If you can imagine your brain as an exclusive nightclub, then it’s the bouncer standing guard at the door that most intrigues Rutgers scientist Natasha O’Brown. Her research explores the blood-brain barrier, a network of cells that regulates what can enter the brain—a complex process that promotes healthy brain function but also creates obstacles for medical treatment.
O’Brown’s work in this emerging area of life science was recognized earlier this year when she was named a Freeman Hrabowski Scholar by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) – an honor that provides up to 10 years of support for early career faculty who show the potential to become leaders in their fields. O’Brown, a professor in the Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience in the School of Arts and Sciences, is the first Rutgers faculty member to receive HHMI support in more than a decade. To read the full story.