The University of Utah has announced that its research funding reached $691 million in fiscal year 2024 (FY24), which concluded June 30, 2024.

The funding achievement marks the fifth consecutive year the university has secured funding levels exceeding $600 million. The year’s total continues the impressive trend established by previous milestones of $600 million in 2020 and $500 million in 2018.

As a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities, the U is known for its broad spectrum of disciplines and studies. The fiscal year’s funding supports groundbreaking initiatives from multiple fields, including energy research, rural healthcare, environmental studies, artificial intelligence, cancer treatment, mental health support, technological innovation, and more.

“The University of Utah’s status as an R1 institution reflects our extensive portfolio, which spans from creative arts and healthcare to air quality and the Great Salt Lake,” said Erin Rothwell, vice president for research at the University of Utah. “As the state’s flagship university, we strive to tackle critical research needs and solutions that benefit Utahns and communities across the state.”

Research funding by the numbers

In total, U researchers were awarded more than 2,600 grants in FY24. The federal government remains the primary source of this funding, contributing 65% of the total research portfolio, with industry accounting for 14% and 8% from partner universities. Of the $691 million in research funding, $489 million was provided by federal sponsors including the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, Department of Energy, Veteran Affairs, state governmententities, and other key agencies.

U research impacts society’s most pressing challenges and issues

Through award funding, the university’s research community is implementing meaningful advancements that make a real-world impact. The dollars behind the achievement will support critical studies to develop new treatments and prevention for addiction, chronic pain, and depression. Additionally, the funding is advancing research aimed at safeguarding power grids and electricity during extreme weather events, improving maternal health care and reducing pregnancy-related deaths, and enhancing memory and cognition for those suffering fromneurological disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease. The university’s research funding from sponsors is crucial for finding solutions to both local and global challenges.

U research is a major economic engine for the state of Utah

In pursuit of impactful solutions for society, the U’s research activities extend beyond academic advancement. U research is also a major catalyst for economic development and growth within the state. In FY24, more than 7,500 university employees were compensated through research dollars, which have contributed more than $850 million in wages over the past four years.

In addition to supporting jobs, the U’s research expenditures totaled $33 million in Utah, supporting numerous vendors and local businesses within the state and $155 million across the U.S.

“The University of Utah is committed to leading in research, discovery, and innovation that transform lives and drive economic growth,” said Taylor Randall, president of the university. “Our FY24 funding milestone reflects the dedication of our researchers, students, and staff tackling today’s most pressing challenges. Together, we are advancing knowledge, strengthening Utah’s economy, and enhancing the quality of life in our communities and beyond.”

Introducing the voice of the Utah Hockey Club, Matt McConnell.

If you followed the Arizona Coyotes, you’ll be used to him — he did the same job in Arizona. McConnell will be joined in the booth by former NHL forward Dominic Moore and former Seattle Kraken broadcaster Nick Olczyk.

Kim Becker and Sarah Merrifield will also join the team: Becker as a studio host and Merrifield as a rinkside reporter.

Who is Matt McConnell?

This is not the first time McConnell has been the first play-by-play voice of a new franchise. In fact, it’s not even his second time. He started with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in their inaugural season of 1993 and then moved on to the Atlanta Thrashers when they joined the league in 1999.

McConnell has also covered the Minnesota Wild in addition to calling the 2009 World Junior Championships, college hockey and a number of other sports.

He is a faculty associate at Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication.

Who is Dominic Moore?

Dominic Moore fell two games shy of 1,000 in his playing career, combining regular-season and playoff games. During that time, the Thornhill, Ontario, native played for 10 teams, scoring 106 goals and 282 points in the regular season.

He’s the third Harvard alumnus in the Utah ranks, joining forward Alex Kerfoot and defenseman John Marino.

Moore has spent the last three seasons as a studio analyst with ESPN and NBC.

The most triumphant moment of Moore’s playing career came when he scored the game-winning goal to send his New York Rangers to the Stanley Cup Final in 2014. He did it just months after the death of his wife, Katie, who had battled cancer for nine months.

