Maletic-Savatic honored with McKnight Neuroscience of Brain Disorders Award

HOUSTON - (Feb. 5, 2009) - Dr. Mirjana Maletic-Savatic, assistant professor of pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine and child neurologist in the Division of Child Neurology at Texas Children's Hospital, has been honored with the McKnight Neuroscience of Brain Disorders Award.

The funds, a total of $300,000 over a three-year period, will support her research on the metabolomics of the autistic brain. "The support from the McKnight Foundation will enable me to vigorously pursue my autism research," Maletic-Savatic said.

Her goal is to form a multidisciplinary core program with a common goal of finding biomarkers of autism to help diagnose the disorder early and find clues that might help treatment of the affected children.

"Autism is a very complex disorder and interdisciplinary research can lead to substantial results that will ultimately help the patients," Maletic-Savatic said. "The environment here, at Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children's Hospital, is ideal to accomplish such a goal, as so many outstanding physicians and scientists are concentrated so close to each other."

The McKnight Foundation supports the McKnight Neuroscience of Brain Disorders Award, created in 2000 to encourage innovative efforts to solve the problems of neurological and psychiatric diseases.

 

About Texas Children’s Hospital

Texas Children’s Hospital, a not-for-profit health care organization, is committed to creating a healthier future for children and women throughout the global community by leading in patient care, education and research. Consistently ranked as the best children’s hospital in Texas, and among the top in the nation, Texas Children’s has garnered widespread recognition for its expertise and breakthroughs in pediatric and women’s health. The hospital includes the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute; the Feigin Center for pediatric research; Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women, a comprehensive obstetrics/gynecology facility focusing on high-risk births; Texas Children’s Hospital West Campus, a community hospital in suburban West Houston; and Texas Children’s Hospital The Woodlands, a second community hospital planned to open in 2017. The organization also created the nation’s first HMO for children, has the largest pediatric primary care network in the country and a global health program that’s channeling care to children and women all over the world. Texas Children’s Hospital is affiliated with Baylor College of Medicine. For more information, go to www.texaschildrens.org. Get the latest news by visiting the online newsroom and Twitter at twitter.com/texaschildrens.