Two UF faculty members appointed to state Biomedical Research Advisory Council

Two University of Florida College of Medicine faculty members recently were appointed to an advisory panel that will oversee state spending on research into tobacco-related illnesses.

Dr. Kenneth I. Berns, UF’s vice president for health affairs and dean of the College of Medicine, and Dr. Edward R. Block, a professor of medicine and associate chief of staff for research at the Malcom Randall Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Gainesville, will serve three-year terms on the nine-member state Biomedical Research Advisory Council.

The council sets policy for the state’s Biomedical Research Program, which is designed to support research on the diagnosis and treatment of tobacco-associated diseases including cancer, cardiovascular disease, stroke and pulmonary disease. The program is supported by the Lawton Chiles Endowment Fund for Health and Human Services, which was created with money the state received when it settled its lawsuit against the tobacco industry.

Berns was one of six members appointed by Gov. Jeb Bush. Block was appointed by the American Lung Association. The other two members were selected by the American Cancer Society and the American Heart Association.

The council will advise the secretary of the Florida Department of Health on priorities and budget for the Biomedical Research Program, and assist with establishing standards for awarding research grants, developing and supervising research peer review panels, and providing oversight for the dissemination of research results.

The council also will submit an annual report outlining program activities and the progress in the treatment of disease related to tobacco use.