By Associated Press
Mobile, AL – The National Institutes of Health has awarded the University of South Alabama eight-point-five (m) million dollars to study acute lung disease. It's the school's largest grant in its 43-year history. The grant announced yesterday will be used to investigate what role some of the smallest sections of the lungs play in conditions like emphysema and acute respiratory distress syndrome. The funding follows a five-year, seven (m) million dollar grant the center received from the N-I-H to conduct similar research. Samuel Strada, interim dean of the College of Medicine, said U-S-A's selection is notable because it comes at a time when the agency is experiencing a strong demand for grants. Strada said the university received the highest score among 82 other applicants to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, a division of the N-I-H.