Newswise — NEW YORK, February 3, 2012 -- Ralph A. Nixon, PhD, MD, professor in the Departments of Psychiatry and Cell Biology, director of the NYU Center of Excellence on Brain Aging and the Silberstein Alzheimer’s Institute at NYU Langone Medical Center has been named chair of the Alzheimer’s Association Medical and Scientific Advisory Council (MSAC) and has also been appointed to the Association’s national Board of Directors.
Dr. Nixon is director of Research and director of the Center for Dementia Research at the Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research., Since 2008 he has served as vice chair of the MSAC and is a founding member of the Alzheimer's Association International Society to Advance Alzheimer's Research and Treatment (ISTAART), a professional organization for individuals interested in Alzheimer's and dementia science.
“A brilliant researcher and an energetic leader within the Alzheimer’s scientific community, Dr. Nixon is also a strong champion for the Alzheimer’s cause through both his research programs and advocacy efforts. We look forward to continuing to benefit, now at a higher level, from his insights, integrity and experience,” said William Thies, PhD, Alzheimer’s Association Chief Medical and Scientific Officer.
The Alzheimer's Association MSAC shapes the philosophical direction of the Alzheimer's Association research program and ensures the integrity of the peer-review process for awarding grants. Comprising leaders from the Alzheimer's and dementia research community, MSAC members are involved in identifying new developments in research that merit further study, conducting second round reviews in grant selection, and ensuring the scientific accuracy of the Association's advocacy and public education materials.
“It is an honor and privilege for me to be appointed chair of the MSAC and elected as a member of the Alzheimer’s Association’s national Board. We are at a time when transformative developments in Alzheimer’s research are significantly expanding opportunities to understand the disease. I look forward to working closely with the board and key constituencies during the next phase of progress in this field of science,” said Dr. Nixon.
Dr. Nixon's research, generously supported by the National Institutes of Health, Alzheimer’s Association and private foundations, focuses on how proteases modify the function of proteins and eliminate damaged proteins from brain cells – a process that is disrupted in Alzheimer's disease and a promising target of new therapies for the disease. His work has led to the recent discovery of how mutations in the presenilin 1 gene cause early-onset Alzheimer's disease. Dr. Nixon has published more than 230 papers and sits on the editorial boards of six scientific journals.
About the Alzheimer’s AssociationThe Alzheimer’s Association is the world’s leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer care, support and research. Its mission is to eliminate Alzheimer’s disease through the advancement of research, to provide and enhance care and support for all affected, and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health. Visit www.alz.org or call 800-272-3900.
About NYU Langone Medical CenterNYU Langone Medical Center, a world-class, patient-centered, integrated, academic medical center, is one of the nation’s premier centers for excellence in clinical care, biomedical research and medical education. Located in the heart of Manhattan, NYU Langone is composed of three hospitals – Tisch Hospital, its flagship acute care facility; the Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine, the world’s first university-affiliated facility devoted entirely to rehabilitation medicine; and the Hospital for Joint Diseases, one of only five hospitals in the nation dedicated to orthopaedics and rheumatology – plus the NYU School of Medicine, which since 1841 has trained thousands of physicians and scientists who have helped to shape the course of medical history. The medical center’s tri-fold mission to serve, teach and discover is achieved 365 days a year through the seamless integration of a culture devoted to excellence in patient care, education and research. For more information, go to www.NYULMC.org.
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