Kanaan Awarded Alzheimer's Professorship

October 7, 2022

Michigan State University College of Human Medicine Professor of Translational Neuroscience Nicholas M. Kanaan, PhD, has been named the inaugural Maibach Smiley Alzheimer's Research Professor.

Kanaan is the first recipient of the professorship which was presented at a special recognition ceremony held on October 6, 2022 at the Secchia Center in Grand Rapids. Funded through the generosity of alumni couple Ben Maibach ('69, Engineering) and Barbara Maibach ('68, Natural Science), the endowed funds will empower Kanaan to pursue cutting-edge biomedical research ideas, hire graduate students or top faculty, and access resources not otherwise available.

Executive Vice President of MSU Health Sciences Norman J. Beauchamp, Jr., MD, MPH, presented the award to Kanaan, and says that endowed funding is the key to research innovation.

"Philanthropic support like that of the Maibachs' advances Alzheimer's disease research solutions, which simply would not be possible otherwise," Beauchamp added. "We are thrilled and grateful for Dr. Kanaan being given this award, which is a true testament to his excellence and leadership as an MSU researcher; Dr. Kanaan represents the best and brightest in the field."

Kanaan's research is focused on age-related neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. The Kanaan lab studies the molecular mechanisms underlying disease, explores therapeutic strategies through a combination of experimental approaches, and studies dementia-related biomarkers. Dr. Kanaan's long-term goal is to conduct research that will ultimately translate into improvements in the lives of those affected by these devastating diseases.

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