Donation is part of five-year, $25 million Eagles donation to University of Iowa
September 20, 2011
Iowa City, Iowa - The peel of an apple has long been inconsequential. A tasteless buffer between the hungry human and the deliciously healthy interior, few ever gave the waxy exterior a second thought. Thanks to The Fraternal Order of Eagles Diabetes Research Center, things are about to change.
A recent study done by researchers at the University of Iowa with funding from the Diabetes Research Center has found that ursolic acid, a substance found in apple peel, reduced fat, blood sugar levels, cholesterol and triglycerides in mice and may be useful in treating diabetes.
The research was made possible by a five-year, $25 million commitment made by The Fraternal Order of Eagles (F.O.E.). A $5 million check presentation will be made Saturday, Sept. 24, at Kinnick Stadium as part of the football game between the University of Iowa and Louisiana-Monroe (Noon EST, 11 a.m. CST). This will bring the F.O.E. donation total to $15 million.
Though the John and Mary Pappajohn Biomedical Discovery Building, future home of the Diabetes Research Center, is currently little more than dirt and steel, the center is already making significant medical breakthroughs.
Endocrinologist Christopher Adams, M.D., Ph. D., led the study which found that ursolic acid helped insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF1) and insulin, hormones that help to build muscle and prevent muscle atrophy. Unexpectedly, the study also found that the substance reduced body fat in mice and lowered blood sugar levels and cholesterol - a key to preventing type-II diabetes.
Following his work, Adams was named the Diabetes Research Center's first Faculty Scholar, an honor which will award him $250,000 over the next five years to help further his research.
The Fraternal Order of Eagles is also funding the future of diabetes research as four promising young doctors have received $50,000 research grants to develop studies related to diabetes. Recipients include Anne Kwitek, PhD; Andrew Norris, MD, PhD; Kamai Rahmouni, PhD; and Leonid Zingman, MD. Leading doctors and researchers in the field will join the staff of the Diabetes Research Center in the coming months as the Eagles and the University of Iowa begin to fill a roster with medical talent equipped to make even more significant strides.
These steps are further pieces in the puzzle that has been coming together since members of The Fraternal Order of Eagles voted to make the five-year, $25 million commitment in August of 2008 at the organization's International Convention in Louisville, Ky. In the years since, the nearly 850,000 Eagles across the United States and Canada have worked tirelessly to meet each year's goal and make their dream a reality.
Eagle dignitaries scheduled to attend the presentation include Grand Aerie Chairman of the Board Mike Lagervall, Sr., Past Grand Madam President and DRC co-director Jean Kerr, DRC co-director Tom McGrath and Grand Trustee Chuck Lang. University of Iowa President Sally Mason will also be on hand for the event.
To learn more about The Fraternal Order of Eagles Diabetes Research Center, visit http://www.foe.com/charities/
About the Fraternal Order of Eagles
The Fraternal Order of Eagles, an international non-profit organization, unites fraternally in the spirit of liberty, truth, justice, and equality, to make human life more desirable by lessening its ills, and by promoting peace, prosperity, gladness and hope. Founded in 1898, the Eagles fund research in areas such as diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease and cancer, and raise money for neglected and abused children and the aged, as well as work for social and civic change.
About the Fraternal Order of Eagles Diabetes Research Center
The Fraternal Order of Eagles Diabetes Research Center will be housed at the John and Mary Pappajohn Biomedical Discovery Building on the campus of The University of Iowa in Iowa City. The state-of-the-art center will host leaders in the field of diabetes research in an effort to find a cure for the disease. The F.O.E. has pledged to donate $25 million over a five-year period to help with research efforts.
