NOTES ON PEOPLE (05/26/02)

NOTES ON PEOPLE

Professor of genetics receives major grant

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Larysa H. Pevny, assistant professor of genetics in the School of Medicine and a member of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Neuroscience Center, has won a five-year federal grant to advance her laboratory's studies of a trio of genes involved in regulating neural stem cells. The genes, the SOXB1 subfamily, are thought crucial to neural stem cells giving rise to the central nervous system.

Dr. Pevny received her doctorate in genetics from Columbia University in New York. She did her post-doctoral fellowship at the National Institute for Medical Research in London and, subsequently was a lecturer at the University of Sheffield, in the United Kingdom.

As reported by the University Gazette of UNC (April 24 issue), Dr. Pevny has identified one of the first-known molecular mechanisms in neural stem cell regulation. Eventually, results from her work will be applied to transplantation therapy in animal models of human neurodegenerative diseases.

Dr. Pevny was quoted in the article as saying that only through a thorough understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms will researchers be able to efficiently direct stem cell differentiation into specific cell types needed for transplantation.

The nearly $1 million grant from the National Institute of Mental Health provides $200,000 for each of four years and $175,000 in the fifth year.

The UNC Neuroscience Center is an interdepartmental research center whose mission is to promote neuroscience research with specific emphases on brain development, neurogenetics and neurological disease. The goal of its research working groups is to make breakthroughs in key areas that are most likely to impact neurological and psychiatric disorders.

Community activist helps Ukrainian veterans

PITTSBURGH - Following the death of her husband in 1993, Catherine H. Popiel devoted her life to her Ukrainian Church and community. To help needy Ukrainian veterans in Ukraine she donated $10,000 to the Social Service of Ukrainian War Veterans (SSUWV). Ms. Popiel donated another $20,000 to the children of Chornobyl, as well as several thousand dollars to other organizations. According to a news release from the SSUWV, together with Michael Komichak, a well-known Ukrainian activist and radio personality in Pittsburgh, Pa., and Theophil Konecky, a former officer of the 1st Division of the Ukrainian National Army, Ms. Popiel decided that, "helping Ukrainian freedom fighters is a Christian and patriotic deed." The SSUWV (700 Cedar Road, Philadelphia, PA 19046) is a national organization that for the past half century has helped support Ukrainian veterans and their families. Seen above (from left) are: Mr. Komichak, Mr. Konecky and Ms. Popiel.

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