[All Institutions]

Senior and New Scholars Awards for University of Pennsylvania


Dr. Amita Sehgal

University of Pennsylvania

Contribution of impaired circadian physiology to aging

2012 senior Scholar Award in aging

Most organisms display daily cycles of physiology and behavior. These circadian (~24h) rhythms, as they are called, range from rhythms of nitrogen fixation in some bacteria to sleep:wake cycles in humans, and are driven by one or more clocks located within organisms. In humans, a clock in the brain determines the timing of sleep, and clocks in... more >>

Dr. Shelley Berger

University of Pennsylvania

Epigenetic modifiers and aging

2010 senior Scholar Award in aging
Epigenetic alterations are heritable changes in genome regulation, independent of mutations in DNA sequence, caused by chemical or protein composition changes to the DNA or histone proteins that organize the DNA. There is enormous interest in epigenetics, because the mammalian epigenome undergoes dramatic changes during normal tissue... more >>

Dr. Junhyong Kim

University of Pennsylvania

Genome Biology of Single Neuron Function and its Modulation with Age

2010 senior Scholar Award in aging
Our bodies are made up of organs, organs are made up of tissues, and tissues are made up of cells. As our body ages, not all parts deteriorate at the same pace. During degeneration of bodily function from age and disease, not all organs are affected equally, not all tissues in an organ are affected in the same way, and in fact, not all cells... more >>

Dr. Nancy Bonini

University of Pennsylvania

Genes and Pathways that Modulate Neural Decline with Age

2009 senior Scholar Award in aging

A long-standing aspect of aging is that the brain, with age, undergoes cognitive decline and perhaps degeneration. Such decline may not only underlie normal loss of brain function with age, but also contribute to or advance diseases of the nervous system, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and others. Despite the importance of... more >>

Dr. David S. Roos

University of Pennsylvania

Designing and Mining Pathogen Genome Databases: The Apicoplast as a Novel Drug Target in Plasmodium Parasites

2002 senior Scholar Award in gid
The excitement engendered by the completion of pathogen, vector, and human genome sequences is coupled with a concern: how are researchers to effectively exploit these data for drug and vaccine development?

Genomics research is characterized by the production of large-scale datasets derived from DNA sequencing, RNA and protein _expression... more >>

Dr. Joseph A. Baur

University of Pennsylvania

The Role of NAD Metabolism in Caloric Restriction and Obesity

2010 new Scholar Award in aging
Caloric restriction (CR) is the most robust and reproducible way to delay or prevent age-related degeneration and disease in mammals. Although the mechanism accounting for these benefits remains poorly understood, a growing body of evidence implicates the sirtuin enzymes, a conserved family of proteins that use nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (... more >>

Dr. James Shorter

University of Pennsylvania

Enhancing Proteostasis to Combat Age-Related Neurodegenerative Disorders

2009 new Scholar Award in aging
As life spans increase through improvements in medicine and public health, the prevalence of devastating nerve degeneration diseases will inexorably increase to become one of the most severe obstacles to living longer, more fulfilling lives. We are in urgent need of new concepts and approaches to combat several lethal nerve degeneration disorders... more >>

Dr. Benoit Giasson

University of Pennsylvania

The Role of Lrrk2 Mutations and Aging in Causing Parkinson's Disease and Related Disorders

2006 new Scholar Award in aging
Parkinsonís disease (PD) is the most common movement disorder affecting over one million people in North America alone. It is characterized clinically by resting tremor, slowness of movement, postural instability, and muscle rigidity with these disabilities largely attributed to the extensive loss of specific populations of neurons in the brain... more >>

Non-Scholar Awards for University of Pennsylvania


Development of Molecular Genetic Tools for Parasitic Helminths

University of Pennsylvania

2002 Infrastructure Scholar Award in Infectious Disease
The Ellison Medical Foundation has pledged support of up to $2,832,368 for the 4 year project on the Development of Molecular Genetic Tools for Parasitic Helminths. This will involve developing methods and protocols for gene transfer and for specific disruption of gene function in both Schistosoma mansoni and Strongyloides stercoralis... more >>

Molecular Approaches to Malaria 2004

University of Pennsylvania

2004 Conferences and Workshops Scholar Award in Infectious Disease
The Ellison Medical Foundation awarded $10,000 to help support the University of Pennsylvania project on The Molecular Approaches to Malaria 2004 held February 1-5, 2004 in Lorne, Victoria, Australia. more >>

Funded Institutions

The Ellison Medical Foundation fosters research by means of grants-in-aid on behalf of investigators to universities and laboratories within the United States. Institutions receiving awards must be tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organizations or U.S. colleges or universities.