FINAL_OM-IR-2026_Report-PDF-Version_Pages-Compressed - Flipbook - Page 23
Edward Twomey, PhD
One Mind–Bristol Myers Squibb
Rising Star Award
For decades, scientists assumed a particular protein in the brain
called GluD1 was essentially decorative — present but doing nothing.
Dr. Twomey’s lab proved it isn’t. GluD1 is actually a working switch,
and it’s strongly linked to schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and
depression. His research is mapping exactly how this switch works
and identifying drugs that could 昀氀ip it — opening a treatment target
that the 昀椀eld has been unknowingly walking past for years. His
funded research will map GluD1’s structure and function, study
how disease-linked mutations alter it, and identify compounds that
can modulate it, opening a new direct drug target for psychiatric
disorders rooted in core brain circuitry.
“
Being a Rising Star awardee
was one of the most profoundly
in昀氀uential experiences of my entire
career… You don’t just receive a
grant — you gain a network invested
in your long-term success.”
Erin Dunn, ScD, MPH
2018 Rising Star Awardee, Mass General
Research Institute, Harvard Medical School
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