and early adulthood at this time, but plans are made for development of similar approaches in the older age. Dr. David Davis, assistant research professor in the Department of Neurology Brain Bank (NIH NueroBioBank contract) received a Herbert Hoover Foundation grant this year to study “Algal Toxins and Alzheimer’s Disease in Florida.” The aim of this study is to investigate whether the neurotoxin BMAA, produced during harmful cyanobacterial blooms, can accelerate the deposition of pathogenic tau in individuals at risk for Alzheimer's disease. The study focuses on Floridian AD and unaffected control brain donors who have the APOE4, one of the major risk factors for AD. BMAA toxin levels in the brain will be analyzed by Braak staging, a gold standard for tau neurofibrillary tangle scoring. Automated counts of paired helical tau will be performed using QuPath software. This will be the first study to investigate the BMAA toxin and its impact on tauopathy as it relates to AD in a human sample. Dr. Della-Morte, associate research professor in the Department of Neurology and MBI was stopped in Italy after visiting his primary institution in Rome (Tor Vergata University of Rome) in March of 2020 and has been actively involved in treating COVID-19 patients in Italy since. He has conducted clinical research in hospitalized patients with COVID-19. His research reported that the lower levels of plasminogen in COVID-19 patients at hospital admission had a significantly greater risk of mortality and worse outcomes in survivors in comparison to the patients with normal plasminogen levels.
5. Professional and Scientific Achievements and Awards Dr. Perez-Pinzon chaired the 2020 International Stroke Conference Program committee. Dr. Rundek received a prestigious acknowledgment in December 2020 by the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine’s Women in Academic Medicine Career Achievement Award for her academic achievements, promotion and inspiring women and faculty for a professional and scientific career in academic medicine. Dr. Ralph L. Sacco has received distinguished recognitions and prestigious awards in 2020: • • • • • •
Dr. Sacco became Editor-in-Chief of Stroke, an official journal of the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association (AHA/ASA), a major scientific and professional journal for neurologists and neuroscientists worldwide. The 2020 Highly Cited Researcher (Cross-Field) Award Inaugural AHA Edgar J. Kenton III Lecture Award Dr. Sacco is serving his first year as a member of the National Steering Committee of NCATS Clinical Translational Science Awards (CTSA) Program. Dr. Sacco is serving his first year as Co-Chair for the University of Miami’s Health Informatics Chair Search Committee. The 40th TS Srinivasan Oration Award, Bengaluru, India (Dr. Sacco pictured below.)
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