FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE.

 

For more information, contact:

Elizabeth Maynard-Garrett, APR

UTHSC Communications and Marketing

(901) 448-4957 or

 

Anne W. Manning

(901) 448-4072

 

UT PROFESSOR ZEROES IN ON MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY

           

            (Memphis, Tennessee) August 5, 2005 – Harry Jarrett, PhD, University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) professor of molecular sciences, was awarded a second grant this year to discover the root causes of muscular dystrophies.  The one million dollar, five-year National Institutes of Health (NIH) Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases grant begins in January 2006.

            As Dr. Jarrett explained, “Many muscular dystrophies are caused by defects in a membrane protein complex but the natural role of this complex is unknown.  When we know the role of this complex and how it functions, new therapies for these diseases can be devised.”

            Upon earning his PhD in biochemistry from the University of North Carolina, Dr. Jarrett completed postdoctoral fellowships at the Mayo Clinic and the University of California at San Diego.  Prior to joining the UTHSC faculty, he was an associate professor of biology at Purdue University School of Science.

###