October 1, 2001

Contact: Ranjit Arab, University Relations, (785) 864-8855.

Noted Alzheimer's researcher to give two lectures at KU

LAWRENCE -- A leading researcher in the race to crack the genetic code behind Alzheimer's disease will deliver two lectures at the University of Kansas Thursday, Oct. 4 as part of the 2001 Takeru Higuchi Memorial Lecture series.

Rudolph Tanzi, professor of neurobiology at Harvard Medical School and director of the Massachusetts General Hospital's Genetics and Aging Unit, will deliver the scientific lecture, "Alzheimer's Disease: From Genes to Drugs in This Decade," at 9:30 a.m. in 130 Budig Hall.

Tanzi will also deliver a public lecture, "Decoding Darkness: The Search for the Genetic Causes of Alzheimer's Disease," at 5:30 p.m. in the Alderson Auditorium of the Kansas Union. The public lecture shares its title with the book on Alzheimer's disease that Tanzi wrote with science journalist Ann Parson.

Both lectures are free and open to the public.

In his book, Tanzi explores the possibility that Alzheimer's disease results from buildup in the brain of amyloid, an abnormal protein that is associated with many diseases throughout the body, including type II diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and cystic fibrosis. Evidence presented in Tanzi's book suggests that researchers will soon have proof of the amyloid buildup, and therefore, be able to cater drug therapies that prevent the deadly accumulation, turning Alzheimer's into a manageable disease.

Valentino J. Stella, university distinguished professor of pharmaceutical chemistry at KU and an organizer of the lecture series, said he was looking forward to hearing Tanzi, who is not only known for his innovative research, but for his accessible approach, as well.

"Professor Tanzi is one of the top biomedical scientists looking at the genetic basis for neurological diseases," Stella said.

The annual lecture series honors the memory of Takeru Higuchi, who was the founding chair of the Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry at KU. Higuchi is also regarded as a pioneer in the field of physical pharmacy.

The lecture series is sponsored by the Takeru Higuchi Memorial Lecture Fund, which is funded by Aya Higuchi and the Higuchi family. Additional sponsors include the Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Teikoku Seiyaku Company Ltd., and the Higuchi Biosciences Center.