Young researcher’s ALS attack plan is now a no-go
The government recently terminated a grant supporting Kelly Rich’s research into ALS.Veasey Conway/Harvard Staff Photographer Health Young researcher’s ALS attack plan now a no-go Career award among deep funding cuts affecting David Sinclair’s disease-fighting lab Alvin Powell Harvard Staff Writer June 4, 2025 5 min read When Kelly Rich was at Ohio State, her research into ALS and other neuromuscular diseases was promising enough to win her a career training award from the National Institute for Aging. Unlike federal grants that are tied to specific institutions, the training award is intended to support young researchers as they complete doctoral studies and transition from student to independent scientist, so Rich could have taken the grant anywhere. She chose the Harvard Medical School lab of David Sinclair because of his reputation for work that flips on its head conventional thinking around aging and disease. Many of the health threats we fear the most, including heart disease, cancer, and dementia, occur more frequently...