Who is Nick Olczyk?

Nick Olczyk is leaving the family business to come to Utah as an analyst. He previously worked as a color commentator covering the Seattle Kraken. His father, Eddie Olczyk, covers the Kraken as a play-by-play announcer. His brother, Eddie Olczyk III, is a scout for the team and his uncle, Rick Olczyk, is an assistant general manager.

As a player, Nick Olczyk played in the USHL, the USPHL, the NAHL and Division I of the NCAA.

Who is Kim Becker?

Kim Becker spent almost a decade traveling the world and performing with Disney on Ice. She was a competitive figure skater growing up. She has spent the years since as a host for the Colorado Rockies, the Denver Broncos, the University of Arizona football program, Altitude TV and Sports Illustrated.

Who is Sarah Merrifield?

As a sideline reporter for Bally Sports, Sarah Merrifield has covered the Dallas Stars, Texas Rangers and Dallas Mavericks. She has four regional Emmys. She graduated from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University.

Three years ago, Alisha Gorder was diagnosed with Stage 0 breast cancer in Connecticut. Doctors were able to detect it early, thanks to diligent breast cancer screenings that the 51-year-old receives annually.

“When I was 40, I went in, I got my mammogram, and my doctor said ‘Oh, you have dense breasts,’” Gorder recalled. That led to her seeking supplemental ultrasounds as well as regular mammograms.

That’s because dense breast tissue — which is found in as many as half of women — appears white on mammograms. “Unfortunately, so does breast cancer,” said JoAnn Pushkin, founder of DenseBreast-info, a resource that aims to educate people about breast density.

“So, a cancer nestled within dense breast tissue can be almost impossible to detect on a mammogram,” Pushkin said.

Gorder’s supplemental screenings had been covered by insurance in Connecticut. But when she moved to Utah in 2022 expecting the same level of care, she was surprised to find a different screening landscape.

“I sat in a room with a breast-imaging radiologist with the prescription [for an ultrasound], and he said, ‘No, no, no, we don’t do this,’” Gorder recalled.

“Every health care professional I interacted with was like this — shock, shock, shock,” Gorder added. She has since flown back to Connecticut twice just to get ultrasounds.

Gorder’s experience highlights the differences in women’s health care between states. In Utah, for instance, most health care providers do not conduct ultrasounds for preventative breast cancer screening, according to Marie Nagata, manager of the Utah Department of Health and Human Services’ breast and cervical cancer screening program.

The state ranked fourth in the nation for the percentage of cases where women were diagnosed with late stage breast cancer between 2017 and 2021, according to data from the National Cancer Institute.

Connecticut, by comparison, happens to have “a much more proactive approach to screening ultrasound,” said Dr. Connie Lehman, a radiology professor at Harvard Medical School and the co-director of the Breast Imaging Research Center at Boston’s Massachusetts General Hospital.

“It doesn’t mean every woman in Connecticut undergoes screening ultrasound at all,” Lehman said, “but there are states and communities where screening ultrasound is more popular and those where it’s less popular.”

Why the difference?

Utah’s comparably higher rates of late stage breast cancer may correlate with Utah’s relatively low mammography screening rates.

Regular mammograms are considered a vital first step for breast cancer screening. According to state health data, those screening rates have steadily dropped since 1994. Utah currently ranks 44th in the nation for mammography screenings.

“Women in Utah don’t always prioritize mammograms. … It’s not always accessible, especially in our rural areas,” Nagata, with the state health department, said.

When it comes to supplemental breast cancer screenings, Dr. Eugene Kim, a breast imaging radiologist with Intermountain Health, said Utah providers don’t often conduct ultrasounds because, “in our experience, there’s just been too high [a rate] of false positives.”

“The risk benefit for us doesn’t make sense,” Kim added.

Dr. Ally Parnes, a diagnostic radiologist who works in breast imaging at MountainStar Healthcare, said that ultrasounds are a good supplemental screening tool but are lower performing than MRIs, which can detect more cancers in dense breasts.

