Dec. 30, 2020
HARRISBURG – Penn State College of Medicine and Penn State Harrisburg have been awarded grants to continue their cutting-edge research, according to Sen. John DiSanto (R-15), Sen. Dave Arnold (R-48) and Rep. Tom Mehaffie (R-Dauphin).
The Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) grants are from a program that supports acquisition and construction of regional economic, cultural, civic, recreational and historical improvement projects.
A grant of $750,000 was awarded to Penn State College of Medicine to support research in all medical fields, including cancer treatment. The school plans to renovate and expand its research facilities at 500 University Drive and 700 HMC Crescent Road in Derry Township.
Some $580,968 was awarded to Penn State Harrisburg to create a biobehavioral research and education clinical care center in the Wrisberg Hall Annex on the campus in Lower Swatara Township. Biobehavioral research involves the contributing factors to good or deteriorating health.
“It’s important that state tax dollars return to our communities to help fund economic development projects conceived and planned at the local level. I’m pleased that Penn State, which already has a large footprint in Dauphin County, is continuing to expand its medical research facilities here to the benefit of local residents and employees,” DiSanto said.
“I am honored to have worked with Rep. Tom Mehaffie to secure partial funding of this new building on the Penn State Harrisburg campus. The goals of this exciting project are to prepare the next generation workforce needed to holistically address behavioral disorders, including speech pathologies, autism, and drug and alcohol addiction by emphasizing the interrelatedness between these distinct behavioral health conditions,” Arnold said.
Mehaffie praised the medical advancements already discovered in central Pennsylvania and the research that will produce results in years to come. That includes the biobehavioral research, which he hopes will dovetail with legislation he has championed to license applied behavior analysts.
“For those of us who live in this region, we may forget from time to time that the work underway in our own backyards will have global impact,” Mehaffie said. “I’m thankful these grants can support what Penn State is accomplishing every day.”
Representative Tom Mehaffie
106th Legislative District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Jennifer Fitch
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