FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 16, 2024
CONTACT: Daniel Jacobs
press@sciencecoalition.org
The Science Coalition Applauds Wayne State University for Securing New Federal Grants
Funding from NIH will support two groundbreaking projects: Alzheimer’s disease research and AI-enabled drug design techniques
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Science Coalition (TSC) congratulates Wayne State University for securing more than $4 million in federal funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to spearhead two innovative research endeavors. The first project will focus on the molecular aspects of Alzheimer’s disease. The second project will aim to develop new ways to leverage artificial intelligence for drug development.
Wayne State’s Dr. Alice Walker, an assistant professor of chemistry, secured a $1.8 million grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences to develop advanced computational techniques for drug design. Her work will focus on creating sugar-based molecules using advanced AI-enabled imaging tools. By combining cutting-edge simulations, automated database generation, and machine learning, Dr. Walker’s work could help design new drugs that treat challenging diseases with potentially fewer side effects.
Wayne State’s Dr. Joongkyu Park, an assistant professor of pharmacology and neurology, also received federal grants totaling $2.3 million from the National Institute on Aging. His research will explore the molecular mechanisms of Alzheimer’s disease, examining how tau proteins affect brain cells’ protein production. Dr. Park’s work seeks to reduce the type of brain cell damage that typically results from Alzheimer’s disease.
“Wayne State University’s success in securing NIH support for both AI-driven drug development and Alzheimer’s research demonstrates the importance of sustained federal investment in scientific discovery,” said Jill Pentimonti, president of The Science Coalition. “These projects have the potential to transform patient care and improve lives while also fostering the next generation of scientific leaders.”
See here to learn more about Wayne State University’s recent AI drug-development grant award from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences.
See here to learn more about the University’s Alzheimer’s disease research funding from the National Institute on Aging.
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About The Science Coalition (TSC)
The Science Coalition is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization of more than 50 of the nation’s leading public and private research universities. It is dedicated to sustaining the federal government’s investment in basic scientific research to stimulate the economy, spur innovation, and drive America’s global competitiveness. Learn more at www.sciencecoalition.org.