$22.5 million grant and No. 2 Ranking for MHA<

By John R. Finnegan, Jr., Ph.D.
April 9, 2007

The weather may be unseasonably cold this Spring, but our hearts were warmed by some exciting news this past week.

We learned that Prof. Marguerite Pappaioanou and her talented collaborative team, including co-PI Prof. Mike Osterholm, have successfully landed for Minnesota a Center of Excellence in Avian Influenza from the NIH. This is significant for several reasons. It puts the University in rare company -- only a few of these were awarded. To receive one is recognition of our growing excellence in this arena.

Second, it is a benchmark of the importance of collaboration in research. Marguerite is a member of the SPH Division of Epidemiology & Community Health and the College of Veterinary Medicine. Her team spans the AHC and, importantly, the Minnesota Department of Health whose state-of-the art laboratories provide an important platform for this work.

Third, it's important because it's global. Our thanks to Marguerite and her team across the AHC for leading the effort.

We also learned that the Healthcare Management program which moved back to the SPH Division of Health Policy and Management in 2005, has jumped from fifth to second place in national rankings published by U.S. News and World Report. Congratulations to the HM program faculty, alumni, and students!