Daniela Zarnescu, Ph.D. Penn State College of Medicine
The Zarnescu Laboratory studies the molecular mechanisms of aging and neurodegenerative diseases with a focus on RNA processing and cellular metabolism. We use a combination of molecular, genetic, bioinformatic and pharmacological tools, and a diverse array of experimental models, including fruit flies, cultured cells and patient tissues. We also seek to develop therapeutics for neurodegenerative disorders. I will present our recent findings on modelling TDP-43 proteinopathies in ALS and FTD relevant circuits with a focus on metabolic, synaptic and signaling targets.
Guoping Feng, Ph.D. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Human genetic studies have identified a large number of risk genes for autism spectrum disorder (ASD), many of which encode synaptic proteins, suggesting that synaptic dysfunction is a key pathology in ASD. Using a variety of animal models, we have identified distinct synaptic and circuitry mechanisms related to repetitive behaviors, social interaction deficits, sensory abnormalities.
Yousin Suh, Ph.D. Columbia University, Department of Genetics and Development
The ovary is the first organ to undergo early-onset aging in the human body, with profound consequences for both fertility and overall health in women. However, the biological mechanisms driving ovarian aging remain poorly understood. To understand the molecular, cellular, and genetic basis of ovarian aging in humans, we performed integrative single-nucleus multi-omics analyses of young and reproductively aged human ovaries, uncovering coordinated changes in gene regulation across all ovarian cell types.
Jonathan Kipnis, Ph.D. Washington University in St. Louis, Department of Pathology & Immunology
Immune cells and their derived molecules have major impact on brain function. Mice deficient in adaptive immunity have impaired cognitive and social function compared to that of wild-type mice. Importantly, replenishment of the T cell compartment in immune deficient mice restored proper brain function. Despite the robust influence on brain function, T cells are not found within the brain parenchyma, a fact that only adds more mystery into these enigmatic interactions between T cells and the brain.
A growing body of evidence suggests that older Black adults bear a disproportionate burden of cognitive impairment and dementia compared to other racial and ethnic groups. Despite this disparity, they are under-represented in aging studies. This presentation will present results from a longitudinal epidemiologic cohort of older Black adults who have been followed for over 20 years to document novel risk factors for cognitive decline and risk of Alzheimer's disease. Innovative strategies to engage and retain the cohort will also be highlighted.
Ileana Cristea is a Professor in the Department of Molecular Biology at Princeton University. Her laboratory investigates mechanisms of cellular defense during infection with human viruses.
Ruslan Medzhitov was born in 1966 in Tashkent. He earned a Bachelor of Science at Tashkent State University before going on to pursue a PhD in biochemistry at Moscow State University. In 1992 he read an article by Charles Janeway about a hypothetical flip-flop triggered innate immunity.
Huda Akil, Ph.D. Michigan Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan
Huda Akil is a Syrian-American neuroscientist whose research has contributed to the understanding of the neurobiology of emotions, including pain, anxiety, depression, and substance abuse. Akil and her colleagues are best known for providing the first physiological evidence for a role of endorphins in the brain and demonstrating that endorphins are activated by stress and can cause pain inhibition.
Sandeep Robert Datta, M.D., Ph.D. Harvard Medical School
Nearly all animals depend upon smell to usefully interact with the world. Although underappreciated, smell is also critical to humans, as patients with olfactory loss face substantial additional risks for injury, psychiatric disease, and death. However, smell remains a mystery — we know little about how odor information is organized in the brain, and even less about how odors are linked to perception. Here I review the canonical mechanisms thought to enable olfaction, and discuss recent surprises that are revising our ideas about how our sense of smell might work.
This page was last updated on Friday, August 16, 2024
