Chang-Gyu Hahn, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of Psychiatry at the Perelman School of Medicine is one of 42 innovative researchers awarded NARSAD 2010 Independent Investigator grants for mental illness research. Dr. Hahn seeks to determine the molecular and biochemical basis for the hypofunctioning of the N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptor in the prefrontal cortex of the brain, which is well documented in schizophrenic individuals. Dr. Hahn will identify which proteins in the NMDA receptor complex are linked to the hypofunctioning of the NMDA in patients with schizophrenia by analyzing post-mortem tissue samples. Data from these studies will suggest possible targets for novel therapeutics.
Independent Investigators seek to produce experimental results that will put them in a position to initiate major research programs and request major governmental grants. Receiving up to $100,000 over two years, they lead research programs of clinical and basic science investigations into the causes, mechanisms and treatments for serious psychiatric disorders. This year’s Independent Investigators come from 10 leading institutions in nine countries around the world, including Canada, Brazil, Israel and Spain, and 21 leading institutions in the United States. Their research topics include schizophrenia, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders, such as OCD and PTSD, and childhood disorders, such as autism and ADHD.
The 116-member NARSAD Scientific Council, a prestigious group representing the best and brightest minds in psychiatric research, guided the review and selection process for this year’s Independent Investigators. Forty two grantees were selected from a pool of 217 proposals.
For more information, see the NARSAD press release: http://www.narsad.org/?q=node/12077/press-release-details/12077.
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