Dr. Nivedita Sahoo, post-doc in the Gubbels lab, got awarded a Knights Templar Eye Foundation Inc. Research Grant for her proposal entitled "The role of TgMORN1 in Toxoplasma gondii cell division, a causative agent of pediatric retinochoroiditis." One of the major manifestations of an infection acquired during pregnancy with the parasite Toxoplasma gondii is the development of retinochoroiditis in childhood. Since replication of the parasite is the cause of retinal scarring, this proposal wishes to study Toxoplasma cell division to identify differences with the mammalian host that can be exploited for new drug development.
This is a very timely award as Nivedita became a mother of Anchul on Tuesday, April 17, 2007.