Nine researchers at the University of Virginia have been awarded a total of $10 million to study smoking-related diseases. The study will last for three years, and the goal is to learn more about the treatment of diseases related to cigarette smoking. The school's dean for research Erik Hewlett says that while the harmful nature of smoking has been long established, much more needs to be discovered. In particular, he said researchers need to study the specific mechanisms by which smoking contributes to lung cancer, heart disease and emphysema. The university research program was created in 2007 with a gift from tobacco giant Philip Morris USA.
