2017 News

December 31, 2017

Dr. Timothy J. Collier to give This Your Health Lecture in Traverse City

As many as one million Americans are living with Parkinson’s disease today. While a diagnosis can be devastating, it is important to know that there are a number of treatments available for those coping with the disease. Join Dr. Timothy J. Collier at his This Is Your Health Lecture to learn more about Parkinson’s disease and the latest research and promising new treatments that can positively affect lifestyle, Tuesday, March 7, at 6 pm, at Munson Community Health Center.

"Living Well With Parkinson's Disease"

Tuesday, March 7 at 6 pm
Munson Community Health Center, Conf. Rooms A & B
550 Munson Avenue, Traverse City

Dr. Timothy J. Collier awarded 5-year NIH grant

Dr. Timothy J. Collier has been awarded a new 5-year NIH grant examining the potential of the antidepressant medication nortriptyline to delay progression of Parkinson’s disease (PD). The award is jointly directed by Timothy Collier, Ph.D. of MSU’s Translational Science & Molecular Medicine department and Jeffrey Kordower, Ph.D. at Rush University in Chicago. The project will study doses, timing and mechanisms of action of nortriptyline in an animal model of PD as a final pre-clinical step in support of proposing a clinical trial for application in early PD patients.

TSMM Alzheimer's Researchers Meet with Michigan Lawmakers

Flanked by more than two dozen people whose lives have been touched by Alzheimer's disease, U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow announced Wednesday that she and other lawmakers have introduced legislation to help people who are living with Alzheimer's disease and support those caring for a family member with the illness.

During the discussion that followed the announcement, three researchers from Michigan State University (Dr. Scott Counts, Dr. Nick Kanaan and Dr. Irving Vega) explained research findings and fielded questions about their own work and other research efforts.

Research conducted by the Manfredsson Laboratory highlighted on the cover of the journal Molecular Therapy

Research conducted by the Manfredsson Laboratory was highlighted on the cover of the journal Molecular Therapy. The study demonstrates the success of Manfredsson's group in transducing nerve cells of the gut in order to better address the problems and potential treatments of intestinal motility in Parkinson's disease and other disorders. Read the paper here.

Dr. Katrina Paumier's Collaboration with the Saint Mary's Foundation

Dr. Katrina Paumier was featured in the Fall 2014 edition of Pinnacle, the Saint Mary's Foundation Newsletter. Please click here to read the full article, an excerpt is below.

"The mission of Saint Mary's Foundation is to inspire financial support from the community and advance patient care at Mercy Health Saint Mary's. We are dedicated to making impactful investments throughout the hospital and through our community partners, and last year fiscal nearly $1 million was provided to programs and services to help improve the patient care experience.

More than $153,000 of our investments were awarded to deserving research, programs, services and medical studies. One of the most substantial awards granted was to Dr. Katrina Paumier, junior faculty at Michigan State University, Department of Translational and Molecular Medicine. Dr. Paumier requested funds to conduct basic research to help understand brain changes in Parkinson's disease, leading to the development of medications that can be used in human clinical trials. Funding supported a full-time research technician to run the day-to-day experiments, allowing the faculty member to focus on scholarly work. This research produced unexpected findings that may have implications for new drug therapies for treatment of Parkinson's disease. The work has stimulated multiple collaborations within both academia and industry. Dr. Paumier has submitted a 2014 request for continued funding that should provide sufficient data to apply for independent National Institutes of Health funding.

Dr. Paumier's studies are impactful not only for the overall health of the community, but for more than a decade, Mercy Health Parkinson's has been delivering comprehensive cutting-edge care. There is currently no cure, although treatment options include medications and surgical procedures. Each individual diagnosed with Parkinson's disease will experience a combination of symptoms and a response to medications that are unique to that person. For that reason, effective treatment must be formulated for each Parkinson's patient.

Dr. Paumier's exciting findings within her research will help transform the treatment and outcome for Parkinson's patients, and Saint Mary's Foundation is honored to contribute to the success of her studies."

TSMM Postdoctoral Fellow Tiernan Wins Society for Neuroscience Next Generation Outreach Award

The Society for Neuroscience (SfN) will honor the winners of the science education and outreach awards at Neuroscience 2014, SfN’s annual meeting and the world’s largest source of emerging news about brain science and health.

Chelsea Tiernan, Ph.D., TSMM Postdoctoral Fellow, won the Next Generation Award along with two her MSU collegues. Established in 2007, the Next Generation Award recognizes SfN chapter members who have made outstanding contributions to public communication, outreach, and education about neuroscience. The award honors individuals or teams at the predoctoral/postdoctoral level with a $300 honorarium and a $750 travel award to attend SfN’s annual meeting. Additionally, the recipients’ chapter receives $2,000 to continue outreach efforts in the coming year.

The winners are being recognized for their development of an intensive one-day workshop for high school students and their teachers in Puerto Rico to increase awareness of neuroscience as a discipline and career option. In addition to offering hands-on experiments, the workshop serves as a recruitment tool for “Bridge Program in Neuroscience,” an existing program run through Michigan State University that prepares Puerto Rican undergraduate students for admission to neuroscience graduate programs.

