Dr. Acsadi
For the second year in a row, the Child Neurology Society selected Gyula Acsadi, MD, to receive one of its three annual Outstanding Resident/Junior Member Awards. Dr. Acsadi is a clinical instructor in pediatrics, division of neurology, directed by Dr. Michael Nigro. In addition, his colleague Dr. Edwin Demeritte, pediatric neurology, also received one of the 1997 awards from the society.
"It’s surprising to get it two times," said Acsadi, who is conducting research into spinomuscular atrophy and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). "I felt really happy."
Dr. Michael Shy, whose research occasionally results in collaborations with Acsadi, explained, "He’s his own boss. He’s still a fellow in pediatric neurology, but has been able to get funding for his own lab while he’s doing his fellowship, so he’s like an independent investigator and a fellow."
This second award brings deserved attention to Dr. Acsadi and his research, Dr. Shy added. "This national award recognizes him for the work he’s been doing introducing adenoviral genes into motor neurons; he is doing the best research of a person in his position in the United States."
Dr. Acsadi explained that his work with neuromuscular diseases has clinical and laboratory sides. "For the more clinical type of project, we are obtaining muscular biopsies from patients with various muscular dystrophies – mostly congenital types – and trying to define the diagnoses at the molecular level."
In the lab, he is working on adenoviral vectors as a model for transferring genes into the cells of the spinal cord. He added, "We are putting the cDNA for neurotrophic factor into adenovirus and trying to express it in the spinal cord. We are hoping that they would be protective for the motor neuron."
Drs. Acsadi and Demeritte received their 1997 awards at the society meeting in Phoenix, Ariz.