News
Donation to the Neurodevelopment Lab of Dr. Achira Roy at JNCASR
The M-CM Network announces a donation of $20,000 to the Neurodevelopment Lab of Dr. Achira Roy at Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Bangalore, India, to support the purchase of equipment and supplies for use in the study of PIK3CA brain disorders.
Dr. Roy’s past research has demonstrated mechanisms and potential treatments for epilepsy and hydrocephalus in mouse models of PIK3CA-related brain overgrowth. Her newly established lab at JNCASR will expand on previous hydrocephalus research and explore other aspects of abnormal neurodevelopment and epilepsy caused by patient-related PIK3CA and connecting pathway mutations. Dr. Roy’s lab will apply a multi-pronged approach to address this set of disorders.
This gift facilitates the purchase of specific equipment for processing delicate tissues and supplies for drug repurposing studies. We believe these projects will lead to better understanding of these rare diseases with the potential to unlock future therapies.
The M-CM Network is pleased to help support the establishment of Dr. Roy's Neurodevelopment Lab and contribute to its long-term success.
Impact Statement from Dr. Roy:
I am really grateful to the M-CM Network for the generous donation to my new research laboratory at the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), India, to support basic, translational and clinical research in PIK3CA-related neurodevelopmental disorders.
In the past few months my lab has established our colony of genetic mouse models, developed connections with local hospitals for clinical studies, and identified state-of-the-art infrastructural access to high-resolution imaging technologies. This donation will empower me to procure specialized equipment and reagents essential for working on these complicated, multi-dimensional projects without further delay.
I respect the trust the M-CM Network has bestowed on me and my research at this phase of my independent career; and I assure my responsibility as a scientist, towards unraveling underlying mechanisms and identifying potential therapies for brain disorders caused by dysregulation of PI3K and related pathways.
Dr. Roy's related publications:
PI3K-Yap activity drives cortical gyrification and hydrocephalus in mice
Non-synaptic Cell-Autonomous Mechanisms Underlie Neuronal Hyperactivity in a Genetic Model of PIK3CA-Driven Intractable Epilepsy
Mouse models of human PIK3CA-related brain overgrowth have acutely treatable epilepsy
Hippocampal granule cell dispersion: a non-specific finding in pediatric patients with no history of seizures
Hemimegalencephaly and Dysplastic Megalencephaly (Developmental Neuropathology)