Amman, Nov. 21 (Petra) -- A $341,000 grant from the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) has been awarded to Dr. Jihad Al-Mality of the University of Jordan, in partnership with Dr. William Gerwick of the University of California, San Diego.

The funding aims to support groundbreaking research into Jordanian plants with the potential to treat chronic pain without the risk of addiction.

According to a statement by the University of California, this is the first NIH grant of its kind awarded to a lead researcher from Jordan. The majority of the funds will be directed toward research activities within Jordan over a two-year period, focusing on developing innovative pain treatments from the country's natural resources.

The statement highlighted that the research seeks to leverage Jordan's rich biodiversity and traditional knowledge of medicinal plants. It aims to identify and explore plants traditionally used in Jordanian culture for pain relief, with the ultimate goal of developing cutting-edge medical solutions.

The project is a collaborative effort involving the laboratories of Dr. Al-Mality and Dr. Yahya Tabaza in Jordan, alongside Dr. Gerwick’s team in California. This collaboration is expected to enhance the research capabilities of the University of Jordan, particularly in the field of natural product discovery. It also paves the way for future partnerships to secure additional funding and expand research projects in both Jordan and the United States.

As part of the grant, an international conference will be hosted at the University of Jordan at the end of the second year. This event will provide a platform to strengthen collaboration between the University of Jordan and the University of California, San Diego, which is ranked 21st among the world’s top universities.

//Petra// RZ

21/11/2024 11:08:45