Programs

  • Neurodegenerative Disease Research

    DURING FISCAL YEAR 2023, THE INSTITUTE SCIENTISTS AND STAFF CONTINUED THEIR EFFORTS TO BETTER UNDERSTANDING THE CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR MECHANISMS OF NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASE PROCESSES THROUGH INNOVATIVE GENETIC APPROACHES IN MURINE MODELS WHILE EXPANDING THE PROGRAM OF TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH TO SUPPLEMENT TREATMENT ADVANCES AND EDUCATION THROUGH COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WITH STUDENT INTERNSHIPS. WITH CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED THE PREVIOUS YEAR, THE INSTITUTE WAS ABLE TO HIRE TWO ADDITIONAL SCIENTISTS. EXPANDED SCIENTIFIC EMPLOYMENT LED TO EXPANDED RESEARCH TO INCLUDE SUBJECTS OF HUMAN PRIMORDIAL GERM CELLS, MACULAR DEGENERATION, NEUTROPHILS IN AGE RELATED DISEASES, AND NOVEL ASSAY OPTIMIZATION FOR THE IMPROVED DIAGNOSTICS OF NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASES. FURTHER RESEARCH ON THE EMPHASIS OF GENETIC SUSCEPTIBILITY; CELLULAR MECHANISM COMPONENTS OF PROTEIN MISFOLDING PROPAGATION; IDENTIFICATION OF BIOMARKERS; THE ROLE OF MICROBIOME AND INFLAMMATION; AND CELLULAR SENESCENCE IN DISEASES SUCH AS FRONTOTEMPORAL DEMENTIA, ALZHEIMER'S AND PRION DISEASES, AS WELL AS NOVEL TREATMENT APPROACHES. SUCH WORK INCLUDED PARTNERSHIPS WITH UP TO TEN COLLABORATORS AND 24 PROJECTS AMONG INVESTIGATORS WITH PARTNERSHIPS EXTENDING NATIONALLY TO NEW YORK, MASSACHUSETTS, NORTH CAROLINA, WASHINGTON STATE AND CALIFORNIA WHICH RESULTANT SUBAWARDS CONTRIBUTED TO $413,000 OF NIH GRANT FUND SUPPORT AND $430,000 IN RESEARCH CONTRACTS. EFFORTS CONTINUED TOWARDS UNDERSTANDING HUNTINGTON'S DISEASE IN COLLABORATION WITH INVESTIGATORS FROM WESTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY AND THE CURE HUNTINGTON'S DISEASE FOUNDATION; ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE WITH PARTNERS AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY AND WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY; AS WELL AS MAKING STRIDES ON INVESTIGATOR LED STUDIES AND FUTURE FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES WITH THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH. INVESTIGATORS CONTINUED CRITICAL WORK WITH NEW TREATMENT DEVELOPMENT SCREENING THROUGH ONGOING COLLABORATION WITH PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES AND WELCOMED NEW COLLABORATIONS WITH CUREDRPLA AND N-LOREM. THE INSTITUTE CONTINUED THE EFFORTS OF THE NIH FUNDED GRANT (AWARDED MARCH 2018) IN THE AMOUNT OF $405,000/YEAR FOR FIVE YEARS DIRECTED TOWARDS BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY OF NEUROTRANSMITTERS IN NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASES WITH THE FINAL YEAR IN COMPLETED ON A NO COST EXTENSION. NIH AWARD OF $360,306 WAS RECEIVED FOR DISSECTION OF THE TRANSCRIPTIONAL NETWORKS OF HUMAN PRIMORDIAL GERM CELLS AND $292,000 FOR AGE RELATED MACULAR DEGENERATION RESEARCH. THE INSTITUTE RECEIVED $457,000 IN CONTRIBUTIONS THAT WAS USED TO SUPPORT INVESTMENTS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH AND EDUCATION.
    Geographies
    Not indicated
    Dates
    Jul 1, 2022 – Jun 30, 2023
    Source
    990
    No causes provided
    No populations provided
    –
    $3.7M

  • Summer Internship Program

    THE INSTITUTE CONTINUED THE SUMMER INTERNSHIP PROGRAM WITH HOSTING AN ASTOUNDING 18 HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE INTERNS. A TOTAL OF $48,750 WAS AWARDED TO THE PARTICIPATING INTERNS WHO COMPLETED THE 8-WEEK SUMMER PROGRAM AND ROTATING BETWEEN EACH LAB WITH ONE COLLEGE INTERN CONTINUING WITH AN EXTENDED PROGRAM THAT INCLUDED MACHINE LEARNING DATA ANALYSIS AND RESULTED IN SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATION. FURTHER EDUCATION EFFORTS EXTENDED TO THE TOURO COLLEGE OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE-MONTANA WITH INVESTIGATORS GAINING PROFESSORSHIP APPOINTMENTS AT THE NEW MEDICAL SCHOOL.
    Geographies
    Not indicated
    Dates
    Jul 1, 2022 – Jun 30, 2023
    Source
    990
    No causes provided
    No populations provided
    –
    $48.8K