Today and Tomorrow’s Children Fund (TTCF) was created in 2006 with the belief that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
In this instance, the whole is the life saving research conducted at UCLA’s Mattel Hospital and the parts are the members of the group (which will hopefully number 200 soon) who award grants each July to further the innovative research conducted by Mattel’s faculty members.
This year’s awards will be presented to three doctors whose research seeks to improve the quality of life for children who have suffered a profound injury or battle a chronic condition.
Dr. Christopher Giza of Culver City, an associate professor of pediatric neurology and neurosurgery was awarded TTCF’s top prize of $178,000 to help him further his work on the treatment of traumatic brain injury in tyk
es. Giza’s work focuses on promoting neurotransmission to activate the injured brain, restore plasticity and facilitate recovery. He is also developing new technology called pharmacological magnetic resonance imaging to study the effectiveness of neurotransmission-enhancing drugs.
Westwood resident Dr. Robert Venick, assistant clinical professor of pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition, was awarded $88,100 to continue his work on how to alleviate the need for liver transplants for children who must be fed through parenteral nutrition (IVs) because their intest. Venick’s research focuses on an experimental drug charged with preventing this turn of events.
Finally, Dr. Gary Satou an associate professor of pediatric cardiology and director of Pediatric Echocardiography who hails from Agoura Hills was awarded
$63,100 to support his work in developing a telemedicine connection with rural, remote medical facilities that do not offer specialty pediatric heart care.
