NIH Awards $534,620 Grant for Protein Research

Midwestern State University Texas professor Fu-Cheng "George" Liang receives the grant to study protein aggregation in Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases.

Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Alzheimer’s

Vector editorial illustration of unlabeled glass vials and green plant sprigs on a laboratory bench, suggesting plant-derived protein research. — Midwestern State University Texas professor Fu-Cheng "George" Liang received a $534,620 National Institutes of Health grant to study protein aggregation in Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Midwestern State University Texas professor Fu-Cheng "George" Liang has been awarded a $534,620 grant from the National Institutes of Health. The funding supports research into plant-derived membrane protein chaperones aimed at preventing protein aggregation linked to Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases.

Why it matters

The grant is the first NIH Support for Research Excellence award earned by a researcher at Midwestern State University Texas. The project targets protein aggregation, a process associated with both Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, and is motivated by Liang's grandmother's death from both diseases.

The award is a $534,620 NIH SuRE grant, the first of its kind earned by a Midwestern State University Texas researcher. The extraction does not indicate timelines for project milestones or results.

The players

National Institutes of Health

The National Institutes of Health is the principal U.S. government agency for biomedical and health research, which awarded the grant.

Midwestern State University Texas

Midwestern State University Texas is a public university in Wichita Falls, Texas, where the grant recipient works.

The details

The research centers on plant-derived membrane protein chaperones, which are being studied as potential therapeutics to prevent and disrupt protein aggregation. Preliminary data contributed by 2024 graduate Isabella Makelaar and graduate student Abigail Matthew strengthened the grant proposal, and the funding will also support equipment purchases for student research.

2023: Liang's department earned the Robert A. Welch Foundation Equipment Grant.
2024: Isabella Makelaar graduated from Midwestern State University Texas.
2026: The Robert A. Welch Foundation Equipment Grant was earned again.

Big Picture

This award comes through the NIH Support for Research Excellence program, which funds researchers at institutions with comparatively limited NIH grant histories. Liang's grant marks the first SuRE award earned by a Midwestern State University Texas researcher.

The grant funding will expand equipment availability, letting students use research techniques that were not previously available at Midwestern State University Texas. Residents may see more local university-based research into neurodegenerative disease as the project develops.

The takeaway

Federal grants can expand research capacity at regional universities, bringing local students hands-on experience with advanced laboratory methods. Progress on protein aggregation research may ultimately inform future approaches to Parkinson's and Alzheimer's care.