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Lowey (D-Westchester/Rockland), the senior Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, announced the $241,500 federal grant that will go toward researching how pregnancy and premature birth affect the formation of interneurons, according to a press release.
“Research grants help detect, cure, and prevent diseases, and this grant to New York Medical College could help ensure the health of newborns for years to come,” said Lowey in the release. “I have been a consummate supporter of investments in medical research because the institutions that receive funding work to improve the quality of life for Lower Hudson Valley families and bolster our economy. This grant to NYMC is no exception, and I will continue my strong advocacy in Congress for medical research funding.”
Preterm babies "often exhibit behavioral disturbances, intellectual disabilities, and epilepsy, which result from abnormal development of interneurons, the brain cells that connect neurons," according to the release.
As part of the grant, Dr. Praveen Ballabh, associate professor of pediatrics and associate professor of cell biology and anatomy at the medical college, will seek to determine how the interneurons develop in the second half of pregnancy and how premature birth affects the formation of interneurons, according to the release.
“We are very pleased that Dr. Ballabh – one of our dedicated clinician-researchers – has received this support,” said Catharine Crea, associate dean for Research Administration at NYMC.
"Congresswoman Lowey, as Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee, has fought to increase investments in medical research," representatives said in the release. "She is a longtime member of the subcommittee that funds medical research, and funding to National Institutes of Health has nearly tripled since she joined the committee."
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