CurePSP Appoints Vice President – Scientific Affairs

Hire will expand foundation’s neurodegeneration research

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--CurePSP, the foundation for prime of life neurodegeneration, has appointed Kristophe J. Diaz, PhD, as its Vice President – Scientific Affairs.

In his position, Dr. Diaz will direct the foundation’s Venture Grants program, which provides grants for research into frontotemporal disorders including progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP). Dr. Diaz will also be responsible for cultivating research partnerships with the pharmaceutical and biotech industries, government agencies, foundations and other private funders, and related nonprofit organizations.

“We are excited about having Kristophe join our team and look forward, under his leadership, to expanding our role in supporting research in neurodegeneration, which is one of the great healthcare challenges of the 21^st century,” said David Kemp, President of CurePSP.

Dr. Diaz said, “I am eager to play a key role in the growth of CurePSP as it has moved from being a small rare-disease foundation to a central position in neurodegeneration research, from bench to bedside.”

Dr. Diaz was most recently senior scientific program manager at Cohen Veterans Bioscience, Cambridge, Mass., where he directed scientific and computational programs in trauma-related brain disorders. He received his PhD degree in molecular and cellular biology at the University of Massachusetts, Boston; his master’s degree in biochemistry and molecular biology at Université du Québec, Montreal; and his BA degree in molecular biology and genetics at Université de Montpellier (France).

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), frontotemporal disorders, including PSP, account for half of all neurodegeneration under age 65. Recent research has shown that the pathology of these diseases is linked to more-common Alzheimer’s disease, which afflicts some six million people in the U.S. alone, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.

About CurePSP

CurePSP is the foundation for prime of life neurodegeneration, a spectrum of fatal brain disorders that often strike during a person's most productive and rewarding years. Currently, there is no effective treatment or cure for these diseases, which afflicts an estimated 150,000 people in the U.S. Since its founding in 1990, CurePSP has funded more than 190 research studies and is the leading source of support and advocacy for patients, their families, and other caregivers. CurePSP also provides education and awareness to doctors and allied healthcare professionals and the general public. CurePSP is based in New York City. Please visit www.curepsp.org for more information.