The Rainwater Charitable Foundation in Fort Worth, Texas, has announced the recipients of its fourth annual Rainwater Prize Program.

The prizes recognize scientific progress toward new treatments for neurodegenerative diseases associated with the accumulation of tau protein in the brain. Recipients are nominated based on published and peer-reviewed research and are selected based on the quality of their research, leadership, mentorship, and positive impact within the scientific community.

This year’s recipients of the $400,000 Rainwater Prize for Outstanding Innovation in Neurodegenerative Disease Research are C. Frank Bennett (Ionis), Don W. Cleveland (University of California San Diego), and Timothy M. Miller (Washington University in St. Louis) in support of their work to advance antisense technology for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases including ALS, Huntington’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and tauopathies over the past 20 years. The recipient of the $200,000 Rainwater Prize for Innovative Early-Career Scientist is Susanne Wegmann (German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases), who is studying tau protein actions in neurodegenerative diseases to discover tau’s normal function and misfunction in the diseased brain.

“I could not be more excited about this year’s winners of the Rainwater Prize,” said Rainwater Charitable Foundation trustee Todd Rainwater. “The presentation of the Outstanding Innovation Prize to a collaborative group of scientists advancing drug discovery efforts recognizes the importance of team science. The selection of Dr. Wegmann for this year’s early-career prize highlights the exciting scientific discoveries happening in Europe and across the globe. I know my dad would be so proud of these scientists and their important advances to the field.”

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