Boston Neurobiologist Receives Grant to Battle Leading Genetic Killer of Infants and Toddlers
Funding to Support Further Study of Genetic Disease Impacting Infants. The recipient of this year’s Young Investigator Award in Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) is Mustafa Sahin, MD, PhD, from Children’s Hospital Boston. Dr. Sahin, a neurobiologist specializing in child neurology, will conduct new research on SMA – the leading genetic killer of infants and toddlers and a disease which has no known treatment or cure. The Young Investigator Award was established in 2003 as an incentive and mentoring program that allows a new generation of scientists the opportunity to initiate innovative research projects to accelerate the development of a cure for SMA.
New York, NY (PRWEB) April 1, 2005 –- The Spinal Muscular Atrophy Foundation
announced that the recipient of this year’s Young Investigator Award in Spinal
Muscular Atrophy (SMA) is Mustafa Sahin, MD, PhD, from Children’s Hospital
Boston. Dr. Sahin, a neurobiologist specializing in child neurology, will
conduct new research on SMA – the leading genetic killer of infants and toddlers
and a disease which has no known treatment or cure. The Young Investigator Award
was established in 2003 as an incentive and mentoring program that allows a new
generation of scientists the opportunity to initiate innovative research
projects to accelerate the development of a cure for SMA.
Dr. Sahin’s
research project entitled, “The Role of SMN in Axon Outgrowth and Targeting”
will examine the hypothesis that the protein SMN – produced by the SMN1 gene and
is involved in the disease – may play a role in the transport or translational
regulation of ribonucleic acids (RNA) necessary for axon growth or guidance in
motor neurons. The grant provides Dr. Sahin with up to $375,000 for three years,
which includes allowances for tuition, research expenses and an annual mentor
stipend. Michael E. Greenberg, PhD, director of the Division of Neuroscience at
Children’s Hospital Boston and professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School,
will serve as Dr. Sahin’s mentor.
“I am honored
to receive this award and for the opportunity it allows me to apply my work on
axon development to spinal muscular atrophy, a project that I am deeply
committed to. Through better understanding about the cellular and molecular
basis of spinal muscular atrophy, specifically the role of SMN protein in motor
axons, significant progress can be made toward developing a treatment or cure
for this fatal disease,” said Dr. Sahin.
After receiving his bachelor’s
degree in biochemistry from Brown University and medical degree from Yale
University, Dr. Sahin completed his internship and residency in pediatrics at
The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia; followed by a residency in pediatric
neurology at Children’s Hospital Boston, where he now serves as an instructor of
neurology. He has received numerous awards and honors including the Outstanding
Junior Member Award by the Child Neurology Society.
“This grant provides
critical support that will allow Dr. Sahin the opportunity to explore important
new directions in SMA research,” commented Dr. Greenberg. “We are very
optimistic about expanding our research efforts and further increase our
understanding of SMA so that we may find a treatment for this disease.”
The award will be presented at a special ceremony held during the 57th
Annual Meeting of The American Academy of Neurology in Miami Beach, Florida on
April 13, 2005. The Young Investigator Award is co-sponsored by the American
Academy of Neurology Foundation.
The Young Investigator Award is one
element of the Foundation’s aggressive agenda to fund research initiatives which
will accelerate the development of a treatment or cure for SMA. At the end of
2004, the SMA Foundation had funded more than $15 million in groundbreaking
research projects that span the spectrum of basic, translational clinical
research.
Spinal muscular atrophy is a genetic motor neuron disease
caused by the progressive degeneration of nerve cells in the spinal cord and
brainstem, leading to muscle weakness, respiratory complications and premature
death. Over 50 percent of patients with SMA die before the age of two. The SMA
Foundation estimates that there are currently 55,000 people suffering from SMA
in the United States, Europe and Japan.
About SMA Foundation
The SMA
Foundation is a nonprofit organization founded in 2003 dedicated to finding a
treatment or potential cure for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). The Foundation
provides funding for the full range of research from basic to clinical work
conducted in academic laboratories as well as corporate therapeutics
development. In addition, the Foundation is committed to raising awareness
through education and increasing federal funding and support for the disease.
For more information on the Spinal Muscular Atrophy Foundation, visit www.smafoundation.org or call (646) 253-7100.
About the
AAN Foundation
The American Academy of Neurology Foundation works with the
American Academy of Neurology to promote research in the neurosciences and to
advance public understanding of the disorders of the brain and nervous system.
For more information, visit www.neurofoundation.org.
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Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/4/prweb223846.htm