The county is dominated by smokers, with 37 percent of the population reportedly use tobacco.

 

The Davidson effort in Romania comes as the college's project in Hungary comes to an end. The work funded by the new grant is based on the work done in Hungary beginning in 2007. The university reports that the Hungarian project was aimed at lowering tobacco use in Hungary and the related disease and mortality that go with it.

 

Some of the same scientists who worked on the Hungarian project will join Foley for the work in Romania, which begins this fall. 

 

They include Davidson associate professor of chemistry Cindy Hauser, four colleagues from Wake Forest University Medical School, one from Research Triangle Institute, and six from Hungary. 

 

The university reports that Foley and her team's efforts led to higher tobacco taxes and laws prohibiting smoking in workplaces and restaurants.

 

Both the $1.5 million grant for Hungary and the new award for Romania are funded by the National Institutes of Health Fogarty International Center and the National Cancer Institute. The Hungarian project was also co-sponsored by the National Institute of Drug Abuse.

 

"We helped Hungarian scientists become tobacco research experts in their country, and they gathered data needed to help convince lawmakers and the Secretary of Health to move forward with the legislation," said Foley in a story posted on the university's website.