Indy's Dr. Benson is Renown VA Researcher
Dr. Benson has discovered the origin of several forms of hereditary amyloidosis and revealed structural changes of proteins related to the transition of proteins to the the beta stucture that is characteristic of amyloid fibrils.
In an office tucked away on the 7th floor C-Wing, Dr. Merrill Benson spends his days continuing to research a topic that has been the focal point of his long and illustrious career. Dr. Benson, Vietnam War era Air Force Veteran and internationally recognized expert in his field, researches amyloidosis, a condition where proteins become insoluble and are deposited in various organs or tissues, which disrupt normal function.
Dr. Benson leads one of only 12 amyloid centers in the nation and sees patients from all over the country who seek his expert care. He has discovered the origin of several forms of hereditary amyloidosis and revealed structural changes of proteins related to the transition of proteins to the the beta stucture that is characteristic of amyloid fibrils. His research has also lead to significant discoveries in the area of Alzheimer disease, a form of amyloidosis localized to the central nervous system.
Dr. Benson is very appreciative of the collective effort amyloid research requires from several individuals. He credits fellow researchers Dr. Barbara Kluve-Beckerman and Dr. Juris J. Liepnieks, as well as all those whose help he requires in researching the multi-organ diseases associated with amyloidosis, such as Dr. Jesus Dominguez in Nephrology and Dr. Masoor Kamalesh in Cardiology to name a few.
Recently, Dr. Benson was selected to be the initiating investigator for a drug trial aimed at slowing down secondary amyloidosis, which is the most common form of amyloidosis and usually occurs with other long term illnesses. As the president of the International Society of Amyloidosis, he is proud to bring the International Symposium of Amyloidosis to Indianapolis in April of 2014.
