Neurodegenerative diseases remain among the most complex and least understood conditions in modern medicine, with few effective treatments available for patients and families facing diagnoses such as progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), corticobasal degeneration (CBD) and frontotemporal dementias (FTDs). At The University of Southern Mississippi, Dr. Vijay Rangachari, professor of chemistry and biochemistry, has been investigating the molecular mechanisms that underlie these disorders, particularly how certain proteins misfold and aggregate in the brain to drive disease progression.
Southern Miss is proud to announce that Dr. Rangachari’s work has been recognized at the international level. He has received a $500,000 research grant as part of a $2.5 million funding initiative supporting innovative research in neurodegenerative diseases. He is one of only five researchers awarded worldwide, placing the university on the global stage.
The awards were granted through the 2025 Tauopathy Challenge Workshop, led by the Rainwater Charitable Foundation(RCF)—one of the largest independent funders of primary tauopathy research—in collaboration with CurePSP, the Aging Mind Foundation and the Alzheimer’s Association.
The Tauopathy Challenge Workshop is a funding program that unites interdisciplinary experts to address unmet needs in primary tauopathies, for which no treatments currently exist. By funding innovative research, the program aims to advance the development of therapies for debilitating neurodegenerative diseases such as PSP, CBD and FTDs.
“I am humbled to receive the 2025 Tauopathy Challenge Workshop award. To be selected as one of only five recipients worldwide for this prestigious recognition that means a great deal to me and my collaborators,” Rangachari said. “We are grateful to the Rainwater Foundation and its partners for recognizing the importance and novelty of our research on ‘hybrid amyloids’—a new class of harmful protein structures that may play a key role in neurodegenerative diseases. We are eager to begin this project and uncover insights that could deepen our understanding not just of tauopathies, but of neurodegenerative disorders more broadly.”
Rangachari’s research examines the potential interaction between two misfolded, amyloid-forming proteins—tau and transactive response DNA-binding protein 43 kDa (TDP-43)—both implicated in multiple neurodegenerative conditions. While each protein is known to form toxic aggregates on its own, his research investigates whether they can also form “hybrid amyloids,” new composite structures that could intensify neurodegeneration. His lab aims to confirm the presence of these deposits in human brain tissue, analyze their molecular characteristics, and assess their role in neuronal dysfunction. The ultimate goal is to develop antibodies that could detect these toxic agents early in the brain, potentially leading to earlier diagnosis or treatment.
Other awardees represent leading institutions including Mayo Clinic Florida, the University of Sydney and the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases. Their research spans areas from protein aggregation and lysosomal dysfunction to the role of glial cells in tau propagation, collectively advancing global progress on neurodegenerative disorders.
Rangachari’s selection places Southern Miss among this distinguished group, underscoring the university’s commitment to innovation and discovery—a commitment reflected in the impactful research and discoveries emerging from its academic community.
“Dr. Rangachari’s work to advance our molecular-level understanding of diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s aligns closely with the Rainwater Charitable Foundation’s mission to support innovative research on neurodegenerative disorders,” said Dr. Chris Winstead, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Southern Miss. “His internationally recognized research on protein amyloids and their role in disease has the potential to significantly impact broader neurodegenerative disease research, and this award reinforces the important contributions he and his team are making in the field.”