Meet the Lab

SBCoA Lab

• Chris Norris​
• Susan Kraner​
• Chris Gant​
• Jenna Gollihue​
• Ed Rucker​
• Irina Artiushin​
• Blaine Weiss​
• Margo Ubele​
• Susan Craddock​
• Colin Rogers​
• Peter Hecker
• Sofia Zuluaga Osario

Spindle Top

• Chris Norris​
• Margo Ubele​
• Kathy Boaz​
• Erin Jones​
• Jennifer Mefford​
• Katie McCarty​
• Hollie Van Rooyan

Alumni

• Bob Sompol
• Melanie Pleiss​
• Esther Putman​
• Jenny Furman​
• Diana (Mathis) Sama​
• Hafiz Mohmmad Abdul​
• Michelle Sama​

My undergraduate work was at Washington & Jefferson College, where ​I earned a BA degree in psychology while studying infant cognition. Later, I received a MA degree in psychology at Wake Forest University and investigated prepulse modulation of the human startle response. In 1998, I received a PhD in Neuroscience at the University of Virginia where I applied electrophysiological and biochemical approaches to the study of synaptic  dysfunction and memory loss during aging. Afterward, I studied under Phil Landfield at the University of Kentucky, who pioneered the “Ca2+ hypothesis of brain aging and Alzheimer’s disease”. Since 2004, I’ve been on the faculty at the UK Sanders-Brown Center on Aging where I’m honored to hold the Sylvia Mansbach Endowed Chair for Alzheimer’s Disease.  I also serve as one of the Associate Directors at the Center where I help promote basic research and mentor junior faculty. My primary academic appointment is in the Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences (where I serve as Professor) and I have a joint appointment in the Department of Neuroscience. My major research Interest is in the role of reactive astrocytes in neurodegeneration​

Projects: I am PI or co-PI on several NIH grants, including shared  projects with my colleagues Dr. Elizabeth Head (at University California, Irvine) and Dr. Adam Bachstetter (UK, Dept. of Neuroscience). I also lead a new multilab P01 project called STAR-AD/ADRD—Strategies for Targeting Astrocyte Reactivity in AD and ADRDs) that really exemplifies the collaborative spirit of the SBCoA and University of Kentucky.​

Hobbies: I enjoy spending time with my incredible family, playing my ​guitar, listening to music, watching college and pro football, and hiking.

I received my B.S. in biochemistry from the Ohio State University and a ​Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of Pennsylvania. I have ​extensive training in protein biochemistry, molecular biology, ​development of viral vectors, and cell culture models. My primary ​research in the lab focuses on the multiple roles through which ​calcineurin regulates brain aging and cognitive decline, particularly ​through its actions in astrocytes. Recently I worked with other members ​of the lab to demonstrate that a novel drug (Q134R) that blocks ​calcineurin/NFAT signaling in cultured astrocytes, also improves synaptic​function and behavioral performance in living animals. I have also taken a lead role in developing a monoclonal antibody that targets a ​proteolytically-cleaved form of calcineurin that is associated with ​heightened NFAT activation. The goal is to use this antibody to identify ​unique subsets of astrocyte reactivity associated with different forms of ​neuropathology.​

Hobbies: cooking with friends, reading and watching movies. ​

I attended the University of Texas at Dallas where I received a B.A. in Psychology (Summa cum laude), MS in Applied Cognition and Neuroscience and a Ph.D. in Brain and Behavioral Science. I worked with Dr. Phillip Landfield for my post-doc and subsequent years. I am currently working with Dr. Chris Norris, Dr. Nada Porter and Dr. Eric Blalock. My research interests relate to the mechanisms underlying memory loss associated with normal aging and neurodegenerative disease. My favorite experimental techniques are electrophysiology, calcium imaging, behavioral methods, viral delivery of transgenes to specific targeted regions of the brain and intravital dual-photon imaging. I am currently working on a large project using a vitamin D diet to reverse the effect of aging on memory loss. I have strong interests in the role of immunophilins in regulating intracellular calcium and neuronal/astrocyte function. I am beginning to study the role of astrocytes neurogenerative disease and their mechanisms of interaction with other astrocytes, other cells and the vascular system. We are currently using inducible photo thrombosis to mimic micro strokes/infarcts that are commonly observed during neurodegeneration. Using these methods, we can generate full occlusion of target vessels (stroke) or partial occlusions that result in blood flow stalls. We hypothesize that the prevalence of blood perfusion deficits/microinfarcts in aging brains plays a major role in the memory loss phenotype associated with normal aging and diseases such Alzheimer’s.  ​

