Dr. Todd Sacktor Receives MERIT Award from National Institute of Mental Health:
Apr 6, 2012
Prestigious Award Is a Symbol of Scientific Achievement
Todd C. Sacktor, MD, distinguished professor of physiology and pharmacology and of neurology at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, has received a MERIT (Method to Extend Research in Time) award from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) for his research on memory.
Dr. Sacktor’s research, which has been called “paradigm-shifting,” has focused on determining the mechanism of long-term memory. He discovered the molecule protein kinase M zeta (PKMzeta) and with colleagues demonstrated that it is essential for memory storage. Using the agent ZIP (zeta inhibitory peptide), which cancels the effect of PKMzeta, he and colleagues showed that the drug erases memory in laboratory animals without harming their ability to learn future memories.
The prestigious MERIT award is offered to a limited number of investigators who have demonstrated superior competence and productivity during their previous research endeavors and who are likely to continue to perform in an outstanding manner in the future. Fewer than five percent of funded National Institutes of Health (NIH) investigators are selected to receive MERIT awards.
Dr. Sacktor’s research not only revealed an important component of how memories are processed and stored, but also has broad implications for the possible treatment of memory disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease, as well as chronic pain, dystonia, post-traumatic stress disorder, and phantom limb syndrome. Most recently, Dr. Sacktor and colleagues discovered that PKMzeta can enhance or strengthen old memories.
The MERIT award program was initiated by the NIH in l986 and has become a symbol of scientific achievement in the research community. The principal feature of the MERIT award is the opportunity to obtain up to ten years of research support in two segments, an initial MERIT award and a possible MERIT extension, relieving grant awardees of the need to prepare frequent renewal applications. Investigators cannot apply for MERIT awards, but rather are selected by the NIH through an internal review process. Selection of NIMH MERIT awardees is based on nomination by NIMH program staff, with concurrence and favorable recommendation by the National Advisory Mental Health Council.
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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.