2016 Competition
Mark Aldermann - Early synapse loss in Alzheimer’s disease: In vivo imaging
of microglial engulfment, pruning, and anti-CR3 immunotherapy in awake mice
Laura Cox - Role of the intestinal microbiota in calorie-restriction mediated protection of Alzheimer’s disease
Vivek Gautam - Functional Significance of Neurexin in Alzheimer’s Disease
Genevieve Van de Bittner - Neuron Population Monitoring in Alzheimer's Disease: Human Translation of a Novel PET Imaging Agent
Felipe von Glehn - Investigation of pathogenic B-cell associated chronic meningitis causing cortical neuronal degeneration in progressive multiple sclerosis
Rakesh Karmacharya - Investigating GW8510 as a potential therapeutic lead for Parkinson’s Disease
Silke Nuber - Shifting Multimers: A New Paradigm for Calpain-Mediated Synucleinopathy
Sabrina Paganoni - Molecular imaging to detect microglia activation in people with PLS
Amar Sahay - Identification of novel pro-neurogenic factors to enhance memory processing during aging
Jason Schapansky - The role of glucocerebrosidase and LRRK2 in α-synuclein metabolism
Bhagat Singh - Identifying the Molecular Mechanisms of Chemotherapy Induced Peripheral Neuropathy
Tejia Zhang - Development and Characterization of Zebrafish Models of Sphingolipidoses
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The pilot projects program funds the best ideas for innovative pilot projects aimed at understanding and developing treatments for neurodegenerative diseases. This program is a catalyst for enabling major grant applications and to develop stronger ties between HNDC community investigators. Researchers are encouraged to make better use of HNDC core facilities.
Structure:
- Request for proposals circulated through the community
- Invite ideas for novel projects that can be started immediately
- Projects must be able to be completed within one year
- Project requires minimal funding
- Cross-institutional review panel scores proposals
- Clinical and translational research are considered
- Priority is first given to junior investigators
- Applications are judged on:
- Scientific merit
- Novelty
- Likelihood preliminary data will be generated that could form the basis of a proposal to major funding agencies
- Applicant’s ability to access appropriate facilities and has the technical ability to carry out the project
- Panel meets to discuss the relative merits of the most promising proposals
- Successful applicants are awarded $20,000-$40,000 of funding
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2015 Competition
Forty-three proposals were received. On January 20th the program review committee met and selected the following six winners:
Murugaiyan Gopal (BWH) — MicroRNA control of inflammatory Th17 cells in Multiple Sclerosis
Gad A. Marshall (MGH/BWH) — Novel performance-based and subjective complex activities of daily living tests for early AD
Jennifer R. Gatchel (MGH) — Examining the association between neuropsychiatric symptoms and markers of Alzheimer’s disease in cognitively normal older adults
Nikolaos Patsopoulos (BWH) — Multiple genes targeting as therapeutic strategy for multiple sclerosis
U. Shivraj Sohur (MGH) — New-generation pipeline for Parkinson’s disease therapeutics targeted to molecular programs of midbrain dopaminergic neuron subtype identity
Marta Olah (BWH) — Microglia Heterogeneity in Healthy Aging and AD – a Mass Cytometry Study
For a list of previous winners, click here.