The Hartwell Foundation Recognizes the University of Michigan as a Top Ten Center of Biomedical Research

Awards the University a Hartwell Fellowship

ANN ARBOR, Mich., May 21, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Hartwell Foundation has again named the University of Michigan (U-M) a Top Ten Center of Biomedical Research, having recognized the U-M in this way every year since 2006.

Recognition from the foundation honors U-M as an institution that excels in biomedical research and serving children's health. The foundation has also awarded the U-M funding for a post-doctoral fellowship in biomedical science. The latest U-M Hartwell Fellowship recipient is William J. King, postdoctoral research fellow in the School of Dentistry's Biological and Materials Sciences Department.

Hartwell Fellowships provide two years of support to scientists for research and specialized training in the early stages of their careers.

King, the sixth U-M Hartwell Fellowship recipient, focuses his research on the development of new bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) drug delivery devices used in oral and orthopedic surgery. He examines the process whereby BMPs are released from different drug delivery devices and their effect on growing bones.  His research will help determine how other large-molecule drugs can be used to address difficult to treat injuries and diseases.

A passion for science and an interest in technology inspired King to pursue a career in the engineering of medical devices. He earned his B.S. in bioengineering from the University of Toledo and his M.S. and Ph.D. in biomedical engineering from the University of Wisconsin. His long-term research interests include biomaterials, drug delivery and stem-cell research.

The University has been awarded five Individual Biomedical Research Awards and six Hartwell Fellowships since the foundation began recognizing biomedical research centers in 2006. Hartwell Foundation Research Centers of Excellence are selected through a qualification process, taking into account the shared values institutions have with The Hartwell Foundation relating to children's health. The presence of a medical school and biomedical engineering program, and the quality and scope of ongoing research are also considered in the qualification process.

Top Ten Centers of Biomedical Research are invited to nominate candidates to receive funding for biomedical research, and this year, the University will once again submit nominations for awards and fellowships.

The Hartwell Foundation seeks to inspire innovation and achievement by offering individual researchers an opportunity to realize their professional goals.

For more information visit www.thehartwellfoundation.org

CONTACT: Judy Malcolm, +1-734-647-7583, [email protected]

SOURCE University of Michigan