William C. Benzing, Ph.D.

Dr. William Benzing is the Scientific Review Officer for the NSD-C study section, which reviews a broad range of basic and translational research grant applications, including ones related to epilepsy, pain, Alzheimer’s Disease, multiple sclerosis, neurovirology, and neuroinflammation. He came to NINDS from the NIH Center for Scientific Review where he was the Deputy Chief for CSR's Brain Disorders and Clinical Neurosciences IRG and SRA for the Clinical Neuroplasticity and Neurotransmitters Study Section. Prior to joining CSR, he worked seven years in the biotech industry as a senior project leader at Gliatech, Inc., Cleveland, OH. There, he managed a program to develop anti-inflammatory agents for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease, myocardial ischemia, and rheumatoid arthritis. Dr. Benzing received a Ph.D. in Neurosciences from the University of California, San Diego, where he studied the development of the senile plaques that form in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's Disease. After a brief stint at Georgetown University, he moved to Rush Presbyterian St. Luke's Medical Center in Chicago where he conducted studies focused upon neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. He also performed research on the effect of aging upon a variety of neurotransmitters systems, including their phylogenetic differences among primates and their expression during human development, aging, and Alzheimer's disease.