Carmela Abraham
Carmela R. Abraham | |
|---|---|
| Education | BSc in Biology, Tel Aviv University; PhD in Neuroscience, Harvard University |
| Occupation(s) | Neuroscientist, Professor |
| Years active | 1990–present |
| Known for | Alzheimer's disease research, identification of Klotho protein |
| Awards | The Neuroscience Education and Research Foundation Award (1990), Rappaport Scholarship, Zenith and Temple honors by Alzheimer's Association, Massachusetts Neuroscience Consortium Award |
Carmela R. Abraham is a neuroscientist from the United States with a focus on research related to Alzheimer's disease.
Early life and education
Abraham completed her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology at Tel Aviv University before obtaining a PhD in Neuroscience from Harvard University. In 1990, she was honored with The Neuroscience Education and Research Foundation Award, recognizing her exceptional potential as an emerging Alzheimer’s investigator. She was the inaugural recipient of the Rappaport Scholarship at the Center for Neurologic Diseases at Brigham and Women's Hospital and has been awarded both the Zenith and Temple honors by the Alzheimer's Association.
Career
Following her doctoral studies, Abraham joined Boston University School of Medicine (BU) as a Professor specializing in Biochemistry as well as Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics. She was awarded a $200,000 grant from the Alzheimer's Association to advance research into pharmacological treatments for Alzheimer's disease. Her groundbreaking identification of Klotho, an anti-aging protein with potential to mitigate cognitive decline, led her research team to evaluate over 150,000 chemical compounds, ultimately isolating three promising candidates aimed at combating age-associated disorders.
Further investigations by her group revealed Klotho’s significance in maintaining myelin integrity, prompting the development of small molecule candidates with therapeutic promise. Abraham also co-established Klogene Therapeutics, a biotechnology startup focused on gene therapy approaches for neurodegenerative conditions. In 2016, Klogene secured $1.49 million through a Small Business Innovation Research grant to pursue innovative treatments targeting Alzheimer's disease. Additionally, Abraham identified a compound capable of decreasing amyloid beta protein production, contributing to potential therapeutic strategies for Alzheimer’s.
Her contributions to understanding multiple sclerosis and the involvement of Klotho in white matter regeneration earned her the Massachusetts Neuroscience Consortium Award. She holds membership in prominent scientific organizations such as the Society for Neuroscience and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Abraham has also been involved in studies connecting chronic traumatic encephalopathy with neurodegenerative illnesses and has examined transgenic mice engineered to overexpress IL-6. These mice developed neurological symptoms analogous to human diseases, offering valuable insights into neuroinflammation-related mechanisms.