Walz praises progress; requests additional funds this year

(Austin, MN) – Today, Congressman Walz toured the Hormel Institute and saw first-hand the Institute’s expansion progress, which was partially funded by the $425,000 Walz secured for the Institute in 2007. Walz and Hormel officials also discussed the federal funding request that Walz submitted earlier this year which would fund technology needed for the newly developed International Center of Research Technology.

“The Hormel Institute is a collaborative research partner with the University of Minnesota and Mayo Clinic,” said Walz. “Their research into curing cancer is in the public good, and being headquartered in Austin benefits our local economy in southern Minnesota. This is exactly the type of project I will tirelessly advocate for in Congress because it makes sense both from both a moral and a fiscal perspective.”

Established in 1942, the Hormel Institute is an independent research branch of the University of Minnesota. The Institute conducts biomedical research in partnership with collaborators located around the globe. Much of this research is focused on finding natural, non-toxic alternatives to chemotherapy. Since 2002, the Hormel Institute has tripled its National Institutes of Health funding and nearly doubled its staff under the leadership of Executive Director Zigang Dong, M.D., Dr. PH.