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NIH Awards UAMS Researcher $1.8M to Study Key Cell Processes in Energy Production

1 min read

The National Institutes of Health has awarded a University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences researcher $1.8 million to study proton leak, a process within the body that impacts metabolism and energy.

Huiliang Zhang, the recipient of the funding, said that while researchers have been aware of proton leak for years, not much is known about its underlying causes, its prevalence across organ systems, and whether it is beneficial or harmful.

Zhang is an assistant professor in the UAMS College of Medicine Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology. His findings will help to inform potential drug targets that can either increase or decrease the levels of proton leak, UAMS said in a news release.

Zhang will use a fluorescence test he developed to measure proton leak levels in cells of different organs and determine the molecular mechanisms responsible for proton leak. The research could be used to understand weight management and heart-related diseases.

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