PHILADELPHIA PA, August 23 – Congressman Chaka Fattah (D-PA), the top Democratic Appropriator for neuroscience and federal science agencies, announces that the University of Pennsylvania, Drexel University, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and University of the Sciences – all in West Philadelphia’s University City area –will receive $3,517,518 in seven grants for cutting-edge research in neuroscience and other medical research.

“University City, with its nationally recognized research universities, hospitals and other institutions, is at the center of our efforts to learn how the brain works, how it misfires, and how we can treat and prevent brain disease or injury,” Fattah said. “I am committed to leading our nation to raise the priority, funding and coordination of federally supported brain injury and disease research.”

Fattah said the three grants for neuroscience research at Penn, totaling $2,713,695, were awarded this week by the National Institutes of Health in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH awarded $215,044 to CHOP for research for mothers and children on the effects of poverty on neural and cognitive development in an infant’s first year.

Fattah also announced three grants from the National Science Foundation, which has awarded $175,000 to University of the Sciences for an MRI medical study and $413,779 in two grants to Drexel University for scientific and technical research. That includes $400,000 under the NSF’s Faculty Early Career Development program, known as CAREER. This program supports junior faculty, especially women and underrepresented minorities, who set the standard as outstanding teacher-scholars and researchers.

In addition to these seven research grants for $3.5 million, Fattah said that the Family Planning Council at 1700 Market Street, Philadelphia, will receive a $125,000 grant for sexually transmitted diseases health prevention training from HHS.

Fattah is the senior Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee’s Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and related agencies, which oversees appropriations for the National Science Foundation, NOAA, NASA and the White House Office of Science and Technology as well as the Departments of Commerce and Justice.