UD professor earns $400K+ for new brain study

DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — A local professor is receiving quite a boon for their research.
University of Dayton biology professor Pothitos M. Pitychoutis, is receiving a grant of $413,681 to study a potential catalyst for conditions such as autism, schizophrenia and ADHD.
The purpose behind the study is to find more effective and safer treatments for these conditions.
'Overall, gaining insights into the regulation of calcium-cycling processes in the brain may pave the way for developing new, safer and more effective drug therapies for the treatment of these debilitating and costly brain disorders,' Pitychoutis said.
Pitychoutis' study will see a closer look at phospholamban, the calcium-handling protein and its impact in the part of the brain that manages sleep, attention and how we process stimuli around us.
The grant will help with Pitychoutis' efforts as well as opportunities available for UD students.
'Working on this project will help prepare some of our talented students to pursue postgraduate studies in neuroscience and follow careers in industry and academia, as well as in biomedical and health-related professions,' Pitychoutis said.
While the university currently hosts a neuroscience minor, the program will expand to serve as a major for students beginning this fall.
For more information on the study and the grant award to Pitychoutis, click here.
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