Bachstetter Receives Prestigious Pathway to Independence Award

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Feb. 26, 2014) -- Dr. Adam Bachstetter, a scientist with the University of Kentucky Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, has received a prestigious K99/R00 award from the National Institutes of Health.

Also known as the Pathway to Independence (PI) Award, this grant provides two years of mentored postdoctoral support followed by three years of independent support. It is designed to fast-track promising young scientists to a more permanent research position with independent NIH or other research support.

PI candidates have an impressive record of research productivity and publications, and have identified a unique research direction to pursue after the mentored phase of the award.

"This award is super-competitive and practically assures the awardee a faculty position in two years," said Dr. Linda Van Eldik, director of the Sanders-Brown Center on Aging. "We are extremely pleased for Adam.  He has represented himself, the University of Kentucky, and Sanders-Brown well." 

Dr. Bachstetter's research is exploring the underlying causes of damage to the brain's myelin -- the protective sheath covering the brain's "wiring" -- as a means of explaining how people transition from healthy brain aging to Alzheimer’s disease.