The American Academy of Neurology (AAN) and American Heart Association (AHA) have awarded the first-ever Ralph L Sacco Scholarships for Brain Health to two researchers, Patrick Devlin (University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, USA) and Cyprien Rivier (Yale University, New Haven, USA). Each will receive a US$150,000, two-year scholarship to support continuing scientific research in brain health. Devlin and Rivier are also set to receive the professional distinction of being named the inaugural ‘Sacco Scholars’.
The Ralph L Sacco Scholarships in Brain Health—also known as the Sacco Scholars programme—have been made possible by a generous bequest to the AAN and AHA from the late Ralph L Sacco, as stated in a recent press release announcing the awardees. Sacco, who passed away in 2023 from a brain tumour, was the only neurologist to have served as president of both organisations.
“For more than 20 years, Dr Ralph Sacco served as a dedicated volunteer for the American Heart Association, particularly leading the acceleration of our investment into and emphasis on brain health. He was the first neurologist to ever serve as our volunteer president,” said Nancy Brown, the AHA’s chief executive officer. “He had big ideas and put them into action in ways that improved and saved the lives of all people. One of his greatest joys was mentoring young scientists, boosting their careers the same way icons of previous generations did for him. I am so proud to be able to welcome our first-ever Sacco Scholars in memory of my very dear friend.”
“It was important to Dr Ralph Sacco to support continued research in brain health because, as he said, each and every one of us only has one brain, and it is critical to keep it as healthy as possible,” added AAN president Carlayne E Jackson. “We look forward to the inaugural year of this scholarship programme with the first two Sacco Scholars and the vital research they will do to help find ways for all of us to improve our brain health.”
“Ralph was a personal friend and mentor, and I am grateful that his legacy of influencing the careers of countless physicians, researchers and healthcare professionals will live on through this unique scholarship programme,” said Mitchell S V Elkind, chief clinical science officer and past volunteer president of the AHA. “These research projects will build upon his decades of work in saving and improving the lives of people with stroke, and will break new ground in our knowledge of how vascular disease impacts cognitive decline, dementia and brain health more broadly. I look forward to seeing what our awardees learn about the mechanisms of brain ageing, both before and after stroke. I know Ralph would have been very interested in their projects.”
“Physicians who had the privilege of training under my dear friend Dr Ralph Sacco knew he was a remarkable human being with a kind and generous heart,” stated Orly Avitzur, immediate past president of the AAN. “With the Sacco Scholars programme, his mentorship continues, as we begin creating a community of researchers focused on brain health.”
Devlin is a postdoctoral research fellow in the Ritzel Lab at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. He is being awarded the scholarship for his research on the after-effects of stroke—specifically, how the brain may age more quickly after a stroke, including the ageing process of immune cells in the brain. The goal of Devlin’s research is to increase understanding of cognitive decline and dementia after stroke so that new treatments can be developed for people who have had a stroke, resulting in fewer complications like memory loss. This is especially important to improve long-term quality of life, as more people are surviving strokes thanks to advances in stroke diagnosis, treatment and care, the release notes.
Rivier is a postdoctoral research fellow in the Falcone Lab in the Department of Neurology at Yale University. A significant portion of his work is conducted in collaboration with the Sheth Lab and the Yale Center for Brain and Mind Health. He is being awarded the scholarship for his research on how biological age—as opposed to chronological age—impacts the brain. Rivier is exploring whether people with younger biological age are less likely to develop dementia and stroke. By gaining a better understanding of biological age, Rivier’s research could lead to finding better ways for people to take care of their brain, lowering the risk of major health problems so they can live longer, healthier lives.
Devlin and Rivier began their two-year research projects on 1 July 2024, as detailed in the recent release.
