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CNS Research Fellowships

Overview

The Center for Neurologic Study's Research Fellowship Program offers support to recent university graduates interested in a career in medicine or neuroscience. Students must have demonstrated success in their undergraduate studies and are interested in conducting research primarily focused on neurodegenerative diseases. The Center's Director, Dr. Richard Smith, and other members of the Center's staff provide mentorship along with the investigator with whom the fellowship recipient is collaborating. 

The fellowship program will sponsor a student's laboratory research for one year following their graduation. Research must be conducted in collaboration with an investigator at a university or research institute. Under some circumstances, the Center's support will be extended for a second year. 

Applicants are invited to submit an overview of their proposed research. If selected for a fellowship, the award amount will be negotiated with the collaborating institution. 

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Jennifer Huang
Recipient of the 2020–2021
CNS Research Fellowship

Ms. Huang is working in a lab at UC San Diego which is directed by Dr. John Ravits. She is studying motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord that have been generously donated by persons with ALS. Her work focuses on the sigma 1 receptor which decorates motor neurons utilizing immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence.

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Hanna Hovren
Recipient of the 2021–2022
CNS Research Fellowship

Ms. Hovren is spending her research fellowship at Amprion Inc. determining the presence of prion-like proteins in the spinal fluid of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and other sporadic neurodegenerative disorders. Her work utilizes Amprion’s seeded aggregation assay (also called PMCA assay) to determine the presence of misfolded proteins that are likely involved in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders. 

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Davan Murphy
Recipient of the 2022–2024
CNS Research Fellowship

Ms. Murphy is working in the Research & Development lab at Amprion Inc. She is working to develop a novel seed amplification assay to detect aggregated TDP-43, a critical biomarker for ALS and other neurodegenerative diseases deemed “TDP-43 proteinopathies”. The successful development of this assay would fill a major diagnostic gap by enabling precise, antemortem diagnosis of ALS - an advancement that could profoundly improve early disease detection and patient care. 

© 2021 by Center for Neurologic Study.

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