Expanding its research on how to accelerate the translation of scientific discoveries into new medicines, the Center for Integration of Science and Industry at Bentley University has appointed Jennifer Beierlein as a post-doctoral fellow.  Beierlein will focus on strategies and policies that may lead to new treatments for neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s, Dementia and Parkinson’s disease.

The mission of the center is to understand the process by which science is translated for public value and accelerate this translation by engaging science and industry in interdisciplinary dialogue, scholarship, education, and service. “Since our founding in 2012, we have made enormous progress in recognizing patterns of innovation underlying new drug development. Perhaps no problem is more urgent than finding better ways to treat neurodegenerative diseases in our aging population” said Dr. Fred Ledley, professor of Natural and Applied Sciences and Management, and director of the Center. The opportunity to study these issues motivated Beierlein to join the center.

“It is frustrating to see so many amazing advances coming from basic scientific research, yet so little progress being made in actually treating these diseases.” said Beierlein. “As a medicinal chemist, I have no doubt there are cures out there; we just need more efficient ways to invest in this science and develop these products.”

Beierlein holds a BS in Biochemistry from Russell Sage College and a PhD in Medicinal Chemistry from the University of Connecticut. From 2011-2014 she was a Ruth L. Kirschstein research fellow at Brandeis University, where she studied the mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases in model organisms. She has an active interest in science policy, and has participated in briefings on Capitol Hill on the need for funding of basic research. The Center is working to promote this type of involvement in policy discussions as part of its mission of being a place for thought leadership and exchange of ideas in translational science.  As Beierlein stated, “Discussions about healthcare policy and translational medicine too often focus exclusively on either economic perspectives or the scientific potential. What attracted me to the Center is the recognition that it is the intersection of these two perspectives that will lead to the most successful solutions.”

For more information about the Center for Integration of Science and Industry, visit their website and follow them on Twitter @sciindustry.