ADRC Affiliated Researchers

My lab has a translational research focus exploring the damaging effects of inflammation and calcium dysregulation on early HIV and Alzheimer’s disease progression. Modification of neurotrophin receptor signaling by small molecules is emphasized for therapeutic intervention. A clinical trial has been proposed to prevent cognitive decline in people with HIV. Key words: calcium imaging; neuroinflammation; neurodegeneration; HIV; Alzheimer’s disease; neurotrophins; multielectrode arrays

Research summary: My research uses multiple MRI modalities (diffusion, fMRI) to assess the effect of brain aging on various cognitive abilities (memory, learning, attention) in adults across the lifespan. An overarching goal of my work is to differentiate the neural signatures of healthy brain aging from Alzheimer’s disease.

Nutritional and cardiovascular disease epidemiologist.

Cardiovascular Epidemiology, Women’s Health

Uses animal models to test nutritional interventions that may ameliorate alcohol-induced deficits as well as examining other factors, such as genes and nutrition, that confer vulnerability or resistance.

Research in my lab is focused on brain changes associated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injury (TBI), and other neuropsychiatric disorders. We apply several advanced methods for understanding brain function including functional MRI, structural MRI, diffusion tensor imaging, and genetic effects.

Genetic and environmental factors in susceptibility to neurodevelopmental disorders, and preclinical efficacy testing with novel therapeutic agents, using mouse models for psychiatric and neurological conditions.

My research focuses on T cell immunology utilizing a variety of platforms including polychromatic flow cytometry, cytokine multiplexing, and novel single cell assays.

Medical image analysis; shape analysis, image segmentation, deformable registration, image-based estimation methods.

Clinical pharmacy; pharmacoepidemiology; Geriatrics; health services research; Medicare administrative data; polypharmacy; deprescribing chronic medications that may no longer have value for patients

Cardiovascular disease and associated risk factors.

Member of Chiba-Falek’s lab – electrophysiology, microscopy, behavioral techniques, genetic and pharmacological models, and data analysis

Her current work focuses on the role of modifiable risk factors, such as physical activity, on cognition, physical function and quality of life metrics.

Director of technology commercialization at UNC Innovate Carolina.

Aging; data science; hospital care; older people; medical informatics; digital health; physical functions and mobility; polypharmacy.

My research focuses on models of care for adults living with cognitive impairment and/or dementia.

I am funded on a K23 from the NIA and the Alzheimer’s Association to examine the impact of music-based interventions on sleep in persons living with dementia and their caregivers.

Analytic Interests: Issues in the design of medical experiments and Issues in the analysis of repeated measures designs & longitudinal data.

My research focuses on developing and evaluating behavioral interventions to help patients and their family members cope with the symptoms and psychological demands associated with chronic and life-limiting illness.