Kansas University: Researcher gets grant to study HIV vaccine

A Kansas University researcher has been awarded a $3 million grant to develop a vaccine against HIV and AIDS.

Bill Narayan, professor and chairperson of microbiology, molecular genetics and immunology, received the grant from the National Institutes of Health.

He has been working on an AIDS vaccine for six years. The original vaccine used a live virus, which raised the concern of the Federal Drug Administration.

Now Narayan is studying a new vaccine derived from the DNA of the live virus that is not a live virus.

KU First: Doctor gives $1 million in memory of professor

A graduate from the Kansas University School of Medicine has pledged $1 million to KU in memory of a former professor.

Jay Morris, a retired physician who lives in Lee’s Summit, Mo., and his wife, Mary Ann, donated the money in memory of Robert E. Bolinger, the founding director of KU’s Clinical Research Center.

The gift will create a professorship for a scholar to research and teach about disorders of the endocrine system and its hormones.

Bolinger, who died in July 2001, was considered a pioneer in several research areas, including insulin metabolism, diabetes, renal dialysis and the use of computers in medicine.

Jay Morris is a 1956 KU medical graduate. He spent 36 years in private practice at the Independence Sanitarium and was director of continuing medical education at the University of Missouri-Kansas City from 1970 to 1985.

Land development: Commissioner suggests wait for ECO2 initiative

Members of the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce’s ECO2 task force heard from a Douglas County commissioner Tuesday that now is not the right time for the economic development and green space initiative.

Commissioner Jere McElhaney told the group that he could not currently support any plans the group might have for asking the public to support a tax increase to fund ECO2 goals, which are to create more land for industrial development and to preserve significant pieces of open space in the county.

“It’s hard for anybody to stomach a tax increase right now,” McElhaney said. “I think if anything, we need to look to be a little more creative and find ways to lower our taxes.”

ECO2 chair Kelvin Heck said the group already had decided that it would not seek any sort of public funding this year, and he said the earliest the group might ask the public to support a tax increase for the effort would be during the April elections.

Gasoline Prices: Patrol eyes best deals

The Journal-World has found a gasoline price as low as $1.37 at several Lawrence locations.

If you find a lower price, call us at 832-7154. Be prepared to leave the name and address of the business and the price.