FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Contact:
Dave Wellman, Director of
Communications (304) 696-7153
Niles receives international award for achievements in nutrition and cancer research; MU, Italian universities finalize exchange agreements
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Dr. Richard M. Niles, chair of the Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology at Marshall University, received the 2008 international award Sebetia-Ter for his achievements in nutrition and cancer research during a ceremony held in Naples, Italy this past May.
The Sebetia-Ter award is given to internationally renowned scientists and many other professionals in the fields of architecture, aeronautics, medicine, biotechnology, engineering, politics, military service, literature, music and philosophy.
Dr. Pier Paolo Claudio, an associate professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology and the Department of Surgery at Marshall University, received the same honor in 2007, during the 25th annual presentation of the Sebetia-Ter international award for his achievements in gene therapy and cancer research.
During their trip to Italy, Drs. Niles and Claudio also gave talks at the regional Medical Center of Fondi, sponsored by the International Lions Club of Fondi, and finalized an exchange agreement between the Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology of the Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine at Marshall University, and the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Naples “Federico II” in Italy.
This exchange agreement will allow graduate students and faculty of the two universities to travel, visit and participate in research conducted at the two institutions. Additionally, another agreement has been signed between the “Ceinge” Research Institute for Biotechnology in Naples, Italy (a semi-independent research institute similar to the MIIR envisioned by Marshall President Stephen J. Kopp) and the Biomedical Sciences Program at Marshall University.
Additional graduate program exchanges are currently being developed with the University of l’Aquila, Italy, with the National Research Council (CNR) in Italy, and with universities in France and China.
“The exchange agreements between Marshall University and the University ‘Federico II’ and the Ceinge Research Institute for Biotechnology in Naples, Italy is the first international research agreement for Marshall University,” Claudio said. “The exchange agreements will allow Marshall students and faculty to form international scientific collaborations with one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in Europe. Not only will there be a free exchange of ideas, but also cultural enlightenment and travel opportunities on both sides of the world, promising scientific and technological advancements as well as academic fortification and enrichment of the local communities of Naples, Italy and Huntington, West Virginia.”
Niles, too, said he is elated with the exchange agreement with the University of Naples.
“Although I felt very fortunate to receive the 2008 Sebetia-Ter International award in Biomedical Sciences, I was even happier that my institution, Marshall University, was also receiving international attention,” Niles said. “The trip to Italy and my hosts were wonderful. A lasting accomplishment of this trip is the exchange agreement with the University of Naples and its Biotechnology Research Institute. I am very grateful to my colleague, Dr. Claudio, for helping set up this agreement.”
For more information, call Diana Maue, Graduate Admission Counselor for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) programs, at (304) 696-3365. Or, e-mail Niles at niles@marshall.edu, or Claudio at claudiop@marshall.edu.
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