American College of Gastroenterology Announces 2005 Junior Faculty Development Grant Award Recipient

BETHESDA, Md., Aug. 16 -- Shahnaz Sultan, M.D., a fellow at Duke University Medical Center, was presented with the American College of Gastroenterology’s (ACG) Junior Faculty Development Grant Award. Dr. Sultan will use the $150,000 award to support clinical research work focused on critical areas in gastrointestinal (GI) disease, GI practice and colonoscopy. The award was presented by ACG in part from a $2.5 million contribution received from TAP Pharmaceutical Products Inc. to help fund the ACG’s “Advancing Excellence” capital campaign.

Through her research, Dr. Sultan will examine how health literacy influences patient adherence to colonoscopy. Low health literacy has been shown to negatively affect patient and disease outcomes. Improving adherence to colonoscopy is vital for patients referred for diagnostic evaluation since they are at high-risk of having colorectal cancer.

“We are honored to present this year’s ACG Junior Faculty Development Grant Award to Dr. Sultan,” said John W. Popp Jr., M.D., FACG, president of the ACG. “Dr. Sultan was selected in a highly competitive process among a large field of excellent proposals. Her work will greatly add to our effort in the fight against colon cancer.”

The Junior Faculty Development Grant Awards are among the ACG’s largest and most prestigious honors and a major priority of ACG’s Institute for Clinical Research & Education, an organization dedicated to supporting young investigators in developing productive careers in clinical GI research.

The goals of the “Advancing Excellence” capital campaign include raising $12 million to support innovative clinical research, patient education and gastroenterology practice excellence. The campaign addresses issues such as improving knowledge through research, encouraging research career paths and promoting education. TAP’s contribution to the campaign was the first one made by a corporate partner.

“We are thrilled that the ACG has chosen to recognize Dr. Sultan’s work for health literacy and colorectal cancer screening, and are confident that her research will shed light on a better understanding of adherence to colonoscopy,” said Xavier Frapaise, MD, vice president of research and development at TAP. “There is a tremendous opportunity to encourage the next generation of medical researchers to increase our knowledge of digestive health issues, and young investigators such as Dr. Sultan deserve our complete attention, admiration and support.”

As part of her study, Dr. Sultan plans to develop a reliable and validated questionnaire on knowledge of colonoscopy and colon cancer screening. The ultimate goal of this proposal is to identify and understand barriers to undergoing colonoscopic evaluation.

“I want to thank ACG for this great honor. I feel truly privileged to receive the award,” said Dr. Sultan. “Understanding the relationship between literacy and adherence to medications, treatment or cancer surveillance and screening recommendations should have tremendous impact on health outcomes. This research is part of the larger goal of developing interventions to improve adherence to screening recommendations or therapy.”

About the American College of Gastroenterology

The ACG was formed in 1932 to advance the scientific study and medical treatment of disorders of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. The College promotes the highest standards in medical education and is guided by its commitment to meeting the needs of clinical gastroenterology practitioners. For more information visit ACG’s Web site at http://www.acg.gi.org.

About the ACG Institute for Clinical Research & Education

The ACG Institute’s primary mission is to advance the field of clinical gastroenterology through education and research. Consistent with that mission, the ACG Institute for Clinical Research & Education serves as a forum in which to build on the goals of the College.

The Institute promotes research in clinical gastroenterology, educates physicians and the public, and provides resources to support the future needs of clinical gastroenterology, GI patients, as well as young clinical investigators who as they develop careers in academic gastroenterology, enrich knowledge and treatments in digestive diseases.

Founded in 1994, the ACG Institute for Clinical Research & Education has emerged as a major source of funding for patient-care oriented gastroenterology research, and an active and effective sponsor of educational programming for consumers and physicians alike. For more information visit ACG’s Web site at http://www.acg.gi.org.

About TAP Pharmaceutical Products Inc.

TAP Pharmaceutical Products Inc., located in Lake Forest, Ill., is a joint venture between Abbott, headquartered in Abbott Park, Ill., and Takeda Pharmaceutical Company, Ltd. of Osaka, Japan. TAP currently markets Lupron Depot(r) (leuprolide acetate for depot suspension) and Prevacid(r) (lansoprazole). For more information about TAP and its products, visit the company’s Web site at http://www.tap.com.

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ACG Institute for Clinical Research & Education

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