South Side-based Cognitive Therapeutics has closed on a $1.21 million Series A financing round that will fuel th the development of a revolutionary drug that may block the memory-robbing progression of Alzheimer’s Disease.
   
The round was led by Ogden CAP of New York City and includes M5Invest Partners of Villanova, PA, the Pittsburgh Life Sciences Greenhouse, Innovation Works and several individual investors. 

CT has taken a novel approach to Alzheimer’s, targeting a protein that is believed to be at the root of the disease in its earliest stage. Studies from the world’s leading academic laboratories show that the memory deficits are caused by an oligomeric protein, which results in the earliest changes seen in Alzheimer’s disease and Mild Cognitive Impairment, a precursor to Alzheimer’s.

Blocking the effects of this protein may free the memory and reverse the disease, says Susan Catalano, chief science officer. “What makes us unique is we are alone in blocking the effects of the oligomer. Others are trying to target other proteins. We think our drug will be effective throughout the course of the disease.”

If successful, the drug would be administered in the early stage of memory impairment. Drug development is at least another five years away, followed by several years of the FDA clinical drug trial process. Several large pharmaceutical companies have shown interest in partnering with CI to help develop the compound, Catalano says.

Alzheimer’s disease affects an estimated four and a half million people in the United States today, a number expected to exceed 12 million people by 2050.

“It’s incredibly gratifying to know we might be in a position to impact this horrible disease,” says Catalano. “I’m very excited about the future.”

SCIENTIST/ENGINEER MENTORS

Are you an outgoing young woman scientist, engineer, or graduate student who wants to inspire girls in science, technology, and engineering? Are you knowledgeable about circuits and sensors? We want to hear from you! Twin Cities Public Television is filming a SciGirls episode in Pittsburgh the week of August 3 featuring a group of middle school girls designing high tech fashion with EL wire and circuits. We are looking for a mentor to support their work and explain some of the science and engineering concepts – both on and off camera.

DETAILS:

*Filming will take place the week of August 3 in Pittsburgh.

*This will require a time commitment of approximately 25 hours, which may include evenings, weekends and/or weekdays.

*We cannot offer financial compensation, but we are happy to write letters of support for grant proposals or reports. Interested?

Please email Margaret Duden mduden@tpt.org or call 651.229.1303 by July 22, 2009 and introduce yourself. Let us know about any outreach you are currently involved in and tell us a little about your work. We would love to see a photo and resume as well. For additional information about the series, please visit: http://www.scigirls.org/

Honor a Woman Leader and Mentor for the 2009 Greater Pittsburgh ATHENA Award

Do you know an exceptional woman business leader who leads by example, inspires her community and mentors other women?  Nominate her for one of our region’s premier honors – the Greater Pittsburgh ATHENA Award, presented by the Allegheny Conference on Community Development. 

 The following criteria define a successful ATHENA Award nominee:

• Demonstrates excellence, creativity and initiative in her business or profession
• Provides valuable service to improve the quality of life for others in the community
• Assists other women in reaching their full leadership potential

Learn more and submit an online nomination at www.ATHENA-Pittsburgh.com by 5 p.m. on June 30, 2009. 

Also, plan to attend the 19^th annual Greater Pittsburgh ATHENA Award Program Luncheon on September 21, 2009 at the Westin Convention Center Pittsburgh.

PITTSBURGH – June 10, 2009 – Blue Archer recently designed and launched the new website for the YWCA Greater Pittsburgh, a women’s membership movement committed to the elimination of racism and the economic empowerment of women and girls.  The website serves as a tribute to YWCA Greater Pittsburgh’s history while continuing to focus on the role women play in their respective communities today.

“The YWCA Greater Pittsburgh is celebrating our 140^th anniversary in 2009,” said Magdeline E. Jensen, Chief Executive Officer of the YWCA Greater Pittsburgh.  “This was the perfect time to launch a fresh look that will introduce us to new generations and pave our way into the future.”

In addition to commemorating the organization’s anniversary, the website also exemplifies the YWCA Greater Pittsburgh’s commitment to become more environmentally friendly.  “The YWCA went ‘green’ as an organization on April 22, 2009,” said Ms. Jensen, “so a stronger online presence is an essential part of our effort to reduce waste and protect our environment.” 

To establish a more centralized focal point for the organization, Blue Archer installed a custom design complete with media resources like the YWCA Great Pittsburgh Annual Report and a Media/Press Room.  These efforts resulted in streamlined communications processes that promote the YWCA’s message through an online platform, reducing their level of paper waste.  “Blue Archer not only had the technical capability to create a functioning and user-friendly Web site,” said Jensen, “but they also worked closely with us throughout the development process to incorporate the YWCA’s vision, strategic goals and branding into the final product.”

YWCA Greater Pittsburgh’s new website can be found at www.ywcapgh.org.

What other exciting collaborations are happening in Pittsburgh?  What other organizations are “going green”?

Note: This event is open to women only.

The PghTech Women NetworkTM is sponsored by Google.

Date:  Friday, June 12

Time: 7:00 – 9:15 a.m.      

Venue:     Rivers Club, 301 Grant Street #411, 15219

Cost:        $35 Member | $175 Non-Member

Click here to learn more and register.

Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP), the nation’s largest bipartisan women’s business group, announced today Georgia Berner, President of Berner International Corp., has been named to WIPP’s Executive Advisory Board.

As a member of WIPP’s Executive Advisory Board, Georgia will provide strategic counsel on strengthening the impact of women business owners at the federal legislative and executive levels, bring her unique perspective on top economic growth concerns to our nation’s political leaders and activate this quickly-growing demographic. 

Georgia is also a recognized advocate for energy conservation, social programs and philanthropy in the Pennsylvania region, as well as nationally. She has held board positions for the Federal Reserve Bank, Pittsburgh branch, the Lawrence County Economic Development Corporation, the Air Movement and Control Association (AMCA) and for the National Association of Manufacturers in Washington DC. She also is an advocate for small business leadership and has been a part of several national initiatives, including the Wall Street Journal’s / Winning Workplaces Top 10 Small Workplaces.  One of Georgia’s current initiatives is the WhatIfPost.com – a site she created to simplify and make sense of the health care debate in this country. It’s a site full of information that is meant to answer the question: What if we had a health care system that worked?”

Her board participation includes social services, manufacturing and industry concerns, women’s issues and the arts. Georgia  currently serves on the board of directors of Catalyst Connection (Pennsylvania Industrial Resource Center for Manufacturers), Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission, Children’s Advocacy Center, New Castle, PA, Economy League of Western Pennsylvania, Adagio Health, Women’s Campaign Forum Foundation, Lawrence County Crisis Shelter and the Pennsylvania League of Young Voters.

Why do you think it is important for women to be be represented on boards? What do you think women bring to the table?

What women do you think should be profiled in an article like this?  This is your chance to brag about  female leaders and mentors in Pittsburgh! Who knows, we might be able to get them into the pages of TEQ.