THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
WEDNESDAY, JULY 6, 2011
PAGE 3
LOCAL BRIEFS
STATE
The lawsuit, filed by Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri on June 28th, challenges a state budget provision that restricts their organization from receiving federal Title X funds. Three days later, the Department of Health distributed a portion of the funds in question to the two county health departments.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment disclosed this morning that it has allocated over $204,000 in federal funding to family planning programs in Sedgewick and Ellis counties. The announcement came only a week after Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri filed suit against the agency for financially stonewalling their organization.
Last year, the federal government dispersed over $317 million in Title X family-planning funds to the states. The money is then dispersed to state hospitals and health clinics.
Department allots funds for pro-choice programs
The budget provision does not mention Planned Parenthood by name, but states that it seeks to "defund" any abortion providers.
Planned Parenthood currently has clinics in both Wichita and Hays, the largest cities in Sedgwick and Ellis counties. Neither clinic provides abortion services.
When contacted, Peter Brownlie, CEO of Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri, was out of town and unable to comment on legal matters until Wednesday. In a publicly issued statement, Brownlie said he intends to continue to dispute Planned Parenthood's exclusion from funding, maintaining that women have a right to affordable health care without being subjected to political motives.
It is currently against the law for any Title X funding, regardless of its recipient, to fund abortion services. Planned Parenthood uses Title X funding only for the family planning services that the grant funds at county health departments.
James Armstrong, attorney to the governor and the secretary of health and environment, could not immediately be reached for comment.
If the state budget remains as is, the Planned Parenthood clinics will lose nearly $331,000 in funding to provide sexual health care to low-income women in the area.
— Meg Lowry
CAMPUS
Name change allows greater recognition
The University of Kansas announced on July 1 that the Department of Public Administration will be renamed the School of Public Affairs and Administration.
The designation was unanimously decided among program faculty and approved by the Kansas Board of Regents in April. Talks about making the switch have been in the works since 2008.
The change from a department to a school allows more opportunities to be recognized by more people around the country. It also brings about the opportunity of naming rights. In time, the School of Public Affairs could be named after someone who has gone through the school and distinguished themselves or have given money to the school.
The U.S. News & World Report has ranked the Master of Public Administration degree in city management and urban planning first in the nation since 1998. It currently ranks No.7 overall with the University of Michigan in program rankings.
The school's Edwin O. Stene Master's Program in Public Administration is one of the oldest in the United States. The program serves students who are pursuing careers in city management and public service organizations.
In addition, the school expects that this change will assist in fundraising, Marilu Goodyear, Director of the School of Public Affairs and Administration, said. With more fundraising comes the availability of more scholarships for students.
"Being a school, as opposed to a department, recognizes that we are a full-service research and teaching enterprise." Goodyear said.
Weston Pletcher
RESEARCH
$1.5M grant can help combat drug addiction
BY WESTON PLETCHER
wpletcher@kansan.com
A U.S. Department of Health survey in 2008 reported that more than 9 percent of children between 12 and 17 years old use drugs. A $1.5 million grant will allow University of Kansas researchers develop new compounds to help people fight drug addiction.
These compounds could someday help people using drugs such as cocaine and heroin.
The Specialized Chemistry Center and Center of Excellence in Chemical Methodologies and Library Development at the University of Kansas together have formed and developed five classes of molecules, also known as chemical compounds, that show the possibility for additional treatment.
These molecules are designed to interact with what are known as kappa opioid receptors, which are located in the human spine. The receptors play a role in drug dependency.
The compounds created in this project will initially be used to study the pharmacology of the kappa opioid receptor (KOR). These studies could provide further insight on the physiological role of the KOR in humans.
Kevin Frankowski, research associate, said the KOR plays an important role in the normal human stress response and other physiological functions. KOR antagonists have shown promising effects in the stress-induced reinstalment
of cocaine, nicotine, and morphine using animal models.
"The more immediate goal of the project however is to increase the fundamental understanding of the precise role the KOR plays within the complex physiological
car signaling cascade" Frankowski said. "Such knowledge would be useful in determining the best approach toward modulating the KOR as a potential target for the treatment of addic
ment of addiction."
"Such knowledge would be useful in determining the best approach toward modulating the KOR as a potential target for the treatment of addiction."
The researchers at KU will team with pharmacologist Laura Bohn, research associate professor at the Scripps Research Institute, and her coworkers. They are currently evaluating these new compounds
The grant is specifically for medicinal chemistry and pharmacology. But, if these compounds turn out to be extraordinary, KU and
KEVIN FRANKOWSKI research associate
in cell-based assays in their lab at the Scripps Research Institute in Jupiter, Fla.
The research team at KU includes Jeff Aubé, professor of medicinal chemistry and principal investigator of the grant; Frankowski; Frank Schoenen,
Scripps could patent the chemicals that show potential as drug therapies for addiction.
courtesy associate professor of medicinal chemistry; Tom Prisinzano, associate professor of medicinal chemistry; and other staff members.
翼