VCU vice president for Health Sciences testifies before Virginia legislative panel

By Mike Porter

Sheldon Retchin, M.D., vice president for Health Sciences at Virginia Commonwealth University and CEO of the VCU Health System, testified in favor of a proposal to include $255 million in the state budget to support research and development at Virginia’s colleges and universities. The institutions would have to provide a $299 million match, resulting in a $544 million total investment.

The higher education research initiative was proposed by former Governor Mark Warner in December and is included in Governor Tim Kaine’s proposed budget.

“The higher education research initiative is an economic multiplier for the Commonwealth,” Retchin told members of the Virginia state senate finance sub-committee for education. “The initiative will benefit Virginia through leveraging, by playing into the Commonwealth’s higher ed strengths, by creating new jobs, by creating intellectual property and attracting biotechnology firms to Virginia, and by feeding the life scientist workforce pipeline,” he added.

VCU will receive $12.5 million in General Funds through the initiative and will match this with $26.5 million in non-general funds to support research on the early diagnosis and treatment of cancer, neurological diseases, such as parkinson’s and alzheimer’s, and metabolic diseases, particularly diabetes. VCU’s matching support includes $11.7 million for faculty compensation and support personnel, $10.8 million for research faculty start-up costs, and $4.0 million for the research infrastructure.

Dr. Rick Solana, senior vice president of research and technology for Philip Morris USA, told sub-committee members state support of higher education and research play an important role in the future of his company. “Further, interaction with a vibrant VCU can have a significant impact on our success,” Solana said.

“Our company values the higher education research initiative because to us it represents an opportunity to increase the critical mass of creative minds in this state, and through VCU in this region,” Solana added.

Philip Morris employs more than 300 VCU alumni and is one of the top two employers of VCU engineering graduates.