High-resolution image of dendritic spines—tiny structures on neurons that are altered in Fragile X syndrome.

New Research Targets NMDA Receptor – A Key Player in Brain Communication and Fragile X Syndrome

April 30, 2025

Fragile X syndrome research identifies NMDA receptor as a promising treatment target, with drugs already in trials offering faster paths to human studies.

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Developmental Profile of Glutamatergic Synapses in Fragile X

May 2, 2019

FRAXA Research Foundation awarded a $90,000 research fellowship to Dr. Tue Banke. With this award, Dr. Banke investigate how glutamate receptors at neuronal synapses – essential building blocks of learning and memory – are impacted in Fragile X syndrome.

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Stephanie Barnes, PhD

Enhancing NMDA Receptor Signaling to Treat Fragile X Syndrome

March 7, 2019

Dr. Stephanie Barnes investigated the role of NMDA receptors as a FRAXA Postdoctoral Fellow in Dr. Emily Osterweil’s laboratory at the University of Edinburgh from 2016-2018. With an additional year grant from FRAXA, she then continued her work to identify novel targets and test pharmacological therapies in the Fragile X mouse model at the Picower Institute at MIT with Dr. Mark Bear. Results published.

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Emily Osterweil

Enhancement of NMDA Receptor Signaling for the Treatment of Fragile X Syndrome

August 15, 2016

FRAXA Research Foundation funded a 2016-2017 Fellowship for Dr. Stephanie Barnes in the University of Edinburgh lab of Dr. Emily Osterweil. With this $90,000 award, the team is investigating NMDA signaling in fragile X syndrome mice.

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FRAXA funds 1 million in Fragile X research

Fragile X Cure One Step Closer with FRAXA Support of $1 Million in New Research

April 26, 2016

4 Countries – 10 Teams – $1 Million for finding new treatment targets, to pinpointing outcome measures for future clinical trials, to attempting to reactivate the gene which is silenced in Fragile X syndrome, these innovative scientists will bring us closer to a cure.

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Robert Wong, PhD

Seizures in Fragile X Syndrome and Therapeutic Potential of NMDA Receptor Antagonists

September 8, 2014

With a $90,000 grant from the FRAXA Research Foundation, Dr. Robert Wong is investigating how seizures are generated in Fragile X neurons. More generally, he is looking at how synapses are modified to enable learning and memory and how this process is impaired in Fragile X.

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Social Behavior as an Outcome Measure for Fragile X Clinical Trials

September 13, 2013

One of the features of the Fragile X mouse model which is relevant to the human Fragile X syndrome (and autism) is social behavior. Several tests show consistent social behavioral abnormalities in the Fragile X mouse model. With a $140,000 grant from FRAXA Research Foundation in 2012-2013, Dr. Willemsen at Erasmus University used social behavior tests to measure the effectiveness of several drug strategies.

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FRAXA Funded Research

Current Research Grants (37)