FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, October 28, 2024
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Gov. Justice signs HB 206 allocating $2 million to the WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute for expanded research
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MORGANTOWN, WV — Gov. Jim Justice today ceremonially signed House Bill 206 providing $2 million in funding to the WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute.
The funding will allow the RNI to expand upon its current world-leading research using focused ultrasound technology to treat Alzheimer’s disease, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance use disorder, and other conditions.
“What is happening here at WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute is the most groundbreaking work in healthcare today,” Gov. Justice said. “Our talented doctors are true champions of medicine, and I believe they are the finest in the nation. Now, the world knows it, too. These dollars will allow us to continue leading the way in healthcare innovation and putting West Virginia on the map. I can’t thank you all enough for your incredible work—you’re changing lives every day.”
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At the signing ceremony, Gov. Justice was joined by Dr. Ali Rezai, RNI executive chair, WVU President Gordon Gee, state lawmakers, and WVU academic and Health System leaders.
“I want to thank Gov. Justice and our friends in the Legislature,” Gee said. “With their continued support, West Virginia University is on the cutting edge of patient care and neurological research.”
In a first in-human study, published earlier this year in the New England Journal of Medicine and featured on the CBS News program 60 Minutes, the RNI research team showed that focused ultrasound in combination with anti-amyloid-beta monoclonal antibody treatment can accelerate the clearance of amyloid-beta plaques in the brains of patients with Alzheimer’s disease.
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The RNI team’s initial research has also demonstrated that focused ultrasound is safe and can reduce cravings and drug use in people with addiction.
The team hopes to use a similar approach to initiate clinical trials aimed at reducing cravings related to food addiction and reducing triggers and symptoms of PTSD for veterans.
“On behalf of the RNI team, I would like to thank Gov. Justice, Speaker Roger Hanshaw, and the West Virginia Legislature for their visionary leadership and support in making West Virginia a world leader in research innovation for the treatment of addictions, PTSD, and Alzheimer’s disease,” Rezai said.
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