Ludwig Grants Fund Research on Neurodegeneration

A new cohort of HMS scientists will conduct basic research on neurodegeneration with therapeutic potential

By HMS COMMUNICATIONS Research

2 min read

An abstract drawing of a teal brain with bright patches of color
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For the second year, the Carol and Gene Ludwig Family Foundation has awarded grants for research on neurodegeneration through the Ludwig Neurodegenerative Disease Seed Grants Program. The foundation established the program at Harvard Medical School last year to bolster research on neurodegeneration.

This year, three researchers were each awarded just over $400,000 for their proposed projects. Through their work, the scientists will approach research on neurodegenerative diseases from new angles, applying their expertise to uncover processes that lead to neurodegeneration.

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The goal of the Ludwig program is to support HMS researchers with in-depth knowledge of basic neuroscience as they investigate and validate novel mechanisms that could be driving neurodegeneration — in particular, Alzheimer’s disease. The program strives to identify projects grounded in basic biology that have the greatest potential for translational impact.

This year’s winners include Harvey Cantor, the Baruj Benacerraf Professor of Immunology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Sichen (Susan) Shao, an associate professor of cell biology in the Blavatnik Institute at HMS, and Steven McCarroll, the Dorothy and Milton Flier Professor of Biomedical Science and Genetics at HMS.

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Cantor is studying osteopontin, a protein produced by immune cells in the brain, called microglia, that helps the cells differentiate and function. His project aims to define the underlying mechanisms of osteopontin in microglia, and to explore the protein’s potential as a therapeutic target for Alzheimer’s disease.

Shao is researching how neurons respond to impaired mRNA and protein quality control issues in ribosomes — structures inside cells that use mRNA blueprints to make proteins. She hopes to uncover mechanistic insights into this protein production pathway inside neurons, which is thought to be highly relevant to neurodegeneration.

McCarroll is investigating molecular markers of neural degeneration. His group has identified several highly specific markers and is leveraging them to understand the mechanisms that lead to neural degeneration in Huntington’s disease. If the work bears out, it may challenge widespread assumptions about the timeline of neurodegeneration at the single-cell level.

This year’s grant recipients will join two research groups funded last year. Michael Greenberg, the HMS Nathan Marsh Pusey Professor of Neurobiology, is studying strategies neurons use to repair DNA damage, which can contribute to neurodegeneration. Stirling Churchman, associate professor of genetics at HMS, is studying mitochondria, energy-producing structures that can wear out in neurons over time.

Together, the five funded labs are building a strong collaborative research community around neurodegeneration at HMS. Awardees will share their findings at symposia, journal clubs, and other gatherings open to the broader HMS community.

Adapted from a Carol and Gene Ludwig Family Foundation news release.