The section chief of molecular medicine at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, Dr. Richard Loeser Jr., has received a $1.89 million federal grant for his research.

The Method to Extend Research in Time grant comes from the National Institutes of Health's National Institute for Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.

The funding will be applied to Loeser's research in osteoarthritis, providing for five years of research funding, with the potential for up to five additional years of funding.

The grants support "investigators whose research competence and productivity are distinctly superior and who are highly likely to continue to perform in an outstanding manner," according to the institute's website. Candidates are identified by program staff and members of the relevant institute's section as research grant applications are being reviewed.

"Osteoarthritis is the most common cause of chronic disability in older adults, but treatments to slow the progression of the disease are lacking," Loeser said.

"The results from this project will provide new information about basic mechanisms relevant to cartilage breakdown in osteoarthritis. We need this information in order to discover new targets and develop new therapies for slowing or stopping the progression of the disease."

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Doctor gets grant for osteoarthritis research