image: Deborah Winter, PhD, Northwestern University view more
Credit: ATS
(New York, NY) - April 27, 2021 - Deborah Winter, PhD of Northwestern University has been awarded the ATS /Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals Research Fellowship in Sarcoidosis.
The $50,000 award will help fund Dr. Winter's study, "Targeting Macrophage Subpopulations in Sarcoidosis."
Sarcoidosis is a chronic granulomatous inflammatory disease. It occurs in about 15 to 40 per 100,000 people in the U.S., with a disproportionately higher rate observed in people of African American and Northern European descent. Approximately one-third of patients have a progressive form of the disease characterized by chronic, unremitting inflammation in multiple organ systems.
"Dr. Winter identified three distinct populations of alveolar macrophages in the lungs from patients with newly diagnosed, untreated pulmonary sarcoidosis," said Karen Ridge, PhD, who chairs the body that provides oversight of the grant application process at the ATS.
Dr. Ridge added: "Her novel proposal will disrupt genes in these macrophage populations to determine the effect on granuloma formation. The successful completion of her work will indicate which macrophage subpopulations are critical to the development of sarcoidosis. This will enable the field to test potential therapeutic targets to specifically modify these macrophage populations."
"Mallinckrodt is honored to support ATS with this research grant and pleased that it will fund Dr. Winter's study to better understand sarcoidosis and the causes of this difficult to treat disease," said Steve Romano, MD, executive vice president and chief scientific officer at Mallinckrodt. "We look forward to seeing the results of this important work."
###
Learn more about the ATS/Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals Research Grant, and additional grant opportunities on our website.
About the ATS Research Program
The American Thoracic Society and its Research Program are improving respiratory health worldwide by supporting young investigators in pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine. The ATS Research Program, established in 2004, bolsters new investigators as they strive to launch independent research careers dedicated to innovation in patient care.
Since 2004, the Research Program has awarded $19.3 million in research grants to 263 investigators who have gone on to secure more than $330 million in federal funding. That's a return on investment of $17 per dollar awarded.
About Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals
Mallinckrodt is a global business consisting of multiple wholly owned subsidiaries that develop, manufacture, market and distribute specialty pharmaceutical products and therapies. The company's Specialty Brands reportable segment's areas of focus include autoimmune and rare diseases in specialty areas like neurology, rheumatology, nephrology, pulmonology and ophthalmology; immunotherapy and neonatal respiratory critical care therapies; and analgesics. To learn more about Mallinckrodt, visit http://www.mallinckrodt.com.