Hobbies: In my spare time I enjoy riding, building and working on motorcycles. I also enjoy gardening, sculpting, and painting (airbrush). In the lab, I like to tinker with and fabricate equipment for improved experimental design. I also have an interest in woodworking, and spending time with my lovely wife (Paris) and our Australian cattle dog (Palo).​

I received my Bachelor’s degree in food science at Texas A&M University, and a PhD in physiology at the University of Kentucky. I am proficient in small ​animal surgeries, mitochondrial bioenergetic assessments, confocal microscopy, electrophysiology, and immunohistology. My dissertation work focused on mitochondrial bioenergetics after spinal cord injury; I bring my expertise on cellular metabolism and bioenergetics to the Norris lab to research aging-related neurometabolism. With increasing interest in the role ​astrocytes play in neuronal metabolomics, I will utilize state of the art multielectrode arrays to investigate astrocyte-driven changes in neuroenergetics, namely the lactate shuttle and its effects on neuronal energy production in Alzheimer’s Disease. Measurements of lactate release in vivo will then be correlated to energy production, synaptic function, and eventually to cognitive behavioral function to determine the role lactate may play in neurodegeneration.​

Hobbies: craft nights, visiting the Lexington breweries, and going on ​adventures with her family.​

I did my undergraduate at Vanderbilt University and obtained a M.S. at Murray State University and a Ph.D. at Texas A & M University. My skillsets include cell culture, recombinant DNA generation, genetic engineering, genome editing, embryonic stem cell modification, transgenics, knockout models (traditional, conditional via Cre-lox and FLP-FRT, inducible), virus production, cell death detection (apoptosis/autophagy), and surgical techniques. I am presently working on molecular strategies, including the generation of new transgenic mouse models, to study reactive astrocyte signaling in AD and ADRDs. ​

​Hobbies: cooking, gardening, professional football (Seattle Seahawks), college basketball (UK), geckos/beardies, 80s music, science fiction (marvel ​movies/comics).

I have Master’ degree from Moscow Veterinary Academy (microbiology and ​biochemistry major, and worked for a few years for Institute of Biotechnology, ​Moscow. I began PhD research at All Union Institute for Veterinary Medicine, ​Moscow, and completed program but did not defend, as I had to move with ​family to US. My skillsets include general microbiology and biochemistry ​protocols and propagation of different primary mammalian and plant cell ​culture.  I have over 25 years of experience in these areas. My primary ​scientific contribution to the lab is making and maintaining primary neuronal ​and glial cell cultures.  I also grow hybridoma cells and harvest monoclonal ​antibodies from them, when needed.  Additionally, I help with histology ​projects, bacterial and viral propagation, and order lab supply and do​financial reports for the lab.​

​Hobbies: gardening, cooking and embroidery

I received a BS degree in Chemistry at the University of Kentucky in 2016. Since then, I have worked in the Sanders Brown Center on Aging as a technician, and I’m now a PhD student in Pharmacology. I  am specialized in several diverse experimental techniques including electrophysiology, stereotactic surgery, and two-photon microscopy. I am currently studying the functional relationship between astrocyte endfoot signaling, glutamate transporter function, and cerebrovasculature changes in Alzheimer’s disease models. In addition, I am a contributor to the Sander’s Brown Imaging Multiphoton User Group (SIMUG), providing custom applications for microscope operation and data analysis involving Ca2+ activity and vascular dynamics in-vivo. I am also experienced in cell and tissue techiques, which I’ve appied to the study of calcineurin and it’s impact on connexin gap junctions and astrocyte network changes in AD.​

​Hobbies: I enjoy backpacking, watersports, and caring for my large collection of houseplants.

