Alexander Ploss

Ploss receives New Jersey Health Foundation Innovation Grant for advancing hepatitis treatments

By
Liz Fuller-Wright, Office of Communications
on Feb. 14, 2018, 3 p.m.

Alexander Ploss

Photo courtesy of Alexander Ploss

Alexander Ploss, an assistant professor of molecular biology at Princeton University, has been awarded an Innovation Grant from New Jersey Health Foundation (NJHF), a not-for-profit corporation that supports health-related research and education programs in New Jersey.

Ploss’ research focuses on deciphering the molecular mechanisms of acute and chronic hepatitis viruses. “These generous funds will allow us to boost our efforts to identify and characterize novel compounds that can inhibit hepatitis B and E virus infections, respectively,” he said.

“If successful, this research could further our understanding of the biology of hepatitis B and E infections and lead to more advanced treatments for those suffering from these devastating diseases,” Ploss said. “Infections with hepatitis B virus can be suppressed but remain largely incurable. Hepatitis E virus can result in severe, frequently fatal complications in pregnant women and immunocompromised individuals."

NJHF Innovation Grants of up to $50,000 are available to full-time faculty and personnel at major research institutes and universities.

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