Area woman Pamela Steele recently participated in the evaluation of
research applications submitted to Peer Reviewed Medical Research
Program (PRMRP) sponsored by the Department of Defense.
Steele was nominated for participation in the program by a recommendation from The Arthritis Foundation.
As a consumer reviewer, Steele was a full-voting member, along with
some prominent scientist, at meetings to help determine how the $278.7
million appropriated by Congress for Fiscal Year 2016 will be spent
covering 39 topic areas.
Consumer reviewers are asked to represent
the collective view of patients and family members when they prepare
comments on the impact of research on issues such as diagnosis,
treatment and quality of life.
“I felt pride in giving an opportunity to actually be able get funds
into the hands of worth researchers, who may be able to help and/or
cure many different illnesses, syndromes and give better quality of
life to both enlisted and those not enlisted,” Steele said. Consumer
advocates and scientist have worked together in this unique partnership
to evaluate the scientific merit of vision, clinical and rehabilitative research applications.
Colonel Wanda L. Salzer, M.D., director of the congressionally-directed medical research
programs, expressed her appreciation for the perspectives of the
consumer advocates in the scientific review sessions.
“The Consumer
Reviewers on each panel are instrumental in helping the scientist
understand the patient’s perspective and provide valuable insight into
the potential impact of the proposed project. They bring with them a
sense of urgency and remind all of the human element involved in medical
research” she said.
Scientists applying propose to conduct
innovative research focused on the treatment and rehabilitation of
arthritis, one of the topic areas included in the PRMRP, which fills
important gaps not addressed by other funding agencies. The PRMRP
supports groundbreaking, high-risk, high-gain research while encouraging
out-of- box thinking.
p.s. by the way....On my article that was published in the paper a couple of days ago,
yesterday I went to see my Cardiologist for my follow up visit, and SHE
told me she was proud of me and thrilled it was in the paper! So, I know
some people saw it, and when your doctor says that it really makes you
proud!
:)
So, thanks to Dr. Meg Sullivan for being an excellent Cardiologist and
for really "taking care" of her patients heart, mind, body and soul. She
really "cares"
