Student in the Henry lab awarded an NIH Predoctoral Individual National Research Service Award
October 10, 2024 Grad Student Spotlight, Graduate School, GSBSE, IMPACT Newsletter, Medicine, Research News
The National Institutes of Health awarded University of Maine Ph.D. candidate Amanda Ignacz the prestigious Ruth L. Kirschstein Predoctoral Individual National Research Service Award. This nationally competitive award honors and invests in pre-doctoral students by helping them obtain research training while conducting their dissertation research.
Enrolled in the Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering’s (GSBSE) biomedical science program and advised by Clarissa Henry, professor of biomedical sciences, Ignacz’ research focusses on a zebrafish model for dystroglycanopathies, a rare form of neuromuscular disease. Although the specific disease Ignacz is examining, DPM3-mediated dystroglycanopathy, has only been diagnosed in eleven individuals, it is a subset of more common diseases called Congenital Disorders of Glycosylation. Ignacz explained, “There are no cures for Congenital Disorders of Glycosylation. So it’s really critical that we understand the driving mechanisms through which disease progresses and this is the focus of my research.”
Her own interest in neuromuscular disease and its progression stems from the loss of her younger brother who passed away from complications with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. This can make setbacks in her own research harder to deal with. “I can tend to take setbacks a little bit harder, a little more personally, because I am so personally invested in my research because of my brother,” remarked Ignacz. “Clarissa Henry has really shown me what being a resilient scientist means. She’s really modeled self-advocacy and positive self-talk, and being really adaptable when approaching things, both in life and experiments.”
Ignacz aspires to stay in academia and establish her own lab to continue studying neuromuscular disease once she graduates. Through this research she hopes to help identify driving mechanisms of neuromuscular disease progression and help develop therapies that can improve the lives and outcomes of people diagnosed with neuromuscular disease.
Ignacz first learned of the award opportunity during a grant writing class, but waited until she had enough data to tell a compelling story. “I ended up really enjoying the writing process and integrating the creativity of writing with my love of science,” she said.
While the award is a recognition of Ignacz’ potential as a researcher it will also help fund training opportunities and attending conferences such as the Gordon Research Conferences and a Muscular Dystrophy Association Clinical Research Conference, among others.
Ignacz expressed thanks to her mentors within GSBSE and the broader research community, in particular the current Director of GSBSE Gregory Cox, and looks forward to continuing her development as a researcher at UMaine.
Written by: Daniel Timmermann
Contact: Erin Miller, erin.miller@maine.edu