Three Faculty Named Spivack Scholars
Work on Alzheimer's cited
Three faculty members at the Boston University School of Medicine (MED) have been named 2017 Spivack Scholars. Jack Spivack, a founding member of the MED Dean’s Advisory Board, established the awards in 2013 to recognize and support outstanding MED faculty conducting clinical or basic research in Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, chronic traumatic encephalopathy, and other neurological disorders.
Benjamin Wolozin, a professor in MED’s pharmacology & experimental therapeutics and neurology departments, is the 2017 recipient of the Jack Spivack Excellence in Neurosciences Award. Wolozin’s discovery of the essential role of RNA binding proteins in the pathophysiology of tauopathies, including Alzheimer’s, has changed the way we understand these diseases.
Wolozin came to MED in 2004 from Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine. He is affiliated with the MED programs in neuroscience, genetics, and cell and molecular biology. He received his BA in chemistry from Wesleyan University and his combined MD/PhD in neuroscience from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine.
The author of more than 150 peer-reviewed papers and book chapters, Wolozin was named a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2016. His many honors include the Zenith Award from the Alzheimer’s Association in 2013 and MED’s Department of Medicine Evans Center Collaborator of the Year Award, also in 2013.
Wolozin’s research examines the pathophysiology of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and Parkinson’s. His laboratory is currently focused on exploring how physiological aggregation of RNA binding proteins contributes to disease processes when it goes awry. This research is leading to the discovery of novel therapeutic approaches and diagnostic markers for these diseases.
Hugo Javier Aparicio, a MED assistant professor of neurology and an investigator at the Framingham Heart Study, has been named a 2017 Spivack Emerging Leader. Aparicio’s research interests include the identification of lifestyle risk factors, biomarkers, neuroimaging markers, and genetic influences associated with cerebrovascular diseases. He is particularly interested in the contributions of vascular risk factors to brain aging, cognitive dysfunction, and the development of Alzheimer’s disease. Aparicio received his BA in biology and Spanish from Emory University, his MD from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, and his MPH from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
Scott Hayes, a MED assistant professor of psychiatry and a research psychologist at the VA Boston Healthcare System, was also named a 2017 Spivack Emerging Leader. His research interests include the examination of the neural correlates of memory using magnetic resonance imaging, and he is particularly interested in studying the impact of physical fitness and physical activity on cognition and the brain. Hayes received his BA in psychology and biology from Skidmore College, and his PhD in clinical psychology from the University of Arizona.
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