Location: New York, New York
Institution website: rockefeller.edu
Founded by John D. Rockefeller in 1901, Rockefeller University was the first institution in the United States devoted solely to biomedical research. The Foundation has historically provided broad general support for this institution, but in addition is now also underwriting two new studies in the area of autism research by Drs. Heintz, Greengard and Chait.
Dr. Paul Greengardʼs specialty has been the molecular basis of communication between neurons, with an eye to how these are implicated in human neurological and psychiatric disorders. His current work will examine the molecular mechanisms at work when neurons are treated with various neuroleptic drugs, in an effort to see why some drugs are better than others in treating symptoms of autism.
Dr. Nathaniel Heintz, whose past work has identified many genes responsible for the functioning of the mammalian central nervous system (he was one of the developers of GenSAT, the Gene Expression Nervous System Atlas), is now creating and studying mouse models to test the hypothesis that abnormalities at certain loci in the human genome are linked to autism. His work strives to identify the molecular mechanisms that control development and dysfunction in the mammalian/human brain.
Dr. Brian Chait is an international leader in the use of mass spectrometry to study biological molecules. Via mass spectrometry, Dr. Chait is assisting Dr. Heintz in examining molecular mechanisms that contribute to development and dysfunction in the brain and assisting Dr. Greengard in getting a closer look at the differential effects of drug treatments on the proteins in the cells of the central nervous system.
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