RTI International
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| Type | Nonprofit |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1958 |
| Headquarters | Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, United States |
| Area served | Worldwide |
| Services | Research |
RTI International (Research Triangle Institute) was founded in 1958 as the first tenant in the Research Triangle Park. The organization supports intellectual capital in the health and pharmaceuticals industry with research, training and laboratory services. It has 2,800 employees in more than 40 countries. It
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[edit] Markets
RTI provides research and technical experience to governments and businesses in 11 primary areas:
- Drug discovery and development
- Education and training
- Survey research and services
- Energy research
- Laboratory and chemistry services
- Statistical research
- Advanced technology
- International development
- Economic and social policy research
- Environmental research services
[edit] Other research projects conducted by RTI
National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) [1] Since 1988, RTI has conducted the largest U.S. survey on illegal drug use, for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The U.S. Public Health Service and state substance abuse agencies use the survey results to estimate the need for drug treatment facilities. Other federal, state, and local agencies use the information to design their drug use prevention programs and to monitor drug control strategies.
Cleaner Energy from Coal[2] For six years, RTI has been developing a process designed to offer existing power plants a low-cost option for reducing carbon dioxide emissions. In FY2007, the “dry carbonate” process underwent several months of field testing under actual coal-fired conditions at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s combustion research facility. Results proved that RTI’s process is robust and reliable, capable of removing more than 90 percent of the carbon dioxide in flue gas.
Mental Illness Among Teenagers [3] In the January 2007 issue of The American Journal of Psychiatry, RTI and Duke University Medical Center researchers revealed that mental health services for teens cost more than $10 billion each year, a figure that has been vastly underestimated in the past. What’s more, some 70 percent of teens studied did not receive the services they needed. Those who did often received services from schools or other organizations not designed to provide mental health services.
Drug Metabolism and Toxicology [4] A project with the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) to identify drugs that can be used to treat spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). Infants with SMA typically live only two years. No treatment exists. RTI’s project is a fast-track effort to come up with the first effective therapies to extend the life of children with SMA. The goal of NINDS is to submit an Investigational New Drug Application (IND)within the next 12 months.
[edit] Achievements
In 1966, Camptothecin was discovered by RTI scientists and is used in chemotherapy to fight cancer. Taxol was discovered at RTI in 1971 and remains one of the most widely used anti-cancer drugs in the world.
In 1978, RTI initiated research into cochlear implant technology and an RTI researcher is credited with inventing most of the speech processing strategies used in the original and subsequent generations of the device.
The first radar-based predictive wind shear detection system installed on commercial aircraft was developed at RTI in 1994, which helps pilots avoid wind shear, a major factor in aviation accidents and fatalities.
In 2001, RTI researchers developed a new thin-film superlatice material that is 2.4 times more efficient and 23,000 times faster than current technology.
In Zanzibar, malaria prevalence decreased from 75 percent in 2003 to 0.07 percent after a spray campaign led by RTI in 2009 in the Micheweni and North “A” districts.
[edit] RTI Health Solutions
In 2000, RTI developed a separate business unit, RTI Health Solutions, which provides consulting and research expertise to help pharmaceutical, biotechnology, diagnostics and medical device companies develop and commercialize their products.
[edit] Controversy
Many consumers have complained of RTI's survey tactics,[5] claiming high-pressure techniques are employed, including frequent repeated calling to numbers that have already indicated an unwillingness to participate.
[edit] References
- ^ RTI to study U.S. drug trends. | Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Weekly (November, 2005)
- ^ Clean Energy Technologies, Energy Technology, Energy Research - RTI International
- ^ Service Costs of Caring for Adolescents With Mental Illness in a Rural Community, 1993-2000 - Costello et al. 164 (1): 36 - Am J Psychiatry
- ^ Spinal Muscular Atrophy Information Page: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
- ^ http://800notes.com[dead link]
- American Chemical Society, National Historic Chemical Landmarks: Discovering Camptothecin
- Chemistry International Magazine, Volume 25, Issue 4: Camptothecin and Taxol - The Story Behind the Science
- Scientific and Technical Aerospace Reports, Volume 42, Issue 8: Air Transportation and Safety
- American University Case Study: Research Triangle Park
- Tanzania Daily News: IRS project to combat malaria in Lake Zone
[edit] External links
Coordinates: 35°54′9.95″N 78°51′58.26″W / 35.9027639°N 78.8661833°W
