Washington, D.C., July 6, 2009- AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges) President and CEO Darrell G. Kirch, M.D., issued the following statement on the final National Institutes of Health's (NIH) Guidelines on Human Stem Research, published today:

"The AAMC is pleased that the NIH has issued clear guidelines on stem cell research, and established a pathway for existing lines to be considered for federal funding. We hope to work with the NIH to ensure that this process is transparent and moves forward in an expeditious manner for the benefit of all patients.

"The policy debate over stem cell research has been challenging. The AAMC believes that with these guidelines in place, energy can now be focused on ensuring that scientists have the resources to explore this important area of research, which holds so much promise for many Americans suffering from life-threatening diseases and conditions."

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The Association of American Medical Colleges is a not-for-profit association representing all 131 accredited U.S. and 17 accredited Canadian medical schools; nearly 400 major teaching hospitals and health systems, including 68 Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers; and nearly 90 academic and scientific societies. Through these institutions and organizations, the AAMC represents 128,000 faculty members, 75,000 medical students, and 110,000 resident physicians. Additional information about the AAMC and U.S. medical schools and teaching hospitals is available at www.aamc.org/newsroom.

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