Northwell Health’s Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research announced that it has secured $4.9 million in new multi-year grant funding from the National Institutes of Health. The funding will support two research projects focused on acute inflammation and Alzheimer’s disease.
The grants were awarded to teams of scientists including Monowar Aziz, PhD, associate professor; Archna Sharma, PhD, assistant professor; and Ping Wang, MD, professor and chief scientific officer at the Feinstein Institutes.
The research is designed to deepen scientific understanding of fundamental biological mechanisms and help identify new therapeutic approaches.
One project will investigate B-1a cells and their role in acute inflammation.
Acute inflammation is a rapid immune system response, but when dysregulated, it can contribute to severe conditions including sepsis and other life-threatening diseases.
The Feinstein Institutes team aims to better understand how B-1a cells influence these inflammatory responses.
The research could help identify new ways to control harmful inflammation and improve patient outcomes.
This work is being led by Dr. Aziz and Dr. Wang.
The second project will examine the impact of neurotoxic astrocytes in Alzheimer’s disease.
Astrocytes were once viewed largely as support cells, but researchers increasingly recognize their active role in brain health and disease.
The team will study how neurotoxic astrocytes contribute to neurodegeneration in Alzheimer’s disease.
The goal is to identify new ways to slow or potentially prevent the progression of the condition.
This research is being led by Dr. Sharma, Dr. Wang, and Philippe Marambaud, PhD, professor at the Feinstein Institutes.
The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research is the research arm of Northwell Health.
It includes more than 50 research labs, 3,000 clinical research studies, and 5,000 researchers and staff.
The Feinstein Institutes conducts research across behavioral science, bioelectronic medicine, cancer, health system science, molecular medicine, and translational research.
KEY QUOTES:
“The funding from these two NIH grants is instrumental in supporting our investigations into the basic cellular mechanisms across major diseases. Whether exploring B-1a cells in acute inflammation or neurotoxic astrocytes in Alzheimer’s disease, these studies are critical for advancing our understanding and ultimately identifying new ways to treat both conditions.”
Ping Wang, MD, Professor and Chief Scientific Officer at the Feinstein Institutes
“Developing effective treatments for inflammation and Alzheimer’s disease requires knowledge about biological mechanisms. Grant support from NIH enables researchers to identify specific therapeutic targets that form the basis for therapeutic advances in patient care.”
Kevin J. Tracey, MD, President and CEO of the Feinstein Institutes and Karches Family Distinguished Chair in Medical Research
