The Evelyn F. and William L. Mcknight Brain Institute and the Cognitive Aging and Memory – Clinical Translational Research Program (CAM-CTRP) 2015 Annual Report
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The Evelyn F. and William L. McKnight Brain Institute and the Cognitive Aging and Memory – Clinical Translational Research Program (CAM-CTRP) 2015 Annual Report Prepared for the McKnight Brain Research Foundation by the University of Florida McKnight Brain Institute and Institute on Aging Table of Contents Letter from UF Leadership ................................................................................................................................................................................................. 3 Age-related Memory Loss (ARML) Program and the Evelyn F. McKnight Chair for Brain Research in Memory Loss...... 4-19 Cognitive Aging and Memory Clinical Translational Research Program (CAM-CTRP) and the Evelyn F. McKnight Chair for Clinical Translational Research in Cognitive Aging and Memory ................................ 20-63 William G. Luttge Lectureship in Neuroscience ...............................................................................................................64-65 Program Financials .................................................................................................................................................................. 66 Age-related Memory Loss Program .............................................................................................................................................................................67 McKnight Endowed Chair for Brain Research in Memory Loss .........................................................................................................................68 Cognitive Aging & Memory Clinical Translational Research Program ............................................................................................................69 McKnight Endowed Chair for Clinical Translational Research in Cognitive Aging and Memory ........................................................70 Dr. William G. Luttge Lectureship in Neuroscience ................................................................................................................................................71 McKnight Brain Research Grant Fund Report ..........................................................................................................................................................72 Evelyn F. McKnight Chair Endowments ......................................................................................................................................................................73 UF Foundation Endowment Reports ............................................................................................................................... 74-82 Faculty Biographical Sketches ........................................................................................................................................ 83-197 Selected Publications .................................................................................................................................................... 198-263 3 Age-related Memory Loss (ARML) Program and the Evelyn F. McKnight Chair for Brain Research in Memory Loss 2015 Progress Report PO Box 100015 Gainesville, FL 32610-0015 352-273-8500 Office 352-846-0185 Fax mbi.ufl.edu January 15, 2016 January 15, 2015 The McKnight Brain Research Foundation SunTrust Bank MailDear CodeTrustees FL-ORL-2160 of the McKnight Brain Research Foundation: 300 South Orange Avenue, Suite 1600 Orlando,It is a great FL pleasure 32801 to present this report to Trustees of the McKnight Brain Research Foundation (MBRF). This report describes the accomplishments of the Age-Related Memory Loss (ARML) Program and the Cognitive Aging and Memory-Clinical Translational Research Program (CAM-CTRP) in 2014. The ARML Program has made important progress towards understanding the biological mechanism of memory loss in Dear MBRF Trustees, aging while the CAM-CTRP has focused on translational works toward prevention or alleviation of cognitive loss associated with aging. These programs also played leadership roles in the advancement of inter- Itinstitutional is my pleasure, collaborative to submit researchthis 2015 involving Annual Report investigators of the Agefrom Related the four Memory McKnight Loss Brain (ARML) Institu programtes (University and theof Florida, Cognitive University Aging and of Arizona,Memory UniversityClinical Translational of Alabama Research Birmingham Program and University (CAM-CTRP). of Miami). Submitting We are this reportextremely turned grateful out to for be the one MBRF of my for very the last support duties of as these Executive inter-i Directornstitutional of theresearch Evelyn pr