UWF researcher gets major grant to help study early stages of Alzheimer’s disease

Rodney Guttman, image via University of West Florida.

Researchers at the University of West Florida (UWF) were recently awarded a grant to help study early signs of Alzheimer’s disease.

Rodney Guttmann, a professor of biology of the UWF Hal Marcus college of Science and Engineering, was bestowed a second grant this year from the National Institute of Health (NIH). The grant provided $420,000 and is designed to fund three years of research.

It’s a renewal of an earlier grant this year. The total funding now amounts to $860,000 and aims to cover six years of research. Guttmann’s research focuses mainly on blood-based biomarkers to help diagnose Alzheimer’s in the early stages of the disease, enabling physicians to diagnose it earlier and allow for more immediate treatment.

“This ongoing project reinforces the University of West Florida’s commitment to advancing biomedical research and providing students with unique educational opportunities that prepare them for future careers in science and medicine,” Guttmann said.

Guttman also engages several UWF undergraduate students who get a leg up on world-class scientific research in the lab in Florida’s Panhandle. Many of those students go on to enter doctoral educational programs, giving them a head start on their careers, a UWF news release said.

“In Dr. Guttmann’s lab I discovered my passion for research and grew exponentially as a scientist,” said Allie Linkous, a UWF graduate this year who is also a post-baccalaureate researcher at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging.

“I switched career paths and gathered the skills to move towards my future career as a research scientist. I gained exposure to a variety of techniques and projects. My time with Dr. Guttmann shaped me into the scientist I am today and prepared me for future opportunities.”

Guttmann’s research has attracted significant focus from the NIH along with other global researchers looking for keys to identifying early risk factors for Alzheimer’s. Researchers believe the earlier the risks are identified, the more likely early effective intervention and treatments can be developed in order to slow the onset of the disease.