MSU Researchers Awarded Grant to Help Silence Parkinson’s Disease

Two Michigan State University (MSU)neuroscience researchers have received a $165,000 grant from the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation (PDF) to help develop new therapeutic treatment for this chronic, progressive brain disorder that affects nearly one million people in the United States and seven to ten million worldwide.

Kathy Steece-Collier, professor, and Fredric P. Manfredsson, assistant professor, both in the Department of Translational Science & Molecular Medicine in MSU’s College of Human Medicine, are investigating whether “silencing” the genetic machinery in specific nerve cells in the brain could prevent the development of levodopa-induced dyskinesias (LIDs)—abnormal involuntary movements that often result as a side effect of levodopa, a medication used to treat motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease (PD). LIDs can be painful and disabling, and can interfere with daily activities. Effective clinical treatment options for LIDs are currently lacking.

Dr. Scott Counts Discusses Alzheimer's Disease and How You Can Help Support Research

Remembering Our Friend and Colleague, Dr. Lester "Skip" Binder

Dr. Skip Binder died unexpectedly on Friday, November 15, 2013. Skip had just joined us at MSU in Translational Science & Molecular Medicine this past summer. While he is no longer with us, his dedication to teaching, support of young investigators, warmth, openness, humor, intellect and pursuit of discovery are a legacy to be carried on by all who knew him. People gravitated to Skip's magnetic personality and he will be sorely missed. As we grieve the loss of a friend and colleague, our hearts go out to Skip’s family who have now lost a father, a husband, a son, a brother. Click here to read Skip's obituary. Those planning an expression of sympathy may wish to consider memorial contributions to the Salvation Army or the Alzheimer’s Association.

MSU research recruits: Med school draws 15 top-name scientists to Grand Rapids, looks to add dozens more

The expansion of Michigan State University College of Human Medicine has brought more than med students to town. It also has drawn a steadily increasing number of researchers lured from other universities.

Ovarian cancer, pregnancy, infertility, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, brain injuries and fetal development are among the topics studied by the 15 principal investigators who joined the medical school since it announced plans to move its headquarters to Grand Rapids.

And as the scientists bring their talents – and federal research dollars – to the local health care scene, MSU hopes they will draw yet more researchers.

MSU begins planning for 'world-class' biomedical research facility in Grand Rapids

A team from Michigan State University on Friday will begin exploring options for a biomedical research facility in Grand Rapids, and it has big goals.

“We’re really looking at conceptualizing a world-class research facility in Grand Rapids that will add more to the existing Medical Mile,” said Vennie Gore, MSU’s vice president for auxiliary enterprises. “We’re very excited about it.”

Brains revealed: Fair gives look beneath the skull with fun, interactive exhibits

Visitors will get up-close and personal with brains – real ones and Jell-O ones – this week during Brain Awareness Week at the Grand Rapids Public Museum. The week includes a Neuroscience Fair, which runs Thursday through Saturday, March 14-16, and features interactive exhibits that show how brains look, feel and function. Visitors will get a chance to touch a real human brain and perform deep-brain stimulation on a Jell-O brain.

Brain Awareness Week segment on WZZM 13 Healthy You

Ever want to touch a human brain? You'll get your chance at Brain Awareness Week, March 14-17, 2013, at the Grand Rapids Public Museum. Click here to watch TSMM's Dr. Kathy Steece-Collier and Apryl Pooley talk about the fun, informative activities for people from ages 2 to 92 on WZZM's Healthy You. Please see below in the Upcoming Events section for more information on attending Brain Awareness Week in Grand Rapids!

Dr. Manfredsson Receives $200K Grant from the Michael J. Fox Foundation

Dr. Fredric Manfredssson has received a new grant from the Michael J. Fox Foundation entitled, Alpha-Synuclein Aggregation Leads to Loss of Functional Forms of the Protein and Toxicity. Dr. Manfredsson and his colleagues Drs. Kanaan, Lipton and Sortwell will study the protein alpha-synuclein (α-syn) which collects in dying brain cells in the Parkinsonian brain. Most neuroscientists speculate that this protein is toxic to neurons and that removing it might be good therapy for Parkinson’s disease (PD). However, we have compelling evidence that α-syn is required for dopamine neuron survival and that therapeutics aimed at removing it might be toxic and ill-advised for patients. This project will therefore test the hypothesis that cell death from PD might be due to α-syn losing its normal function in these dying cells. We will use gene-therapy to deliver a special form of α-syn that remains soluble and therefore does not collect in brain cells. Such studies will allow us to determine whether α-syn replacement rather than α-syn removal could be a viable therapy for PD.

Parkinson’s scientist receives top award for brain repair work

For his long career studying the neurobiology of aging, including the impact on Parkinson's disease, MSU scientist Timothy J. Collier has received the 2011 Bernard Sanberg Memorial Award for Brain Repair from the American Society of Neural Therapy and Repair.

Translational Neuroscience College of Human Medicine