2012 Pilot Grant Awardee, Johns Hopkins
Dr. Marlene Williams, Assistant Professor of Medicine, is investigating the gender differences in depression and heart disease. People with cardiovascular disease and depression are at higher risk for heart attacks and death. Since women are twice as likely to suffer from depression, the question remains whether depressed women with heart disease are also more likely than depressed men with heart disease to have more complications of heart disease. Dr. Williams thinks the answer lies with her research on the role of platelets in coronary artery disease. Depletion of a protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) can lead to decreased survival of brain cells found in depression. BDNF is a member of the nerve growth factor family. It encourages neural and synaptic growth and plays a critical role in the survival, differentiation, neuronal strength, and morphology of neurons. The vast majority of blood BDNF is stored in platelets. If successful, Dr. Williams’s research could have major clinical implications. Medications that normalize BDNF levels could treat both heart disease and depression.