University of Richmond professor awarded National Institutes of Health grant to research rare, inherited brain diseases
April 16, 2008
John Warrick, assistant professor of biology at the University of Richmond, has been awarded a grant by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke to study proteins in brain cells that contribute to brain degeneration. The institute is an agency of the National Institutes of Health.
Awarded through the institute's Academic Research Enhancement Award (AREA) program, the three-year, $182,159 grant will provide summer support for Warrick and up to two undergraduate students each year, equipment and supplies. The award program supports smaller research projects in the biomedical and behavioral sciences conducted by students and faculty.
Warrick's research investigates inherited brain diseases with no known cure or therapies, such as Machado-Joseph disease, an inherited disease prevalent among families of Portuguese/Azorean descent. His research will compare proteins in these diseased brain cells with non-diseased brain cells to target potential therapies and cures.
"This research is important because it tries to understand the biological basis for why inherited diseases like Huntington's Disease and Machado-Joseph Disease cause brain degeneration," he says.