Pharmacy graduate recognized for Alzheimer's research

David Butler, a recent graduate of the School of Pharmacy’s neurosciences doctoral program in pharmacology and toxicology, is one of five researchers in the country to be recognized as an outstanding young investigator by the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation.

The Foundation is the only public charity solely dedicated to accelerating the discovery and development of drugs to prevent, treat, and cure Alzheimer’s disease.

The young investigator award recognizes the achievements of talented young researchers and seeks to encourage the career development of the next generation of research scientists. Butler receives his award at a Washington, D.C. conference on Feb. 2.

While the award is a substantial achievement for any young researcher, in Butler’s case it is particularly significant. Butler, 49, conducted all of his laboratory tests and wrote all of his research reports using only one hand.

A cranial aneurysm and stroke 12 years ago left him without the functional use of his left hand, arm, and leg. But rather than be overwhelmed by his disability, he worked through it.

Building a career path
Once an industrial mechanic, Butler turned his talents and determination to academic study and research.

Besides his new doctoral degree, Butler holds a bachelor of arts degree in psychology from Salisbury University in Maryland and a master’s degree in neuroscience from the University of Hartford.

It has been quite a career path for the New Jersey native, who once was told his most probable occupation after his stroke would be as a shipping clerk.

“The key is not to focus on what you lost, but to build on what’s left,” Butler says. “I want people to realize there are support systems out there, and if you have any desire to improve your existing condition, there are resources available.”

Butler credits his faculty advisor, Ben Bahr, an associate professor of pharmacology and neurotoxicology, with giving him a chance to prove himself.

Butler said it was not so much what Bahr did – although his help and guidance was clearly invaluable in the research – but what Bahr didn’t do that impressed him most.

“When he first met me, he saw I was disabled but didn’t hesitate for a minute,” Butler recalls. “He was amazing in that response. His confidence and courage really impressed me a lot and allowed me to challenge myself.”

Bahr recalls his first impression of Butler. “It was his enthusiasm,” he says. “I always look for a challenge. If he was looking for a challenge too, well, then I was all for it. But I told him, ‘We need to find a way for this to work.’”

With the help of Donna Korbel and her staff at the Center for Students with Disabilities, Butler and Bahr developed a plan that allowed undergraduate students to assist Butler with some of the more intricate testing procedures, while he closely supervised and monitored their every move.