Princeton neuroscience researchers Sam Wang, Ph.D., and Esra Sefik, Ph.D., were recently awarded a New Jersey Alliance for Clinical and Translational Science (NJ ACTS) pilot grant to investigate how dendrites, the nerve-cell branches that connect neurons, change over time. Their goal: to better understand neurological disorders like schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s disease, in which these dendritic structures often go awry.
“Dendritic spines are a fundamental unit of processing, learning and development in the brains of all mammals, whether mouse, human, or any other mammal,” said Dr. Wang, a Professor of Neuroscience at the Princeton Neuroscience Institute. “So, understanding how these spines change is of fundamental importance in learning how brains develop and learn.”
The pilot grant from NJ ACTS helps bridge basic discoveries like these to clinical interventions, ensuring that fundamental research quickly translates into tangible benefits for neurological disorders…
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