I received a BS degree in Small Animal Science from Delaware Valley University and an MS degree in Medical Sciences from the University of Kentucky. I have broad-based academic and industry capabilities which include executing and troubleshooting molecular biological and enzymatic assays (Caspase activity, ELISA, TUNEL, Westers, PCR, qPCR, mitochondrial respiration, Lipid Phosphate Phosphotase assay), designing and implementing in vivo and in vitro experiments using various models and cell lines and experience in a GLP laboratory that also utilizes alternative testing methods.  Areas of research include cardiovascular, skeletal muscle and aging, and Alzheimer’s Disease.​

​My current projects include 1) oversight of an NIH-funded study to determine if tacrolimus administration prevents or minimizes the development of Alzheimer’s related pathology and cognitive loss in an aging model and 2) provide fiscal management and administrative support to Project and Core leaders in a P01 grant that targets astrocyte reactivity in Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and AD-related dementias.​

​Hobbies: cat herding, savoring great coffee, traveling, wine enthusiast, horseback riding, pastry/donut connoisseur, hiking, any Philly sports, concerts, and outings that include friends and good food. 

I earned a BS in Biology from the University of KY. I have a ​background in stroke research at UK having worked with several models of ​brain ischemia. One was a suture occlusion model using a TNF alpha ​transgenic rat. A temporary ischemic model involving manipulation of the ​middle cerebral artery allowed study of the pathways of neuronal death ​during reperfusion.​

​I have extensive experience in animal microsurgeries and have developed ​transgenic lines and managed animal colonies. My other skills include ​genotyping , tissue harvesting and staining, imaging, and inventory ​management. I am included in more than a dozen neuroscience ​publications.​

​Hobbies: I am an avid gardener whose gardens were included on the 2017 ​Lexington Garden Tour as well as being featured in the KET special, ​‘Secret Gardens of KY’. I am also an accomplished equestrian having ​trained and shown my own thoroughbreds.​

I received my BS and PhD from Auburn University before conducting postdoctoral research at the University of Florida and the University of Kentucky. I then spent time with Nikon before joining the Sanders-Brown Center on Aging in 2020. I have a wide range of experience in the neurodegeneration field with my previous work focusing on examining the molecular effects of stroke on the brain, targeting epigenetic modifications for drug development, and intravital imaging of the brain following acute and chronic neurodegeneration. I also have studied the molecular pathways involved in the onset and progression of Alzheimer’s Disease through cell culture and animal models. My recent work has focused on mouse and human brain imaging using our Nikon Bio-pipeline and the Center’s two photon microscopes​

​Hobbies: I enjoy going to the Spring and Fall meets at Keeneland with my family and friends, playing golf and going to all the parks with my family.​

I have a Bachelor’s degree in AA General Studies Science from Midway College, and an A.A.S degree from Morehead State University. I have been a licensed veterinary technician for 29 years and am proficient in a variety of techniques and approaches including: venipuncture, radiology, anesthesia and different anesthesia monitoring devices, catheter placement (IV, Urinary), triage, and lab operations (Cytology, Blood Analysis, Urinalysis). I am currently working on an NIH-funded project that will determine if tacrolimus administration prevents the development of Alzheimer’s related pathology and cognitive loss in an aging model.​

​Hobbies: Cooking, Eating, Horseback Riding, Critters of all kinds, Reading, Watching TV, My most rewarding is being “Granny” to my 6- year-old granddaughter

I am a graduate of Morehead State University, BS, Animal Science/Equine Science. I have been an employee with the University of KY and involved in research for 10 years. Currently, I am a supervisor with DLAR and am tasked with the oversight of the care of a variety of research models. I also provide support to an NIH-funded study to determine if Tacrolimus administration will decrease the development of Alzheimer’s related pathology and cognitive loss in an aging model.​

​Hobbies: being a mom to four rowdy Golden Retrievers, one Rat Terrier, and three Great Pyrenees; wrangling a variety of livestock, hunting, fishing, and hiking.

I attended school at BCTC and UK, and I have worked at UK for 16 years for DLAR, providing support for various research models.  The last 4 years, I have provided support for an NIH-funded study to determine if Tacrolimus administration will decrease the development of Alzheimer’s related pathology and cognitive loss in an aging model.  ​

​Hobbies: giving my dogs everything they want, falling asleep while reading, and trying not to hit anyone with my bowling ball during league matches.