These facts were more than enough reason for the school to establish the Vascular Biology Institute last year.
Vascular biology is the study of blood vessels and their role in a number of debilitating diseases.
Encompassing conditions like stroke, heart disease, hypertension, kidney failure, and diabetes with its serious complications, blood vessel disease accounts for more than 50 percent of all U.S. deaths, and has for nearly a century, according to government statistics. Recognizing that today's most noteworthy medical breakthroughs result from combined basic science and clinical research, the school identified vascular biology as one of six focus areas for growth in collaboration. While there has been a great deal of research conducted in vascular biology, we lacked a central entity to support and coordinate related projects. With Dr. Striker having been a program development specialist for the NIH, specifically the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, there is no better person to have at the helm. With Type 2 diabetes reaching epidemic proportions in the United States, according to Dr. Striker, diabetes and its blood vessel complications are a major institute focus.