FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Brian Shanahan MediSpin Inc. 646-452-1647 FAX: 212-255-9957 Email: bshanahan@medispin.com http://www.medispin.com MediSpin Inc. Receives NIMH Contract to Create an Extranet Platform for Research Seminars in Geriatric Mental Health (New York, NY; September 14, 2004) MediSpin Inc. has received a Phase I Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) contract for $170,000 from the National Institutes of Mental Health to create an Extranet platform that will house an Internet-based series of bimonthly, multi-site seminars in geriatric mental health services research. The SBIR program, a competitively awarded, three-phase Federal Government initiative, is designed to stimulate technological innovation and provide opportunities for small business. Since 2002, MediSpin has been awarded nearly $2 million in grants and contracts under the SBIR program. The first phase of the project involves six online research seminars that will be held jointly at the University of Washington, Cornell University, and Dartmouth University via Web conferencing technology. The live events will allow for real-time collaboration and will be recorded and archived for future access, resulting in significantly expanded learning and information exchange opportunities for senior faculty, junior faculty, and trainees at various levels of development in geriatric mental health interventions and services research. "The population of Americans over 65 is projected to more than double in the next 25 years," explained Ash Madhok, MediSpin President and principal Investigator for this contract. "As a result, the number of older people with mental disorders will increase by 18% to 28%, creating a critical need to attract and retain researchers in geriatric psychiatry. Our proposal for real-time collaboration between investigators will accelerate the development of geriatric mental health researchers by encouraging and retaining researchers in the field." MediSpin is a multimedia medical communications company that specializes in development of interactive learning for healthcare professionals, consumers, and researchers. MediSpin produces online and offline symposia, eDetailing, CD-ROMs, educational software and databases, Web sites, video, and animations. Located in New York, its clients include pharmaceutical companies, online CME/CE content providers, leading medical centers, and the government. For more information, please contact Brian Shanahan at 646-452-1647. -END-