ADRC Affiliated Researchers

Researches the use of methods in biochemistry, proteomics, cell biology, and animal behavior to understand brain function and how disruptions in brain function contribute to cognitive disorders.

Research focuses on Health Disparities, Dementia and Caregiving, Family Caregiving and Aging, and Minority Aging & Aging in Cultural Context

We are interested in peri- and post-menopausal macaques as a model of preclinical late-onset AD. To understand the spatial neurochemistry of the aging primate brain, we look at within-subject spatial atlases of metabolite levels (spatial metabolome), protein expression (spatial proteome), and extant pathology for the cortex and cerebellum.

Precision Medicine; Digital Therapeutics; Biomarkers; Clinical Trials; Aging; Artificial Intelligence in Medicine

Dr. Dupre is a medical sociologist who specializes in research on aging and the life course, health disparities, and chronic disease outcomes in older adults.

My lab integrates computational approaches, including mathematical modeling and quantitative image analysis, with experimental investigations to understand complex cellular behavior.

The focus of the Evans lab is to mechanistically define these diverse mitochondrial quality control pathways, including mitochondrial fusion and fission events, mitochondrial derived vesicles, and mitophagy. Our goal is to understand how these pathways collaborate to regulate the mitochondrial network in healthy neurons and what goes wrong in neurodegenerative disease. We integrate advanced live-cell microscopy to visualize mitochondrial dynamics with biochemical techniques and proteomics to define the specificity of these mechanisms in primary neurons, iPSCs, and mouse models of disease.

REC Scholar Project: Targeting autophagy to monitor age-related cognitive decline and the dementia risk

Cellular, functional, and behavioral mechanisms of the neurotoxic consequences of HIV-1 protein on the central nervous system and the role of the (endo)cannabinoid system

The mission of the UNC Applied Biomechanics laboratory is to preserve independent mobility and prevent falls in our rapidly aging population through scientific and technological innovation. As a primary long-term vision, we seek to address the immediate need for innovation in the diagnosis and treatment of walking instability and falls risk in older adults and people with Alzheimer’s and related dementias.”

Clinical Interests – Neuroinflammation, neurodegeneration and dementia Research Interests – Molecular pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders and the basic cellular biology of inflammation in the central nervous system

Alternative and complementary therapy education; Health beliefs; Mindfulness meditation; Homeopathy; Spirituality; Gerontology; Women’s health issues

Primary research focus is to specify the cognitive processes and neural mechanisms mediating relational memory – the form of memory which represents relationships among items or informational elements.

We study how cytoplasm is spatially patterned and how cells sense their own shape.  We also investigate how timing in the cell division cycle can be highly variable yet still accurate.

Research focuses on the intersection between HIV and co-morbidities including mental health and opioid use disorders, stigma and discrimination among key populations including people who inject drugs and men who have sex with men, and scaling up evidence-based HIV interventions.

The lab’s basic research program is broadly focused on understanding damage and repair in the peripheral olfactory system. Current projects seek to identify aging-related changes in human olfactory mucosa; to understand how certain epigenetic complexes regulate adult olfactory neurogenesis; and to understand post-viral olfactory losses.

The focus of my research is to learn how alterations to core metabolic pathways contribute to mitochondrial dysfunction that underlies aging and many neurodegenerative diseases, including AD. I am also engaged in developing new genetic models of Alzheimer’s disease, that incorporate human genetic risk factors by targeted replacement.

Brain tumors; Multiple Sclerosis; Autism; Alzheimer Disease; Application of single cell and spatial technologies to basic and translational research

Dilraj Grewal, MD specializes in the medical and surgical management of patients with complex Vitreoretinal pathology and Uveitis and is a Director of Grading at the Duke Reading Center. His research focus is on 1) Novel Retinal Imaging endpoints in Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases 2) Leveraging the use of artificial intelligence to create risk stratification models based on retinal imaging 3) Modeling longitudinal rates of change in retinal imaging in Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases to establish potential anatomical endpoints to incorporate into clinical trials.

Eric’s research interests include biocultural anthropology, dementia, cognitive aging, health disparities, and mixed methods research. As a postdoctoral fellow with the Cook Center, Eric is working on the NIH-funded project “The influence of religion/spirituality on Alzheimer’s Disease and its related dementias (ADRD) for African Americans.