Aakanksha Singhvi, Ph.D., Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center
The brain has two cell-types in about equal numbers, glia and neurons. Studies in the recent past have
unequivocally shown that interactions between these two cell-types is essential for the nervous system
to work effectively. Indeed, defects in glia function, or ability of glia and neurons to co...
Andre M. M. Sousa, Ph.D. University of Wisconsin-Madison
Down syndrome is the most common genetic cause of intellectual disability. Intellectual disability in
individuals with Down syndrome includes deficits in cognition, attention, working memory, motor
development, and language that begin in the first months of life. These deficits progress with age ...
Dmitry Velmeshev, Ph.D., Duke University
Human brain development is a very complex process that involves generation and maturation of
hundreds of specialized cell types. These cells types are generated by a small set of starting cells called
neural stem cells. How these stem cells and their daughter cells know which cell type to generat...
Ishmail Abdus-Saboor, Ph.D., Columbia University
Synapses, the sites of signaling between neurons in the brain, play essential roles in learning, memory, and the health of neurons themselves. An enduring mystery is why some neurons are more vulnerable to synapse dysfunction, synapse loss, and neurodegenerative disease during aging.
Byoung Il Bae, Ph.D., University of Connecticut
2022 Seed GrantByoung Il Bae, Ph.D.University of Connecticut Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation Seed Grant The cerebral cortex is the largest and outermost part of the human brain. It is highly folded, or “gyrencephalic”, and contains tens of billions of neurons. Its normal developm...
Yvette Fisher, Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley
2022 Seed GrantYvette Fisher, Ph.D.University of California, Berkeley The Virginia (Ginny) & Roger Carlson Seed Grant Cognitive flexibility is critical for appropriately adjusting thoughts and behaviors to meet changing demands and is frequently disrupted in neuropsychiatric disorders. In bra...
Erin M. Gibson, Ph.D., Stanford University
2022 Seed GrantErin M. Gibson, Ph.D.Stanford University The brain consists of two main classes of cells, neurons and glia. Glia make-up more than half of the cells in the brain and perform such diverse functions as maintaining structure, support, and connection between neurons, modulating the imm...
Sarah C. Goetz, Ph.D., Duke University
2022 Seed GrantSarah C. Goetz, Ph.D. Duke University Women’s Council Seed Grant Primary cilia are tiny projections from cells that function like an antenna- they receive and may also send signals to the cell’s microenvironment. These structures are found on most types of cells in mamm...
Alexey Ostroumov, Ph.D. Georgetown University
Parkinson’s disease is an incurable, gradually progressive neurological motor disorder that affects the ability to control and perform movements. The disease results from low levels of a neurotransmitter, dopamine, which is crucial to normal functioning of the brain’s regions that are...
Sungjin Park, Ph.D., University of Utah
The extracellular matrix (ECM) maintains cellular integrity, provides a nurturing niche, regulates signaling activity, and transduces mechanical force. In the brain, ECM plays a critical role in a variety of functions, including providing niches for neurogenesis and synaptogenesis, maintaining th...
