First name,Last name,Preferred title,Overview,Position,Department,Individual
Rahul,Srinivasan,Associate Professor,"My research focuses on developing a mechanistic understanding of neurodegeneration, with the goal of discovering novel strategies to treat neurodegenerative disorders. In this regard, I am interested in two primary areas: (1) Understanding the role of astrocytes in neurodegeneration and (2) Elucidating molecular mechanisms underlying the known neuroprotective effects of nicotine in Parkinson's disease.
We utilize a broad range of techniques spanning the spectrum from molecules to mice. Our methods include stereotaxic injections of adeno-associated viruses (AAVs) into the mouse brain, advanced imaging techniques such as Ca2+ imaging in live brain slices using genetically encoded calcium sensors (GCaMPs), in vitro and slice electrophysiology, advanced molecular biology, including creation of transgenic mice and tissue culture.",Assistant Professor,Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n233b562f
Farida,Sohrabji,University Distinguished Professor and Department Head,"My research interests lie at the intersection of neuroendocrinology, neuroinflammation and aging. For the last 10 years, my work has focused on ischemic stroke, specifically, to understand how the aging brain copes with stroke. In North America, stroke risk increases with age and in this aging demographic, women are more likely to sustain a stroke and more likely to have long term disability, poor quality of life and have more neuropsychiatric problems after stroke such as depression and cognitive impairment. This problem is compounded by the fact that few stroke therapies are available. Most stroke neuroprotectants have not been successfully translated from the bench to bedside. Using preclinical models, we have focused on acute pathological changes at the blood brain barrier and central and peripheral inflammation as well as long-term consequences, such as changes to reward pathways and post-stroke depression and dementia. I am also interested in developing novel stroke therapies for stroke in this population and our studies on epigenetic modifications such as histone methylation and non-coding (mi)RNA due to aging/stroke have provided several candidate molecules. Our recent work focuses on the role of the gut microbiome and gut metabolites on stroke recovery, and its potential for understanding the pathophysiology of stroke.
Related to my research goals, I am actively interested in promoting the inclusion of sex as a biological variable and attention to sex differences in medicine. Through medical and graduate coursework, research seminars and community talks, I am a vocal advocate for recognizing sex and gender differences in disease processes and drug therapies. I founded the Women's Health in Neuroscience program at Texas A&M University College of Medicine to create a community of researchers and foster collaboration on gender medicine and women's health, and to train new scholars in this area.",University Distinguished Professor and Department Headd,Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n772c9962
Laura,Smith,Assistant Professor,"I am interested in the molecular and circuit mechanisms of complex behavior and how alterations in synaptic connectivity between neurons lead to the maladaptive features of neuropsychiatric illnesses. Impairments in synaptic pruning are observed in autism spectrum disorders and may contribute to symptoms such as sensory hypersensitivity and social overstimulation. Repeated exposure to drugs of abuse also alters synapses in brain reward regions, and addiction-related synaptic and behavioral changes, similar to learning and memory, require the synthesis, or translation, of proteins in their local vicinity. Together these findings suggest that addiction is promoted and sustained through the coercion of normal plasticity mechanisms. Thus, investigating the function of developmental proteins in the adult brain, with regard to psychiatric and substance-related disorders, may reveal novel therapeutic and preventative strategies.",Assistant Professor,Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/na60823cc
Karienn,Souza (Montgomery),Research Assistant Professor,"My research focuses on developing neuronal and behavioral models of mild cognitive impairment and early stages of Alzheimer's' Disease. AD is complex and multifaceted, and my goal is to uncover early aspects of the disease pathway in hopes of achieving prevention of further decline.
One aspect of the pathway that is promising in terms of resulting in a successful treatment for AD is to treat the loss of functional synapses. Loss of plasticity and synaptic transmission is one of the earliest hallmarks of AD and one of the best correlates of cognitive dysfunction in aging. It is virtually impossible for this to be studied in humans, and thus little progress has been made in developing therapeutics to resurrect synaptic function. We have developed a mouse model of age-related cognitive impairment in which we can use light (optogenetics) in order to uncover the faulty synaptic mechanisms that promote cognitive dysfunction observed in aging and early AD.",Postdoctoral Research Associate||Research Assistant Professor||Director of NExT Behavior Core,The Texas A&M University System||Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics||Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nc5b013b5
Lee,Shapiro,Associate Professor,,Associate Professor,Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/ncd3ac332