- Ethan Lippmann
Ethan Lippmann, assistant professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, recently won a NARSAD Young Investigator Grant from the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation.
Lippmann seeks to improve drug screening processes by creating three-dimensional tissue models of the vascularized human brain using induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). The aim of the NARSAD grant is to develop a stable tissue structure that can report neuronal activity via fluorescence imaging. This model will eventually be used to identify new avenues for treating schizophrenia and establish correlations between drug efficacy and patient genetics using iPSCs.
Lippmann is working closely with Leon Bellan, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, on this research.
The NARSAD Young Investigator Grant provides support for the most promising young scientists conducting neurobiological research. Recipients receive $35,000 per year for two years to either extend research fellowship training or begin careers as independent research faculty. Supported research must be relevant to serious brain and behavior disorders such as schizophrenia, mood disorders, anxiety disorders or child and adolescent mental illnesses.
Contact
Heidi Hall, (615) 322-6614
Heidi.Hall@Vanderbilt.edu
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