September 15, 2000

BIRMINGHAM, AL — The University of Alabama Board of Trustees today approved the establishment of a Division of Human Gene Therapy at UAB. The new unit, under the directorship of Dr. David Curiel, will allow UAB to take advantage of opportunities in the rapidly growing field of gene therapy.

The division, a component of the medical school’s department of medicine, will involve a broad range of disciplines as it takes concepts and moves them to products that will be useful in patient care.

The division’s faculty holds more than $6.9 million in outside research funding. The faculty will increase to nine members, with support from 12 post-doctoral scholars, a scientific staff of 11, plus administrative support staff.