“But it’s not just about the performance, you know, there’s so many factors — insurance coverage, cost, time, facility resources,” Parnes said, emphasizing the need for more screening resources in Utah.

What options exist?

At Intermountain Health, abbreviated breast MRIs are instead available as supplemental screening for people who are considered to be at 20% or higher risk of breast cancer.

The screenings are painless, take about 30 minutes to complete and involve no radiation or compression. They can detect cancers that mammograms cannot see but are not meant to replace regular mammograms.

Huntsman Cancer Institute also offers breast MRIs as supplemental screening for people at 20% or higher risk.

“We believe that breast MRI is the exam that detects the most cancers in dense breast tissue, and it’s our preferred test if a woman can have access to it,” said Dr. Matt Covington, a cancer-imaging expert with Huntsman Cancer Institute who focuses on early detection and accurate staging of breast cancer.

But Covington noted that while dense breast tissue like Gorder’s can warrant supplemental screening, no legislation requires that insurance cover such additional screening.

At Intermountain Health, an abbreviated breast MRI costs $350 out of pocket at the time of service — less expensive than a traditional MRI when not covered by insurance, according to the Intermountain Medical Imaging website.

A bilateral breast MRI (a longer exam that takes more images) at Huntsman Cancer Institute costs about $5,713 out of pocket, according to A’lisha Finch, the Institute’s business operations director. For patients with no insurance coverage who want to pay in cash, they offer 30% discounts, bringing the price down to about $4,000.

“In an ideal world, we would love every woman with dense breasts to get an MRI, but unfortunately we just don’t have the resources, and it’s a much more expensive exam than a mammogram,” said Kim, with Intermountain Health.

A patient’s risk for breast cancer, which can open them up to supplemental screening options, is calculated by medical professionals through what’s called the Tyrer-Cuzick risk model. It accounts for numerous factors including age, family history or gene mutations.

But Lehman, with Harvard Medical School, said research indicates 85% of women diagnosed with breast cancer have no known risk factors. She finds the varying levels of access to supplemental screening options in the U.S. frustrating.

“Here we are in the age of precision medicine, and we’re still so hopelessly lost,” Lehman said.

New national standards

Despite the varying levels of access, one thing is clear: Dense breast tissue not only makes it harder to detect breast cancer on a mammogram, but it can also raise the risk of developing breast cancer.

“I wish that every doctor and every woman or individual undergoing screening was aware of the risk of breast density,” said Covington, with Huntsman Cancer Institute. “It is a very important issue and I’m only now, in the last year or so, seeing a lot of attention locally and nationally on this.”

In Utah, providers have only been mandated to notify patients that they have dense breast tissue since May 2023. The notification, outlined in state law, includes information about the risks associated with dense breast tissue and encourages patients to discuss their breast tissue density and other risk factors with their provider.

Some states do not require that providers notify patients of dense breast tissue. But in March 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration amended the federal Mammography Quality Standards Act to create a uniform national standard that requires that all patients be informed whether or not their breasts are “dense” after a mammogram.

Under the federal rule change, providers must comply no later than Sept. 10.

That upcoming mandate is expected to increase awareness. In the meantime, experts agree these key points are important to keep in mind in the current breast cancer screening landscape:

1. Diligent mammography is crucial: Regardless of breast density, regular mammograms are the most critical step in breast cancer screening, experts say.

Doctors caution that too strong an emphasis of supplemental screening may lead those with dense breasts to overlook the importance of mammograms. Annual mammograms should begin at age 40.

2. Resources for supplemental screening costs: For those who find the cost of supplemental breast imaging prohibitive, there are resources available. “We have financial advocates that work with our patients,” said Finch, with the Huntsman Cancer Institute.

“We work with our Utah Cancer Control program to help them get coverage through our voucher program, or we help them apply for state assistance with Medicaid,” she said.

Patients should also check with their insurance providers about supplemental screening coverage.

Editor’s note • Alisha Gorder is a member of the nonprofit Salt Lake Tribune’s editorial board.

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