FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ON April 25, 2012
University of Rochester Researcher Awarded $263,622 for Multiple Sclerosis Research
Grant Funded by American Brain Foundation and National Multiple Sclerosis Society
NEW ORLEANS -
A Rochester, New York, researcher will receive a $263,622 grant to continue his study of injury to brain cell connections (synapses) in multiple sclerosis (MS) through the (formerly the 好色先生 Foundation) and the Clinician-Scientist Development Award. Matthew Bellizzi, MD, a Fellow in experimental therapeutics and neuroimmunology at the University of Rochester, was awarded the fellowship for his work investigating progressive degeneration of the brain in MS patients and in MS models. The three-year award is designed to encourage MS clinical research with the goal of providing better treatment, prevention or cure of the disease. Clinical research is the fundamental transition stage between discovery and treatment. Clinical research provides the scientific basis for all forms of care, addresses patient and caregiver needs and is the backbone for drug development and cost-effectiveness studies needed to improve lives. Fellowships provide recipients with up to three years of 鈥減rotected time,鈥 with salary that allows them to continue important research projects in their chosen interests. Multiple sclerosis is an unpredictable disease of the central nervous system that disrupts communication between the brain and other parts of the body. MS patients experience muscle weakness in their extremities and difficulty with coordination and balance, among other symptoms. The progress, severity, and specific symptoms of MS vary from one person to another. There is no known cure for multiple sclerosis at this time, but there are therapies available that may slow the disease and improve quality of life.