F.ograms. & William Specifics L. McKnight of Brainthese progressesInstitute (MBI) are described of the University in detail ofin thisFlorida report (UF). and Itare has summarized been a great in privilege the letters to from serve Dr. the Thomas MBI since Foster Octoberfor the ARML 1, 2010, Program and I would and Drs. like Ronaldto express Cohen my deepestand Marco appreciation Pahor for tothe the CAM-CTRP. MBRF for the strong support of our programs. Briefly, Dr. Jennifer Bizon of the ARML Program has explored the mechanistic role of GABAergic signaling in Whenmemory I came loss associatedaboard, the with CAM-CTRP aging in rats. had Impressivejust been established results of herat the work Institute are being on Aging translated (IoA) into at UFthe to facilitatedevelopment clinical of novel translation GABA ofB receptorresearch antagonistson cognitive as aging therapeutic and memory agents bythat allocating can be used half in of human the annual clinical revenuetrials. Dr. from Sara the Burke, MBRF who fund moved at the from UF theFoundation. University However, of Arizona the to transition the MBI tookover asome year time ago, tohas appoint successfully Ronaldestablished Cohen, her productivePhD as the lainauguralboratory. Director She has of published the CAM-CTRP. five papers Halving on age-related the budget memory of the loss,ARML including program alsothree required in the Journal a major of adjustment Neuroscience of thein 2014. research Dr. program Andrew atMaurer the MBI. is a newDespite faculty the memberslow start, who subsequent brought years havecutting-edge shown strong electrophysiologi progress. Recruitmentcal technologies of Jennifer to study Bizon, functions PhD, of Sara cells Burke, in hippocampus PhD, and Andrew and entorhinal Maurer, cortex,PhD allowedwhich are Thomas critical forFoster, understanding PhD, Director the mechanismof the ARML of program, memory toloss develop in aging. an interdisciplinaryDr. Brandi Ormerod basic completed research her study on olfactory and hippocampal neurogenesis in aging. Dr. Thomas Foster, Director of the ARML team for ARML at MBI. Meanwhile, Dr. Foster received the prestigious NIH Merit Award, evidence that he Program, directed these research activities. Dr. Thomas Foster, who is also Professor and Chair for Research on is an undisputed national leader of ARML research. The ARML program has significantly increased its NIH Cognitive Aging and Memory, continues to be one of the top international researchers of cognitive aging, and fundinghis accomplishments and is expected led toto furthera renewal increase of the fundingNIH Merit from Award. the NIH He identifiedand other impairedgrant agencies acquisition in coming of episodic years. Thespatial CAM-CTRP information wasas a nothallmark idle either; of early Dr. cognitiveCohen took lo ssno associated time in organizing with aging, a aproductivend the redox/calcium-mediated team of clinical scientists,impairment which of the quickly NMDA became receptor functional function atcontributing the IoA. Leaders to an early of the stage two of programs senescence regularly hippocampal met in theneurons. respectiveDr. Foster institutes’also initiated monthly a new executive study to examinecommittees. the ro Bothle of programssystemic inflammatisignificantlyon incontributed age-related to cognitivethe inter- institutionaldecline as a projectcollaboration aiming withat translati three otheronal applications. MBIs, which Furthermore,are located at Dr.the FoUniversityster led the of Alabamaeffort to establish Birmingham, the University ofof ArizonaFlorida Bio-Informaticsand University ofCore Miami. as a partIn this of thecollaboration, inter-institutional Dr. Foster’s collaboration team has to become facilitate a key the componentunderstanding of epigeneticsof the role of studies epigenomics of learning in cognitive and memory aging. in aging, and Dr. Cohen has taken a key leadership The Foundation for the Gator Nation An Equal Opportunity Institution 5 role to facilitate the magnetic resonance imaging studies on cognitive aging. Thus, the initial organization of research teams and the return of investments showed clear progress. PO Box 100015 Gainesville, FL 32610-0015 While mechanistic basic science research and descriptive clinical studies are fundamentally 352-273-8500 important Office on their 352-846-0185 Fax own right, the next challenge is strengthening the collaborations between CAM-CTRP and ARML program mbi.ufl.edu to develop a machinery for seamless clinically meaningful translational research from bench to bedside. The current programs have outstanding scientists at bench and those at bedside, and they understand translational research at their respective conceptual contexts. However to make the translational pipeline work, we will need a handful of researchers who can closely work with both basic scientists and