The March of Dimes has awarded Linheng Li, Ph.D., Assistant Investigator at the Stowers Institute for Medical Research, a Basil O’Connor Starter Scholar Research Award.  The award of $150,000 over two years supports junior investigators whose work promises insight into the causes of human birth defects.  Dr. Li is the fourth Stowers researcher to receive the award.

“We are delighted that Dr. Li has been awarded the Basil O’Connor Starter Scholar Research Award,” said William Neaves, Ph.D., President and CEO of the Stowers Institute.  “It is remarkable that four Stowers scientists have been selected for this prestigious award in the last three consecutive years of national competition.  These awards recognize the relevance of the Institute’s high quality basic research to the search for better means of preventing and curing birth defects.”

Dr. Li’s research focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms and genetic pathways that regulate adult stem cell development.  This award is timely acknowledgement of Dr. Li’s recent research achievement in generating an animal model of juvenile polyposis syndrome, a genetic defect in children that carries an increased risk of intestinal malignancies.  Dr. Li showed that this condition could be created in mice by knocking-out the gene for the bone morphogenetic protein receptor.  This research has clinical implications for the diagnosis and treatment of gastrointestinal diseases.

In addition to this years grant, the March of Dimes has awarded four National grants to Kansas City researchers within the last three years.

A grant of $187,440 over a three-year time period was awarded to Dr. Robert White, Ph.D., Director of Molecular Genetics Research at Children’s Mercy Hospital.  This grant assisted in the efforts to develop a novel form of gene therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. “By using the March of Dimes grant, we were able to do extensive research on muscular dystrophy to help our mothers and babies receive care that is so important and necessary,” said Dr. Robert White of Children’s Mercy Hospital. “We are grateful to all those who support the March of Dimes who through their volunteer efforts work to improve maternal and infant health in Kansas City.”

Peter Baumann, Ph.D., at Stowers Institute for Medical Research was awarded a $150,000 grant over a two-year time period.  The grant assisted in the study of the roles of telomeres – complex arrangements of DNA and proteins –in development, cancer and aging.

Stowers Institute for Medical Research received a $150,000 grant for two years to aid Dr. Jennifer Gerton, Ph.D, in her study of the cohesive proteins in chromosome pairs and to discover what may cause certain chromosomes to become lost or damaged during cell division.

Dr. Paul Trainor, Ph.D, of Stowers Institute for Medical Research was awarded a $150,000 grant for two years to study certain cells that are responsible for the development of the head and face and to discover how defective genes contained in these cells may lead to craniofacial birth defects.

The March of Dimes is a national voluntary health agency whose mission is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects and infant mortality. Founded in 1938, the March of Dimes funds programs of research, community services education, and advocacy to save babies. More information is available on the March of Dimes web site at www.marchofdimes.com.