December 2, 2005

MGH investigators named to Scientific American 50

Two MGH researchers have been named to the 2005 Scientific American 50, the magazine's annual list of outstanding leaders in science and technology. Zheng-Yi Chen, PhD, of MGH Neurology, and Bradley Hyman, MD, PhD, director of the Alzheimer's Unit in the MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease (MIND), are among those honored in the magazine's December issue, which now is available on newsstands.

Chen was honored for work that may lead to a gene-therapy-based treatment for hearing loss. He and his colleagues discovered that turning off the activity of a specific protein can lead to renewed production of the inner ear's hair cells, which convert sound vibrations into nerve impulses and do not normally regenerate. Hair cells are very sensitive to damage, and their death accounts for most types of acquired hearing loss.

Hyman was recognized for his laboratory's cutting-edge work in neural imaging. Using the latest multi-photon microscope equipment, his group has been able to examine the pathological changes associated with Alzheimer's disease in live mouse models, shedding considerable light on changes that occur over time and the effects of various therapies. Their work has provided important clues for potential drugs to slow or stop Alzheimer's disease.

Selected by the magazine's Board of Editors with the help of outside advisers, the Scientific American 50 honors research, business and policy leaders whose work has facilitated science and technology advances. The complete list may be viewed on the magazine's website at www.sciam.com.