Karen Hsiao Ashe to be Honored with Metlife Foundation Award for Contribution to Alzheimer's Research

Within the last year, Ashe has shown that recovery of memory in laboratory animals with Alzheimer’s disease is possible, even after substantial damage in the brain has occurred. “The combination of support from students, scientists, professors, staff and administrators at the University of Minnesota, in addition to funding from the National Institutes of Health, have generated an atmosphere of scientific creativity and energy in my laboratory that is rare to find anywhere” said Ashe.  

In 1998, Ashe received the MetLife Foundation Award for Promising Work. Now, as the Major Award recipient, Ashe will receive $200,000 for her laboratory at the University of Minnesota and a personal prize of $50,000.

MetLife Foundation was established in 1976 by MetLife for the purpose of supporting educational, health, civic, and cultural organizations. MetLife Foundation began its Awards for Medical Research program in 1986 to recognize scientists who have made significant contributions to the understanding and treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

The Academic Health Center is home to the University of Minnesota’s six health professional schools and colleges as well as several health-related centers and institutes. Founded in 1851, the University is one of the oldest and largest land grant institutions in the country. The AHC prepares the new health professionals who improve the health of communities, discover and deliver new treatments and cures, and strengthen the health economy.

Contact: Sara Buss, Academic Health Center, (612) 624-2449 Sarah Chevaillier, U of M Neurology Department, (612) 625-6419 Kristina Dietman, Academic Health Center, (612) 626-4784