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Jordi Folch-Pi Memorial Award for 1985

Dr. Bruce D. Trapp

 

Dr. Bruce D. Trapp

Dr. Bruce Trapp received the Jordi Folch-Pi Award in 1985 when he was an Assistant Professor of Neurology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.   The award was in recognition of research performed at the NIH under the mentorship of Drs Henry DeF Webster, Richard Quarles and Monique Dubois-Dalcq.  This work focused on cellular and molecular mechanism of myelination with a focus on the function of myelin proteins in the peripheral nervous system.   Dr. Trapp was the first to raise antibodies against several myelin proteins and described their cellular and subcellular localizations.  While at Johns Hopkins, Dr Trapp became interested in the pathogenesis of human demyelinating diseases including Multiple Sclerosis and Guillain-Barre Syndrome.  In collaboration with a variety of scientists, he developed and characterized animal models of human diseases.  In 1994, Dr. Trapp became Chairman of the Department of Neurosciences at the Lerner Research Institute of the Cleveland Clinic.  Based upon identification of primary axonal degeneration in mice deficient in the myelin-associated glycoprotein, he began investigating axonal pathology and neuronal degeneration in the brains from individuals with multiple sclerosis.  He is best known for studies of axonal transection and neuronal damage in multiple sclerosis lesions.  He has published over 160 peer-reviewed papers and received numerous awards including the Weil Award, American Association of Neuropathologists, The Harry Weaver Neuroscience Scholar of the National Multiple Sclerosis Award, a Bronze Medal from Shinshu University in Matsumoto, Japan, Javitz Award from NINDS, NIH and the John Dystel Prize in MS Research from the American Academy of Neurology and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.