Endowments
Iams company Funds In Vitro Research (8/2005)
The Comparative Orthopaedic Laboratory at the University of Missouri-Columbia received nearly $500,000 from The Iams Company to fund the groundbreaking arthritis research conducted at the lab. Researchers at the lab have developed several unique models that allow in-depth study of arthritis without the need for using research animals. The unrestricted gift will fund a research assistant professor position in the lab.
“This gift is absolutely vital to our growth and success,” said James Cook, director of the lab, professor of veterinary medicine and surgery, and William C. Allen Endowed Scholar for Orthopaedic Research. “We have chosen to use the money to fund a research assistant professor who will focus on understanding and diagnosing arthritis toward finding a cure. The position is at the heart of the lab’s mission and work, and allows us to really be on the leading edge of orthopaedic research.”
The gift, which totals $461,203, will be split into payments made over a five year period. Iams, a division of Procter & Gamble and leading provider of pet foods and pet care products, became interested in supporting the Comparative Orthopaedic Laboratory because of the lab’s use of in vitro models for the study of osteoarthritis – a method that avoids the use of research animals while still offering useful, relevant and timely data.
“The Comparative Orthopaedic Laboratory’s in vitro methods are at the forefront of medical science both in the potential for developing pet foods that might alleviate the pain of arthritis as well as in the breakthrough it represents for making progress without animal testing,” said Allan Lepine, a nutritionist with Iams.
Cook said the laboratory is one of only a handful of labs in the world that uses a comparative approach to develop and test in vitro models for osteoarthritis that mimic the disease as it occurs in real life in people and animals.
“Osteoarthritis in dogs applies well to humans because the same changes are seen in both species on all levels; it just happens faster in dogs,” Cook said. “This is a major advantage in that we can compress the timeframe for finding answers. The dog has been used as the model for human osteoarthritis for at least four decades and has been validated to be a good model. The great thing is that we can use dog cells and tissues from the model and apply them directly to both humans and dogs for clinical implications."
Bob and Judy Reeves Endowment for Arthritis diagnostics (7/2005)
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The Reeves Family |
Bob and Judi Reeves have established an endowed fund in support of the work of the Comparative Orthopaedic Laboratory. This extremely generous donation is directed toward our work in early diagnosis of arthritis, and will support personnel, equipment, and research in this area. Bob and Judi have been wonderful supporters of our work, philosophically and financially, since the laboratory started, and this recent gift is a tremendous boost for us. We are extremely grateful and believe that this support will greatly advance our work in early diagnosis of arthritis such that prevention and cure will someday be possible.
Gordon Family Endowment for Arthritis Research (1/2005)
An endowed fund has been established in memory of Robert B. Gordon and David R. Gordon in support of the work of the Comparative Orthopaedic Lab (COL). All donations directed toward the Robert B. Gordon Arthritis Fellowship and all non-directed donations to the COL will be added to this endowment. The Gordon Family Endowment will continue to fund the Robert B. Gordon Arthritis Research Fellowship, research in arthritis, and personnel working in arthritis research in the COL. Donations can be made payable to The Comparative Orthopaedic laboratory, University of Missouri.
William C. Allen Endowment for Resident Research in Orthopaedics
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Dr. Cecil Moore, Dr. Jason Calhoun, Dr. Jimi Cook, and Dr. William Allen |
An endowed fund has been established by Dr. William C. Allen, Professor Emeritus in the School of Medicine’s Department of Orthopaedics. Dr. Allen has been a generous supporter of the COL from our inception, and now has established this endowed fund in further support of our work. The funds from this endowment will support all of the research in the COL with resident research always maintaining a high priority. This endowment provides funds for Dr. James Cook, who was established as the first William C. Allen Endowed Scholar for Orthopaedic Research at The University of Missouri on January 19, 2005. Donations to expand this endowment will be accepted and can be coordinated through the Department of Orthopaedics in the School of Medicine.