Margaret M. Cahn is a Westchester County philanthropist and a longtime supporter of Alzheimer’s research. This is the eighth year the award has been given in her name.
The award is presented annually to a promising young scientific researcher seeking treatment and a cure for Alzheimer’s disease. This year’s recipient was Rutgers University researcher Radek Dobrowolski, who is working with a team experimenting with chemical compounds they believe could restore communication between brain cells.
Dobrowolski, assistant professor in the Department of Biological Sciences/Faculty of Arts and Sciences, is the main investigator of “Brain Injury Induced Alzheimer’s-Like Disease,” a multi-school research collaboration seeking to create therapeutic compounds to prevent destruction within the brain triggered by traumatic brain injury.
Researchers have found that the buildup of certain proteins in the brain prevents neurons from communicating, resulting in the loss of memory and inability to perform basic tasks. Dobrowolski is working to understand why this process happens in order to determine how to prevent it.
The award was presented to by Margaret Cahn’s son, Andy Cahn, a board member and past board chair of the Hudson Valley Chapter.
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