MedImmune, Inc. Awards Fellowship Grants In Pediatric Research Totaling $210,000

SAN FRANCISCO, May 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- MedImmune, Inc. has awarded six pediatric fellows a portion of a $210,000 pediatric research grant, in the amount of $35,000 each. The grants were provided by MedImmune's Pediatric Fellowship Program, which is designed to stimulate increased interest and research in the area of respiratory pathogens. The six recipients were announced on Saturday, April 29 at a reception coinciding with the annual meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies in San Francisco.

"This fellowship program supports and encourages researchers who are continuously expanding their knowledge and understanding of potentially severe pediatric infectious diseases such as respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and influenza," said Niki Oquist, M.D., senior director, medical affairs at MedImmune.

An independent advisory board consisting of 15 pediatric infectious disease physicians from across the country selected the six fellowship recipients. All candidates were required to be full-time fellows in an American Board of Pediatrics-accredited fellowship program and conducting original research as their primary focus.

"Selecting only six recipients out of the many talented and impressive applicants was not an easy task," Dr. Oquist noted. "The pool of applicants and their mentors were of the highest caliber which made the final selection process very challenging. The company is honored to provide financial aid to these researchers and their work."

The six recipients of the fellowship grants are: Alex Daneshmand, D.O., University of Florida; E. Kathryn Miller, M.D., Vanderbilt University Medical Center; Deniz Kesebir, M.D., Yale University School of Medicine; Stacey Peterson-Carmichael, M.D., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Cynthia Somers, M.D., University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas; Angela Peck, M.D., Seattle Children's Medical Center.

These grants may be used to help supplement fellowship salaries or research project costs. MedImmune has funded the fellowship program for the past three years. MedImmune's Pediatric Fellowship Program is one example of the company's broader, ongoing commitment to research and pediatric health. To date, MedImmune has invested more than $2 billion in research funds to develop new and next-generation medicines against respiratory viruses such as RSV and influenza.

About MedImmune, Inc.

MedImmune strives to provide better medicines to patients, new medical options for physicians, rewarding careers to employees, and increased value to shareholders. Dedicated to advancing science and medicine to help people live better lives, the company is focused on the areas of infectious diseases, cancer and inflammatory diseases. With more than 2,200 employees worldwide, MedImmune is headquartered in Maryland. For more information, visit the company's website at http://www.medimmune.com.

CONTACT: Media: Clarencia Stephen of MedImmune, Inc., +1-301-398-4073

Web site: http://www.medimmune.com//