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U of M Researcher Recognized for Contributions to Alzheimer's Disease Breakthroughs
MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (July 7, 2006)--University of Minnesota neurology professor Karen Hsiao Ashe, M.D., Ph.D., was chosen by her peers in Alzheimer’s research as having three of the 18 most influential papers on the disease by the journal Nature Medicine.
The journal polled respected Alzheimer’s disease researchers, asking which papers have most contributed to the field since 2003. Top ranked papers will be featured in the July issue of the journal.
Receiving the most mentions from the scientists was Ashe’s most recent paper, published in the March 2006 issue of the journal Nature, which identified a protein complex proven to cause memory loss in mice. This discovery paves the way for drug development that would target this protein complex, offering hope for new treatments for the disease.
Ashe also was recognized for her paper published in the January 2005 issue of Nature Neuroscience that found a more generalized group of memory-robbing molecules, which led up to the March 2006 discovery.
Tied for second place was Ashe’s July 2005 discovery that mice with significant brain degeneration were able to regain the ability to remember, suggesting that in the future, doctors may be able to reverse the effects of memory loss in people.
The issue of the journal will include summaries of all 18 articles, as well as commentaries from the researchers who made the list about what it was like to be involved in the work.
The discoveries made in Ashe’s lab were a team effort. University of Minnesota researchers who contributed to these three recognized articles include: James Cleary, Colleen Forster, Aaron Guimaraes, Jacki Hofmeister, Linda Kotilinek, Michael Kuskowski, Sylvain Lesne, Jen Paulson, Martin Ramsden, and Karen SantaCruz.
This year Ashe also was recognized with the MetLife Foundation Award for Medical Research in Alzheimer’s Disease and the Potamkin Prize for Research in Pick’s, Alzheimer’s and Related Diseases given by the American Academy of Neurology.
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 E. Buss, Academic Health Center, 612-624-2449
Liz Bryan, Academic Health Center, 612-624-5680
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