Victor Garcia, Ph.D., Receives Sinsheimer Scholar Award
Award Will Support Research On Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
Victor Garcia, Ph.D., assistant professor of pharmacology, has been chosen as a 2022 Sinsheimer Scholar Award recipient and awarded a $150,000 two-year grant by J.P. Morgan Chase to support research on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The Sinsheimer Scholar Award program seeks to support scientific research relating to the prevention and cure of human diseases.
“The Sinsheimer Scholar Award will enable us to conduct vital studies to uncover and dissect the molecular mechanisms involved in the onset and development of NAFLD,” said Dr. Garcia. “Typically, exposure to a high-fat diet for an extended period causes excessive weight gain, inflammation and liver damage with large deposits of fat. Our past research has shown that animals deficient in the protein-coupled receptor GPR75 are fully protected from these diet-induced changes and exhibit healthy livers.”
“NAFLD is a major clinical concern as it can lead to pronounced changes in liver function, liver failure and the need for liver transplantation in severe cases with no specific therapy currently available for the disease. Given the very clear and unmet clinical need to prevent or reverse NAFLD, we are excited to be able to use these funds to test the water-soluble 20-HETE receptor blocker we have developed (AAA) as a potential therapeutic. I am extremely thankful to the Sinsheimer Scholar Award selection committee for their time and generosity as we look to conduct this pivotal research to develop new treatments for NAFLD. We are also extremely thankful for all of the support we receive at NYMC to be able to conduct this exciting research.”