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The Lieber Institute for Brain Development Announces Nomination Period for the 2019 Constance Lieber Prize for Innovation in Developmental Neuroscience
The biennial award honors the legacy of the Institute’s founder, Constance Lieber

BALTIMORE, MD—October 2, 2018— The Lieber Institute for Brain Development (LIBD), an affiliate of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, announced today the nomination period for the Constance Lieber Prize for Innovation in Developmental Neuroscience is officially open.  The biennial prize was created in memory of Constance Lieber, one of the Institute’s founders, and will be presented at an award symposium at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine on June 19, 2019.

Just the second installment in the history of the prize, the Constance Lieber Prize for Innovation in Developmental Neuroscience will be awarded to an investigator under 55 years of age who has made a transformative contribution in developmental neuroscience with clinical implications. The award consists of a $100,000 cash prize. Nominations will be accepted now through January 31, 2019.

“Connie’s advocacy for mental health research was unmatched,” said LIBD Director and CEO Daniel R. Weinberger, M.D.  “She intuitively believed in the developmental origins of psychiatric illnesses, unfailingly funded research in search of new treatments, and inspired the careers of many young scientists in the field of developmental neuroscience.  We are proud to honor and continue her legacy through this prize.”

In 2017, the Prize Committee unanimously selected Joseph G. Gleeson, M.D., Director of Neurodevelopmental Genetics and Endowed Chair at Rady Children’s Institute for Genomic Medicine, and Professor of Neuroscience at the University of California San Diego, as the first ever recipient. Dr. Gleeson was recognized for his part in discovering over 50 genes for a variety of mostly rare developmental behavior disorders, as well as his work to uncover the underlying biology of autism and schizophrenia.

Honoring the Legacy of Constance Lieber
Connie Lieber was a transformative figure in private funding for brain research, establishing and supporting research about developmental brain disorders and demonstrating a deep personal investment in the careers of young scientists. For over 25 years, she was the inspirational leader of the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation (formerly NARSAD). It was this dedication to research and the search for cures that ultimately led Connie and her husband Steve Lieber to found the Lieber Institute, along with Milton and Tamar Maltz.

Connie’s dream was to see science unravel the neurodevelopmental origins of mental illness. This prize is a lasting statement of her commitment and her vision,” said Steve Lieber.

For more information or to nominate an investigator, visit the official prize homepage: libd.org/CLPrize.

About the Lieber Institute for Brain Development
The mission of the Lieber Institute for Brain Development and the Maltz Research Laboratories is to translate the understanding of basic genetic and molecular mechanisms of schizophrenia and related developmental brain disorders into clinical advances that change the lives of affected individuals. LIBD is an independent, not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization and a Maryland tax-exempt medical research institute affiliated with the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Contact:
Becky Oldham, Marketing & Communications Manager
media@libd.org

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