large amount of money into tackling big problems.

The winner of the first chunk of that money is the Precision Health Initiative.

“Over the next ten years, within IU, we will cure at least one cancer, we will cure at least one childhood disease, and we will create prevention methods for at least one chronic disease and one neurodegenerative disease,” said project leader Anantha Shekhar.

He said precision health is about ensuring the prevention and treatment of a disease is tailored to an individual.

Fred Cate, IU's vice president for research, said none of the money brought in for the Grand Challenges initiative came out of other research projects. Cate said they’re not sure when the second recipient will be announced, but that it could be within the next year.