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 Press Release  THE KLERMAN AWARD The seventh annual Gerald L. Klerman Memorial Award for outstanding clinical research was presented to: E. Sherwood Brown, M.D., Ph.D, U. of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas Dr. Brown used magnetic resonance imaging to determine how corticosteroids effect mood, memory and brain function. These medications are prescribed to millions of people each year for a number of common illnesses, including asthma and rheumatologic disorders. Dr. Brown's findings suggest specific deficits in cognitive processes involving the hippocampus in patients taking corticosteroids. John Newcomer, M.D., Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis Dr. Newcomer tested a pharmacological strategy to prevent memory impairment and other schizophrenia-like symptoms caused by neural circuit disturbances. Honorable Mentions: Anissa Abi-Dargham, M.D., Columbia University, New York Dr. Abi-Dargham used positron emission tomography (PET) imaging to see if there is a relationship between reduced dopaminergic activity in a specific region of the brain (the prefrontal cortex) and cognitive impairment in patients with schizophrenia. Dr. Stephen Heckers, M.D., Harvard Medical School, Boston In studies using PET Scans, Dr. Heckers found novel evidence linking memory dysfunction in schizophrenia to abnormalities of the hippocampus, thalamus and prefrontal cortex. Jeffrey Meyer, M.D., Ph.D., University of Toronto Dr. Meyer used PET imaging to investigate the neurochemical basis of the symptoms of major depressive disorder and the neurochemical effects of antidepressant treatment. Yvette I. Sheline, M.D., Washington University in St. Louis Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), Dr. Sheline demonstrated that depressed patients experience overactivation of the amygdala (a brain region that plays a central role in processing emotions, particularly fear) in response to emotional stimuli. The overactivation was normalized after participants took antidepressant medication. The Klerman Award was established in 1994 by Dr. Myrna Weissman in memory of her husband, Gerald Klerman, M.D., to honor outstanding achievements in clinical research by NARSAD Young Investigators. Dr. Klerman's distinguished career included innovative research in depression, outstanding teaching and mentoring, with research leadership at Yale University, Harvard Medical School and Cornell University. THE FREEDMAN AWARD The fourth annual Daniel X. Freedman Award for outstanding achievement in basic science research was presented to: Jon Backstrom, Ph.D., Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Tennessee Dr. Backstrom conducted a series of experiments that increased the understanding of a receptor known as 5-HT2C for the brain chemical serotonin, which is believed to play a role in schizophrenia and depression. Honorable Mentions: Michael Quick, M.D., University of Southern California, San Diego Dr. Quick investigated the mechanisms by which serotonin transporters are regulated by an enzyme called protein kinase A, providing important information on the basic biology of the serotonin transport process in the brain. Fu-Ming Zhou, M.D., Ph.D., Baylor College of Medicine, Houston Dr. Zhou's investigations have shed new light on serotonin and dopamine, two important neurotransmitters believed to play a role in brain disorders such as depression and schizophrenia. Dr. Zhou found that these brain chemicals can increase the activity of inhibitory neurons, which can interfere with electrical impulses in the brain. NARSAD's Board of Directors established the Freedman Award in 1998 to honor the memory of a pioneer in biological psychiatry, Daniel X. Freedman, M.D. The Freedman Award is presented to NARSAD Young Investigators who have distinguished themselves through outstanding basic science research. Dr. Freedman, a founding member of NARSAD's Scientific Council, was a leader in psychiatric brain research. His career spanned an era that witnessed the development of psychopharmacology and neuroscience. His work at Yale and at the National Institutes of Mental Health in the early 1950's led to a pioneering view of the reactions of brain systems to a range of internal and external signals. Dr. Freedman was the first to link hallucinogens to neurotransmitters. |
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