UTSW Researcher Receives NIH Award to Advance Neurodegenerative Research
David Sanders, Ph.D., Assistant Professor in the Center for Alzheimer’s and Neurodegenerative Diseases and the Department of Molecular Biology at UT Southwestern Medical Center, has received a five-year grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to explore how RNA/protein assemblies contribute to neurodegenerative diseases. The NIH Director’s New Innovator Award is a part of the NIH Common Fund’s High-Risk, High-Reward Program and recognizes early-career scientists pursuing bold, high-impact research. Dr. Sanders, one of only about 30 recipients nationwide, is a member of the Peter O’Donnell Jr. Brain Institute. His lab studies how cells form liquidlike structures called biomolecular condensates, which organize RNA and proteins. The team’s work will shed light on how these condensates regulate messenger RNA (mRNA) during cellular stress and how their dysfunction may lead to neurodegenerative and neuromuscular disorders.
UTSW Researcher Receives NIH Award to Advance Neurodegenerative Research