Newswise — SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – A Sanford Research scientist has received nearly $440,000 to support her research of a rare neurodegenerative disease that affects mostly children. Jill Weimer, Ph.D., is the recipient of a one-year grant from the Charlotte and Gwenyth Gray Foundation to Cure Batten Disease.
The Gray Foundation was created by Kristen and Gordon Gray, whose two young daughters are battling Batten disease. Weimer’s lab is among only a few in the world studying the condition, which is a group of neurodegenerative diseases most commonly found in children that can cause seizures, blindness, motor and cognitive decline and premature death. Genetic mutations disrupt the ability of cells to dispose of waste and causes abnormal accumulation of proteins and lipids within nerve cells.
Weimer’s research is complimented by collaboration with leading scientists at major universities across the United States and cooperation with another Batten disease lab run by Sanford Research President David Pearce, Ph.D.
Using cells derived from patients with Batten disease and mouse models, the grant funding will allow Weimer to screen several different treatment methods, which could include gene therapy or stem cells.
“Because conditions like Batten disease are rare and may not receive the awareness they deserve, it is critical that organizations like the Gray Foundation exist to fund and advance research,” said Weimer. “By focusing our efforts on what we believe to be key therapies, we hope to expedite a clinical trial for this aggressive disease.”
Weimer on Monday appeared with the Grays on the national television show “The Doctors” to help raise awareness of Batten disease and their foundation.
In 2014, Weimer received a four-year, $1.75 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to study intracellular trafficking in neurological disorders, including Batten disease.
Weimer is a scientist and director of the Children’s Health Research Center at Sanford Research. She received her doctorate from the University of Rochester and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of North Carolina. Weimer joined Sanford Research in 2009 and has been researching Batten disease for more than a decade.
To learn more about the Gray Foundation, visit curebatten.org.
About Sanford Research Sanford Research is a non-profit research organization and is part of Sanford Health, an integrated health system headquartered in the Dakotas. Sanford Health is one of the largest health systems in the nation with a presence in nine states and three countries. More than $600 million in gifts from Denny Sanford has provided for an expansion of research initiatives in type 1 diabetes, breast cancer and genomics in internal medicine.
With a team of more than 200 researchers, Sanford Research comprises several research centers, including Children’s Health Research, Edith Sanford Breast Center, Cancer Biology, Center for Health Outcomes and Prevention and Sanford Sports Science Institute.
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Grant No Link: Charlotte and Gwenyth Gray Foundation to Cure Batten Disease
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