Structural biologist Nicolas Fawzi will direct Brown’s role in a multi-institution project to transform the understanding of cellular protein dysfunction in the earliest stages of neurodegenerative disease.

The Human Genome Project was a 13-year effort to generate the first ever complete sequence of all human DNA — widely regarded as one of science’s greatest feats in recent history. Now, Brown researchers are leading the charge on making its complement: a complete sequence of all human RNA.

With a $37 million investment from the Starr Foundation, Brown University and Brown University Health will launch a new partnership to accelerate breakthroughs in aging research, clinical trials and patient treatments.

By integrating University research with the health system’s clinical trial network, the Starr Healthspan Innovation Alliance aims to bridge the gap between scientific discovery and life-changing treatments for major age-related diseases of the modern era.