ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY

The Syn-One Test successfully detected phosphorylated alpha-synuclein in skin biopsies of 75% of patients with idiopathic REM sleep behavior disorder, closely mirroring the 73.5% conversion rate to neurodegenerative diseases within 12 years.

• Sidney Hecht received the Arizona Bioscience Pioneer Award for Lifetime Achievement for merging biology and chemistry to improve human health. • Hecht's research at ASU's Biodesign Center focuses on mitochondrial disorders, particularly Friedreich’s ataxia, a genetic neuromuscular disease. • Hecht played a key role in developing Hycamtin, a chemotherapy drug for ovarian and lung cancer, and studied the anti-tumor agent Bleomycin. • His center has developed compounds that redirect electrons in dysfunctional respiratory chains, with one in clinical trials for Friedreich’s ataxia.