Mucke, a member of the American Academy of Neurology, is a co-recipient of the Potamkin Prize for his research discoveries of strategies that have effectively prevented and in some cases even reversed cognitive impairments in mouse models of Alzheimer's disease. "It is a great honor to receive this award, I hope that our research will help make the brain more resistant to Alzheimer's disease," said Mucke.

Mucke is best known for identifying molecular and cellular processes by which amyloid-beta proteins may cause the memory problems of Alzheimer's disease. Using genetically engineered mice, he has identified strategies to prevent the disease-causing proteins from disrupting neural network activity in the brain, setting the stage for the development of new treatments to combat the disease.

The Potamkin Prize is made possible by the philanthropic contributions of the Potamkin family of New York, Philadelphia and Miami. The goal of the prize is to help attract the best medical minds and most dedicated scientists in the world to the field of dementia research. The Potamkin family has been the Academy's single largest individual donor since 1988, providing more than $2 million to fund the Potamkin Prize.

The 62nd Annual Meeting of the AAN takes place in the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.

SOURCE American Academy of Neurology