Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation Awards Almost $2M in Individual Research Awards 4/30/2003
From: Julie Kwon of the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation, 973-379-2690; E-mail: jkwon@crpf.org SPRINGFIELD, N.J., April 30 -- The Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation (CRPF) announced the results of its first research funding cycle for 2003 today. A total of $1,975,950.10 was awarded to 15 neuroscientists for research on spinal cord injury paralysis. The Foundation received a 46 percent increase in applications over the last cycle of 2002. "The heightened interest in spinal cord research, as evidenced by the large number of applications submitted for this cycle, is one of the most promising developments in the field," commented Mitchell R. Stoller, President and CEO of CRPF. "It is a powerful indicator that we are on the right course toward the development of treatments and cures for spinal cord injury." Every research application is reviewed by CRPF's Science Advisory Council (SAC), a panel of accomplished neuroscientists who volunteer their time and expertise to evaluate proposals based on science, relevance to CRPF's research priorities, and promise for clinical application. This rigorous process insures that CRPF funds only the most meritorious science that is targeted at finding effective therapies for the paralysis and other dysfunctions caused by spinal cord injury and other central nervous system disorders. Of the $1.97 million awarded, $568,480 will support studies that promote axon growth and remyelination and another $375,000 will underwrite projects for axon guidance, synapse formation, and neurotransmission. Investigators exploring growth inhibition were granted $224,214 and others looking at issues of concomitant function (for example, pain and spasticity) were awarded grants totaling $435,859. $297,397 is directed at rehabilitation studies and $75,000 is earmarked for a project that will develop a new research method for gene transfer. For more details on these categories of research, visit http://www.christopherreeve.org/research/researchmain.cfm INDIVIDUAL RESEARCH AWARDS: Promotion of Axon Growth & Remyelination, 29 percent Concomitant Function, 22 percent Axon Guidance, Synapse Formation & Neurotransmission, 19 percent Rehabilitation, 15 percent Growth Inhibition, 11 percent New Methods for Spinal Cord Research, 4 percent The Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation (CRPF) is committed to funding research that develops treatments and cures for paralysis caused by spinal cord injury and other central nervous system disorders. The Foundation also vigorously works to improve the quality of life for people living with disabilities through its grants program, paralysis resource center, and advocacy efforts. For more information, please call (800) 225-0292 or visit http://www.ChristopherReeve.org. ------ THE CHRISTOPHER REEVE PARALYSIS FOUNDATION INDIVIDUAL RESEARCH GRANTS FIRST CYCLE 2003, $1,975,950.10 -- Dr. William A. Barton, Ph.D., Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY $74,250.00, 1-year Grant Structrual study of Nogo, NogoR, and p75NTR -- Dr. Gerarld R. Crabtree, M.D., Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA $149,964.00, 2-year Grant Understanding and recapturing patterns of embryonic neurite outgrowth -- Dr. David D. Fuller, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI $150,000.00, 2-year Grant Plasticity in spinal respiratory pathways following treadmill exercise -- Dr. Francis John Golder, DVM, Ph.D., DACVA, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI $149,600.00, 2-year Grant Respiratory functional recovery after cervical spinal cord injury: strengthening existing synaptic pathways -- Dr. Barbara Grimpe, Ph.D., Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH $133,684.10, 2-year Grant Down-regulation of the xylosyltransferase 1, the GAG-chain initiating enzyme, and the use of bridge-building Schwann cells to stimulate regeneration in the spinal cord -- Dr. Bryan C. Hains, Ph.D., Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT $136,259.00, 2-year Grant Sodium channels and pain after spinal cord injury -- Dr. Mark Henkemeyer, Ph.D., Univ. of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX $150,000.00, 2-year Grant Eph-Ephrin signaling in the growth cone -- Dr. Carole Ho, M.D., Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA $136,180.00, 2-year Grant Identification and characterization of neuronal regeneration associated genes induced by cAMP and laminin by expression profiling -- Dr. John H. Martin, Ph.D., Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, Inc., New York, NY $148,616.00, 2-year Grant Engineering spinal connections to bypass spinal injury -- Dr. Mehdi M. Mirbagheri, Ph.D., Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL $147,397.00, 2-year Grant Restoration of neuromuscular function in spinal cord injury -- Dr. Sergei N. Prokopenko, Ph.D., Emory University, Atlanta, GA $75,000.00, 1-year Grant Signaling pathways of Derailed axon guidance receptor controlling a choice of commissures in the central nervous system -- Dr. Barbara Ranscht, Ph.D., The Burnham Institute, La Jolla, CA $150,000.00, 2-year Grant Cadherins in establishing connectivity in the spinal cord -- Dr. Stephen I. Ryu, M.D., Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA $150,000.00, 2-year Grant Enhancing the performance of cortically controlled prosthetic arm systems -- Dr. Rajeev Sivasankaran, M.D., Children's Hospital Boston, Boston, MA $150,000.00, 2-year Grant Investigating the role of protein kinase C in axon regeneration -- Dr. Ernest F. Terwilliger, Ph.D., Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA $75,000.00, 1-year Grant Targeting therapeutic gene transfer to spinal cord motor neurons | |