Washington, D.C., Aug 1 - Congressman Silvestre Reyes (D-TX) announced today that the Department of Health & Human Services, through the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, will award a $531,600 research grant to the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP).

The funds will support a project entitled “Effector and Regulatory Activities of HLA-E-restricted HIV-specific abCD8 T Cells,” under the direction of Professor June Kan-Mitchell. The project is designed to assist public and private nonprofit institutions and individuals in establishing, expanding, and improving biomedical research and research training in allergic and immunologic diseases and related areas.

“I am pleased that the Department of Health and Human Services has granted funding for this important project, and the grant will help UTEP as it strives to reach Tier 1 status,” said Congressman Reyes. “I congratulate UTEP and all those involved in this research.”

Through its grants the Allergy, Immunology, and Transplantation Research Program aims to assist public, private, and commercial institutions in conducting developmental research; producing and testing research materials; and providing research services as required by the agency for research progress in allergic and immunologic diseases.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is the United States government’s principal agency for protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services, especially for those who are least able to help themselves.