Alzheimer's disease

Dr. Rodgers’ research over the last 30 years has evaluated the ability of angiotensin peptides and small molecule Mas agonists to mitigate injury and regenerate injured tissues and product development. Stimulation of Mas through endogenous peptides, analogues and peptidomimetics has been shown to increase stem cells/progenitors in a number of disease states with a deficit regenerative cells and to reduce oxidative stress and inflammation. By targeting these three fundamental processes, a platform leading to clinical development from laboratory observations has led has been generated. Current disease targets include vascular dementia, Alzheimer’s Disease and multiple sclerosis. Dr. Rodgers has deep domain knowledge in therapeutic development that spans discovery, IND-enabling pharmacology and toxicology, clinical trial design and regulatory submissions. She has designed and conducted numerous clinical trials and holds over 50 US patents with expanded coverage in major therapeutic indications.

Our laboratory studies cellular and tissue injury due to oxidative stress. We pioneered the discovery that cells surviving oxidative stress develop hypertrophy. This discovery has been validated in many cell types as a consequence of cellular stress and survival response. Enlarged cells contribute to loss of functionality during the development of diseases. In the myocardium, cardiomyocyte hypertrophy can be detected as a result of ischemic injury and contributes to heart failure. Continuing on the investigation of mechanisms of cell survival has led us to focus on cellular defense system. From our many years of comprehensive and systematic studies on cellular and molecular events initiated by oxidative stress, Nrf2 stands out as the key controller for cell defenses. We have made several discoveries in recent years, including 1) oxidative stress induced de novo Nrf2 protein translation; 2) Nrf2 physically interacts with mitochondria and protects mitochondria against oxidative stress induced decay; and 3) deficiency in Nrf2 sensitizes the myocardium to ischemic injury.

My research has focused primarily on the cognitive and clinical neuroscience of aging and neurodegenerative disorders. Within this framework, my laboratory is particularly interested in integrating brain imaging and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) techniques to 1) develop image-guided therapeutic TMS protocols and 2) explore TMS-derived and image-based biomarkers for early diagnosis and prediction of therapeutic outcomes for individuals with mild cognitive impairment as well as Parkinson’s disease. For past few years, I have been involved in a number of NIA-funded studies investigating brain function and its relation to cognitive performance. I am currently the Director of Brain Imaging and TMS Laboratory and teach undergraduate and graduate level courses in cognitive neuroscience, brain rehabilitation, and brain connectivity at the University of Arizona.

My work investigates the molecular mechanisms of axon degeneration, a molecular program triggered by toxic, metabolic, or traumatic stress to the axonal compartment of neurons. I use both fruit fly and mouse tools to ask questions about genes involved in axon degeneration and to place these genes in the context of pathways required for axon and synapse maintenance in the face of insults. I have discovered a number of axon degeneration mediators, including MORN4 and TMEM184b as well as others, and am currently following up on their roles within neurons during normal neuronal functioning and in the context of neurodegenerative disorders such as ALS and Alzheimer’s Disease. Keywords: Neurodegeneration, Neurogenetics, Behavior

Dr. Alexander is Professor in the Departments of Psychology and Psychiatry, the Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, and the Neuroscience and Physiological Sciences Graduate Interdisciplinary Programs of the University of Arizona. He is Director of the Brain Imaging, Behavior and Aging Lab, a member of the Internal Scientific Advisory Committee for the Arizona Alzheimer’s Consortium, and a member of the Scientific Advisory Board for the Arizona Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute. He received his post-doctoral training in neuroimaging and neuropsychology at Columbia University Medical Center and the New York State Psychiatric Institute. Prior to coming to Arizona, Dr. Alexander was Chief of the Neuropsychology Unit in the Laboratory of Neurosciences in the Intramural Research Program at the National Institute on Aging. Dr. Alexander has over 20 years experience as a neuroimaging and neuropsychology researcher in the study of aging and age-related neurodegenerative disease. He is a Fellow of the Association for Psychological Science and the American Psychological Association (Division 40) Society for Clinical Neuropsychology. His research has been supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health, the Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Research Foundation, the State of Arizona, and the Alzheimer’s Association. He uses structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) combined with measures of cognition and behavior to investigate the effects of multiple health and lifestyle factors on the brain changes associated with aging and the risk for Alzheimer’s disease. Keywords: "Aging/Age-Related Disease", "Brain Imaging", "Cognitive Neurosicence", "Alzheimer's Disease"