March 11, 2008

MDA Grantee Receives Prestigious Pfizer Award

MDA research grantee Paul Gregorevic, who recently relocated from the University of Washington-Seattle to the Baker Heart Research Institute in Melbourne, Australia, has received a $1 million award from Pfizer Australia to develop gene-based therapies for muscle disease.

The award, the 2008 Pfizer Australia Research Fellowship, recognizes excellence in Australian biomedical researchers who the company believes will contribute to the development of the country’s standing among the world’s scientific leaders.

Gregorevic received MDA funding to develop gene-delivery methods in mouse models of muscular dystrophy from 2004 to 2007. In January, he began receiving MDA support to explore the effects of follistatin on mice with MD.