MANHASSET, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The American Academy of Neurology (AAN) and the American Brain Foundation will present the 2015 Potamkin Prize for Research in Pick’s, Alzheimer’s and Related Diseases to Peter Davies, PhD, investigator at The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research. He will receive the prize on April 21 in Washington, DC at the American Academy of Neurology’s 67th Annual Meeting, which is the world’s largest gathering of neurologists with more than 12,000 attendees and more than 2,500 scientific presentations on the latest research advances in brain disease.
The Potamkin Prize honors researchers for their work in helping to advance the understanding of Pick’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders. The AAN and the American Brain Foundation are awarding the 2015 Potamkin Prize to Dr. Davies and Reisa A. Sperling, MD, of the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, MA. The $100,000 prize – Dr. Davies and Dr. Reisa will each receive $50,000 – is an internationally recognized tribute for advancing dementia research. Dr. Davies’ research examines the process of Alzheimer’s disease.
“The problems with memory and other intellectual function that occur in Alzheimer’s disease are accompanied by the development of two abnormal structures in the brain called plaques and tangles,” said Dr. Davies. “In contrast to other work in the field, my guiding hypothesis has been that both these abnormalities derive from a disease process in the nerve cells and are consequences of disease, not the cause. Therefore, my research has largely focused on the disease process, and attempting to define points at which intervention is possible. A more detailed understanding of the process is essential to the development of drugs to slow, stop, or even prevent it.”
Dr. Davies is the director of the Litwin-Zucker Research Center for the Study of Alzheimer’s Disease at the Feinstein Institute and professor of Pathology and Neuroscience at the Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine. For more than 35 years, Dr. Davies’ research has been focused on biochemistry of Alzheimer’s disease. He has published more than 250 research papers and has been particularly interested in the development of new treatments and diagnostic tests for Alzheimer’s disease. He has received numerous awards for his research, including the City of New York Liberty Medal, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Congress on Alzheimer’s Disease (ICAD) and the first Metropolitan Life Foundation Prize. Dr Davies has also received two MERIT awards from the National Institutes of Health (NIMH, 1989-1999, and NIA 2003-2013).
“I am very grateful to the Potamkin family for the encouragement this award offers,” said Dr. Davies. “Funding for research in Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders is vitally important. The Potamkin family has continued to support this work in hopes of helping the millions affected by these diseases.”
About The American Academy of Neurology
The American Academy of Neurology, an association of more than 28,000 neurologists and neuroscience professionals, is dedicated to promoting the highest quality patient-centered neurologic care. A neurologist is a doctor with specialized training in diagnosing, treating and managing disorders of the brain and nervous system such as Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, migraine, multiple sclerosis, brain injury, Parkinson’s disease and epilepsy. For more information about the American Academy of Neurology, visit http://www.aan.com.
About The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research
Headquartered in Manhasset, NY, The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research is home to international scientific leaders in many areas including Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer’s disease, psychiatric disorders, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, sepsis, human genetics, pulmonary hypertension, leukemia, neuroimmunology, and medicinal chemistry. The Feinstein Institute, part of the North Shore-LIJ Health System, ranks in the top 6th percentile of all National Institutes of Health grants awarded to research centers. For more information, visit www.FeinsteinInstitute.org.
