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Ralph A. Nixon, Ph.D., M.D., Director of NKI’s Center for Dementia Research, has spent the last three decades working to uncover the fundamental cellular basis of Alzheimer’s disease. This work by Dr. Nixon and his laboratory has been recognized with the awarding of the Oskar Fischer Prize, an international competition to expand society’s understanding of the causes of Alzheimer’s. Dr. Nixon is one of four gold prize recipients.
James Truchard, whose philanthropic gift established the Oskar Fischer Prize, said that “The Prize’s goal is to bring forth ideas which can create a foundation for future research. While no single entry covered all the major aspects of Alzheimer’s, I believe a combination of these ideas creates a launchpad for future research.”
Dr. Nixon’s research centers around the disruption of the brain’s endosomal-lysosomal and autophagy network, the apparatus in the cell that serves to clear out degenerated proteins and helps rejuvenate the cell. The idea is that a fundamental issue in Alzheimer’s disease is the failure to recycle abnormal waste and proteins, which end up accumulating and can become toxic.
See The Oskar Fischer Prize website and the press release for more information about the Prize and the award recipients.