Dr. Todd Sacktor Wins Award from Society for Neuroscience:
Nov 21, 2008
Research Holds ‘Tremendous Promise’ for Treating Memory Diseases
Brooklyn, NY - Todd C. Sacktor, MD, professor of physiology and pharmacology and of neurology at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, has been honored with a 2008 Research Award for Innovation in Neuroscience (RAIN) from the Society for Neuroscience at the group’s annual meeting in Washington, DC. Dr. Sacktor was one three recipients of the RAIN prize, which includes an unrestricted grant of $25,000 to each recipient. The award honors innovative research advancing novel ideas to generate significant breakthroughs in neuroscience.
In announcing the recipients, the society said that discoveries made by Dr. Sacktor and his colleagues at SUNY Downstate “hold tremendous promise for treatments of diseases of memory,” noting that “Sacktor’s research on the hippocampus and long-term potentiation (LTP) led to his findings that a specific isoform of protein kinase C, PKM zeta, was persistently active in the induction of LTP, and that this persistent activity might play a key role in the maintenance of LTP.” They added, “His work is forcing scientists to reevaluate notions of how memories are stored in the brain.”
In the August 25, 2006 issue of Science, Sacktor and his colleagues reported that PKM zeta preserves long-term memories through persistent strengthening of synaptic connections between neurons. The publication subsequently called the Sacktor team’s findings one of the top ten science stories of the year.
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About SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University
Downstate Health Sciences University in Brooklyn is one of four academic health centers (AMCs) in The State University of New York (SUNY) 64-campus system and the only SUNY AMC in New York City dedicated to health education, research, and patient care for the borough’s 2.7 million residents. Its flagship hospital, University Hospital at Downstate (UHD), is a teaching hospital and benefits from the expertise of Downstate’s exceptional medical school and world-class academic center research facilities. With a staff of over 800 physicians representing 53 specialties and subspecialties, Downstate offers comprehensive healthcare services to the community.
UHD provides high-risk neonatal and infant services, pediatric nephrology, and dialysis for kidney diseases and is the only kidney transplantation program in Brooklyn. Beyond its clinical expertise, Downstate houses a range of esteemed educational institutions, including its College of Medicine, College of Nursing, School of Health Professions, School of Graduate Studies, and School of Public Health. Downstate fosters innovation through its multifaceted biotechnology initiative, the Biotechnology Incubator and BioBAT, which support early-stage and more mature biotech companies.