Scott Zeitlin, PhD
Since UVA neuroscientists discovered the link between the brain and the immune system in 2015, researchers across UVA Health and worldwide have been investigating ways of leveraging this connection to treat neurologic diseases and disorders from autism to Alzheimer’s. At UVA, private donors and foundations have fueled groundbreaking discoveries in this area. The research team of Scott Zeitlin, PhD, an associate professor of neuroscience at UVA School of Medicine, recently benefited from this generosity.
With visionary support from the Pelican Fund, Zeitlin and his team are uncovering the secrets of Huntington’s disease (HD) and identifying new targets for combating this debilitating, fatal brain disorder. His experiments are illuminating (literally with fluorescent dye in some cases) how the body’s innate immune responses are implicated in HD and can be harnessed to delay and mitigate HD symptoms. Beyond giving new hope to families affected by HD, Zeitlin’s findings may open the floodgates for new treatments for Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and more.
Read complete article by Katherine Ludwig in Pulse magazine. To support Scott Zeitlin’s groundbreaking research, please contact Kelly Reinhardt, Director of Development, Neurosciences, at ksr2h@uvahealth.org.
Filed Under: Philanthropy, Research