Dr. Hensley-McBain receives NIH grant

For Immediate Release 

Scientist Awarded Competitive National Institutes of Health (NIH) Grant 

GREAT FALLS, Mont. Thursday, September 15 – Tiffany Hensley-McBain, PhD, faculty member of McLaughlin Research Institute since August 2021, has received her first NIH funding. Her project is entitled Investigating neutrophilic inflammation as an APOE genotype-specific mediator of neuroinflammation and cognitive decline in aging.” The Research Project Grant is the original and historically oldest grant mechanism used by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The R01 provides support for health-related research and development based on the mission of the NIH and the excellence of the investigator. 

“I am so proud to bring this new field of Alzheimer’s research to the McLaughlin Research Institute and the state of Montana; this funding will be instrumental in expanding our studies and our lab,” said Dr. Hensley-McBain. “As my first funding from the NIH, this is a milestone for my lab team and will help us springboard into bigger studies to find a way to treat Alzheimer’s disease by potentially targeting the immune system. This funding will also provide salary support for the hardworking people in my lab, who are talented scientists trained right here in Montana.” 

A specific version of the APOE gene, APOE4, is the greatest genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease, increasing the risk 12-fold when a person has 2 copies of the gene. This project is significant because no studies have investigated this gene’s impact neutrophil responses despite a proposed role for neutrophils in Alzheimer’s disease. This project is translationally innovative and actionable because the information gained will inform the testing of new therapeutic approaches in Alzheimer’s disease mouse models and humans and determine if they should be tailored based on person’s APOE genotype. 

Dr. Renee Reijo Pera, president of McLaughlin Research Institute said, “The reviewers recognized that there is a need to understand the role of the immune system in Alzheimer’s disease and the interaction of the immune system with genetic risk factors.” Dr. Reijo Pera noted the project is “novel and innovative” and “the NIH recognized that Dr. Hensley-McBain is an expert in neutrophils and immunology and highly qualified to investigate this important missing link.” 

U.S. Senator Jon Tester visited the McLaughlin Research Institute in May and has been an advocate for the Institute and funding opportunities on the Federal level. “Alzheimer’s is a devastating disease that affects almost every Montana family in one way or another and it will take all hands on deck to fight it” said Senator Tester. “I’m proud to have been an advocate for McLaughlin Research Institute and this NIH grant, and know they’ll use these resources to make a real difference for Montana’s seniors and families.” 

The NIH funding is incredibly impactful to the McLaughlin Research Institute’s operating budget. Examples of allowable costs under this grant include salary and fringe benefits for Principal Investigator, key personnel and other essential personnel; equipment and supplies; publications and miscellaneous costs; facilities and administrative costs (indirect costs); travel expenses. Receiving this grant allows the Institute to divert operational funds to other areas of need. 

Dr. Hensley-McBain was born and raised in Great Falls, MT. She attended Montana State University and received her doctorate in molecular cellular biology from the University of Washington. 

To learn more about the Institute, please contact Brianne Laurin at brianne@mclaughlinresearch.org, or visit www.mclaughlinresearch.org. 

The McLaughlin Research Institute for Biomedical Sciences’ mission supports individuals in addressing complex scientific problems, built on a legacy of innovative genetic research.