Donald L. Price

Price attended Wesleyan University, where he received a Bachelor’s of Arts in English Literature. In 1961, he graduated from Albany Medical College of Union University, where he received a Medical Degree. After graduating from Albany Medical School of Union University, Price received a Postdoctoral Fellowship studying Cellular/Molecular Biology at Harvard University. He and his wife have three children, who all currently practice medicine.[1]

Price became an assistant professor in the Departments of Neurology and Pathology at Harvard Medical School in 1970. A year later, he became an associate professor at Johns Hopkins University where he is now Professor Emeritus. In 1990, he served as the President of American Association of Neuropathologists.[2] From 2000-2001, he served as the President of the Society for Neuroscience.[3]

He has also mentored several prominent physicians and investigators at the Johns Hopkins University’s Neuropathology Division to become important leaders in the field of neurobiology of diseases. Some notable physicians and investigators include Carlos Porteria-Cailliau, Naomi E. Rance, Charles White III, David R. Borchet, and Lee J. Martin.[4]

Price first focused on the biology of motor neurons, but later in his career, became more interested in brain mechanisms. He mainly used animal models in order to “allow a more direct insight into pathogenesis” rather than using human models. His particular research interests involve “age-associated neurodegenerative diseases, particularly [Alzheimer’s disease]”.[5] H. In 1985, he became a Principal Investigator of the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center at Johns Hopkins University. Eventually he became the director of the center and is now director emeritus.

Alzheimer's Disease

Price’s research has a focus on treatment for neurodegenerative conditions. His work with transgenic mice seeks to experimentally test new treatment mechanisms before they reach human subjects.[6] These studies have identified specific genes that are often risk factors, particularly amyloid-prone genes, and attempted to correlate them to particular behaviors associated with Alzheimer’s disease. For example, his research has concluded that mutations to amyloid precursor proteins are linked to memory loss.

Defects in the Brain due to Alzheimer's disease

Price took part in the publication of the Basic Neurochemistry: Principles of Molecular, Cellular, and Medical Neurobiology text.[7] He worked with colleagues Philip C. Wong and Tong Li to write a chapter on Alzheimer’s disease and how it causes major defects within the brain. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is one of Price’s most researched topics. Price discovered that the neuroscience of AD is characterized by neuronal loss, the failure of functioning neurons, or the lack of neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) within parts of the brain. In the publication, he discussed the neurofibrillary tangles and how they were most commonly found in the central superior nucleus. He further described that NFTs help determine the duration of the disease as well. Patients with a longer duration of AD had fewer NFTs than patients with a shorter duration of AD. The number of NFTs in the nuclei inversely reflect the rate of progression; if only a small number of NFTs are found, then the disease progresses slower.

The list below are some of his most cited publications:[5]

• Troncoso, Juan C.; Crain, Barbara J.; Sisodia, Sangram S.; Price, Donald L. (2019). "Pathology, Neurobiology, and Animal Models of Alzheimer's Disease". Alzheimer's Disease. pp. 125–144. doi:10.1201/9780429260353-17. ISBN 9780429260353.
• Savonenko, Alena V.; Melnikova, Tatiana; Li, Tong; Price, Donald L.; Wong, Philip C. (2015). "Alzheimer Disease". Neurobiology of Brain Disorders. pp. 321–338. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-398270-4.00021-5. ISBN 9780123982704.
• Wong, Philip C.; Chiang, Po-Min; Martin, Lee J.; Koliatsos, Vassilis; Price, Donald L. (2012). "Motor Neuron Diseases". Basic Neurochemistry. pp. 801–814. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-374947-5.00045-6. ISBN 9780123749475.
• Tsao, William; Jeong, Yun Ha; Lin, Sophie; Ling, Jonathan; Price, Donald L.; Chiang, Po-Min; Wong, Philip C. (2012). "Rodent models of TDP-43: Recent advances". Brain Research. 1462: 26–39. doi:10.1016/j.brainres.2012.04.031. PMC 3613131. PMID 22608070.
• Li, Tong; Li, Yue-Ming; Ahn, Kwangwook; Price, Donald L.; Sisodia, Sangram S.; Wong, Philip C. (2011). "Increased Expression of PS1 is Sufficient to Elevate the Level and Activity of γ-Secretase in Vivo". PLOS ONE. 6 (11): e28179. Bibcode:2011PLoSO...628179L. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0028179. PMC 3226664. PMID 22140537.
• Farah, M. H.; Pan, B. H.; Hoffman, P. N.; Ferraris, D.; Tsukamoto, T.; Nguyen, T.; Wong, P. C.; Price, D. L.; Slusher, B. S.; Griffin, J. W. (2011). "Reduced BACE1 Activity Enhances Clearance of Myelin Debris and Regeneration of Axons in the Injured Peripheral Nervous System". Journal of Neuroscience. 31 (15): 5744–5754. doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.6810-10.2011. PMC 3302726. PMID 21490216.
• Borchelt, D. R.; Lee, M. K.; Slunt, H. S.; Guarnieri, M.; Xu, Z. S.; Wong, P. C.; Brown, R. H.; Price, D. L.; Sisodia, S. S.; Cleveland, D. W. (1994). "Superoxide dismutase 1 with mutations linked to familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis possesses significant activity". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 91 (17): 8292–8296. Bibcode:1994PNAS...91.8292B. doi:10.1073/pnas.91.17.8292. PMC 44592. PMID 8058797.

He and his wife have three children, who all currently practice medicine.[1]