Merav is working on a novel way of detecting Alzheimer’s biomarkers in vivo with near-infrared optical nanosensors. We at the Brown Foundation knew the competition from MSK was going to be impressive and we are so pleased to announce that After a competitive competition, the winning laboratory that received their $100,000 grant in December of 2021 was Molecular Pharmacology Program under the supervision of Merav Antman-Passig, PhD.

There are approximately 1,700 elite medical residents and Fellows that are in training at MSK and an additional 575 postdoctoral researchers training at MSK labs and a combined 288 PhD and MD-PhD candidates. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center is one of the top medical research institutions in the world and we are the Brown Foundation were deeply honored to have this organization competing in our 2021 Healthy Ageing Program. Cao will utilize the Foundation’s award to test means to target interferon in rodent models to restore memory deficits with an aim to translate the findings to clinic. Cao identified a critical inflammatory pathway incited by Type I Interferon that leads to synapse loss in AD animal models and aging brains alike. Already simmering in aging brains, neuro-inflammation is exceedingly prominent in AD brains. Age-related memory decline negatively impacts healthy individuals and, in most severe cases, manifests as dementias such as Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). The Foundation was honored to issue a grant award of $100,000 in December of 2021 to further the ground breaking work of Wei Cao, Ph.D and her Neuro-inflammation Lab. This vision is realized through collaborative research initiatives in which basic, translational, and clinical researchers work together across disciplines and specialties to discover fundamental insights into human health and disease and to apply their discoveries to develop new diagnostic tools and treatments.

Located at the heart of the Texas Medical Center - the largest medical complex in the world - Baylor College of Medicine focuses the efforts of faculty, staff and trainees on improving health through science, scholarship and innovation.

The Brown Foundation was deeply honored to have the Baylor College of Medicine compete for the first time in one of our basic science programs.

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