U of M Alzheimer's Disease Researcher Earns $800,000 Grant to Pursue Molecular Basis for Memory Loss

Program funds unconventional ideas that may have high scientific impact

MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (September 3, 2008) - University of Minnesota Medical School neuroscience researcher Karen Hsiao Ashe, M.D., Ph.D., has been awarded a grant from the National Institutes of Health's EUREKA program.

EUREKA (Exceptional, Unconventional Research Enabling Knowledge Acceleration) grants are awarded to investigators who are testing novel and unconventional hypotheses or are working to overcome major methodological or technical challenges. This is the first time these grants have been awarded; Ashe was one of 38 honored with an award. She will receive $200,000 each year for four years.

Ashe's work will focus on understanding the molecules that are responsible for memory loss in a group of degenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, caused by abnormalities in a protein called "tau." These proteins are distinct because they cause memory problems even before brain cells begin to die.

"This award will enable me to pursue this high-risk and potentially high-impact project," Ashe said. "Defining the molecular basis of memory disturbance has eluded the most prominent and productive scientists in the field of Alzheimer's disease; in fact, there is still a certain amount of skepticism that people can have significant memory deterioration without loss of neurons."

Understanding the molecular mechanisms of memory loss offers hope for preventing memory loss before it occurs or reversing it after it has happened, Ashe added.  Because of the difficulty in diagnosing problems with the tau protein before cell death occurs, molecular studies of early memory deterioration have not been possible in humans. 

However, recent advances in analyzing the effects of certain molecules on memory function in mouse models of Alzheimer's disease make it possible to target the molecules that cause clinical symptoms -- this is the approach of Ashe's EUREKA research project.

For more information about the EUREKA program, visit: http://www.nigms.nih.gov/Research/Mechanisms/EUREKA.htm.

Dedicated to excellence, diversity and service, the University of Minnesota Medical School educates the next generation of physicians, advances patient care, and discovers breakthroughs in biomedical research that enhance health in Minnesota and beyond. Its commitment to transform medical education, Rural Physician Associate Program, and success in training Native American physicians are well-known. More than 1,500 Medical School physicians and scientists provide world-class care and carry out nearly $200 million in research, which informs the treatments and care that patients receive. For more information, go to www.med.umn.edu.

Contact:  Sara Buss, Academic Health Center, 612-626-7037
Laura Stroup, Academic Health Center, 612-624-5680