Christina Coughlan,
Assistant Research Professor, Director Biorepository Core
I am an Assistant Professor of Research, Director of the Human Biorepository Core, and Co-Director of the Exosome Core at the CUACC in the Department of Neurology. My research and teaching experience have been extensive, resulting in publications focused on topics that pertain directly to understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying Alzheimer’s disease in both the typical population and in people with Down syndrome. These topics include detailed examinations of the processes involved in protein mis-folding, the role of APP and its fragments in the development of Alzheimer’s, chemokines and their roles as neuronal migration cues, sialylation and its role in the posttranslational modification of neural cell adhesion molecule, as well as examining the role of these modifications in memory formation. My focus for the past many years has been investigating best practices for isolating exosomes as well as the role of exosomes in normal physiology and disease, especially viral infections, Alzheimer’s, cancer, fibrosis of lung tissue, and inflammation associated with adiposity. Also, I recently completed a Master’s in Clinical Science, which focused on translating benchside findings into clinical therapies. In my research, I have extensive experience isolating and examining the contents and functions of exosomes and in identifying Biomarkers for various pathologies ranging from cancer to Alzheimer’s using plasma, exosomes, and the Quanterix single molecule array SIMOA® and MSD platforms. The results from recent analyses are being included in manuscripts in various stages of publication and preparation, including a sleep and cognition study, an examination of plasma biomarkers from people with Down syndrome, a mixed cohort study, and a clinical trial that examined the safety and efficacy of GM-CSF/sargramostim in participants with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer’s disease.
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