Completed CoNDA Projects
Phase 1 CoNDA Projects
Hypothalamic Sleep-Wake Neuron Defects in Alzheimer's Disease (2022-2025)
Peng Zhong, PhD
University of Nebraska Medical Center
Dr. Zhong completed his PhD in Biomedical Sciences at the Medical College of Wisconsin in 2015. His research aims to unravel the neural underpinnings of causal relationship between sleep disturbance and neurodegenerative disorders with the ultimate goal of learning how to repair the diseased nervous systems. Taking advantage of multiple state-of-the-art techniques (e.g., gene profiling, virus-mediated circuit tracing, in vivo calcium imaging/optrode recording, ex vivo patch clamp recording, optogenetic/chemogenetic manipulation and gene manipulation), his work takes a multifaceted but integrated experimental approach for interrogating the neural circuits controlling sleep and studying the pathophysiology of sleep circuits in the generation of sleep disorders and neuropsychiatric/neurodegenerative disorders. Sleep problems and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are interrelated and bidirectional. Understanding sleep circuitry abnormalities in AD could improve our understanding of its pathology and provide insight into the novel therapeutic approaches for this neurodegenerative disease. Dr. Zhong's lab utilizes the powerful systems neuroscience techniques to investigate whether and how lateral hypothalamic REM sleep-active melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) neurons become dysfunctional in AD.
The Role of Host Amino Acid Metabolism in Behavioral Changes during Latent Toxoplasmosis (2022-2025)
Leonardo da Silva Augusto, PhD
University of Nebraska Medical Center
Dr. Leonardo Augusto completed his PhD at the Federal University of Sao Paulo and had his postdoctoral training at Indiana University School of Medicine. His lab aims to understand the host cell metabolism changes in neuroinflammation, neurodegeneration caused by chronic Toxoplasma gondii infection. His CoNDA Research Project addressed the function of amino acid metabolism in neuroinflammation, neurodegeneration caused by chronic toxoplasmosis. His study capitalize on the novel finding that Toxoplasma infection depletes host amino acids in ways that facilitate the infection. Resolving the mechanism underlying this discovery will provide much needed insight into how the parasite establishes a chronic infection and causes neurological alterations, leading to a better position to develop novel therapies to treat chronic toxoplasmosis in patients.
Neurogenesis in the Development of Cognitive Deficits in Autoimmune Encephalitis with Seizures (2021-2024)
Olga Taraschenko, MD, PhD
University of Nebraska Medical Center
Dr. Taraschenko completed her MD at National Medical University in Kiev, Ukraine. She received her PhD training in Neuropharmacology and Neuroscience as well as postdoctoral training under the mentorship of Stanley Glick, MD, PhD, at Albany Medical Center. Dr. Taraschenko then completed her residency in Neurology at Albany Medical Center and fellowship in Epilepsy at Emory University. During her clinical training she developed interest in autoimmune encephalopathies with seizures, a group of newly discovered disorders for which there were no effective treatments. Under the guidance of Dr. Raymond Dingledine, Department of Pharmacology at Emory, she established a research plan to study basic mechanisms of autoimmune seizures which has remained the focus of her laboratory. As an Associate Professor in the Division of Epilepsy, Dr. Taraschenko provides expert consultations for patients with epilepsy and directs the Comprehensive Epilepsy Center at UNMC. Her current research pursuits have been expanded to define the mechanisms of cognitive decline in patients with autoimmune encephalitis. Her CoNDA Research Project addressed a critical gap in understanding the correlates of chronic memory loss in autoimmune encephalitis with an emphasis on identifying and testing potential pharmacotherapies. Specifically, Dr. Taraschenko investigated if antibody-induced seizures alter neurogenesis in autoimmune anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis and whether reduced neurogenesis occurs in parallel with impairment of memory in mice.
The Impact of Aging on the Neural and Behavioral Bases of Empathy (2020-2023)
Janelle Beadle, PhD
University of Nebraska at Omaha
Dr. Beadle completed her doctoral training in neuroscience at the University of Iowa under the mentorship of Drs. Daniel Tranel and Sergio Paradiso. Following this, she completed postdoctoral training in social neuroscience under the mentorship of Dr. Angela Gutchess at Brandeis University. The final phase of her postdoctoral training was completed back at the University of Iowa under the mentorship of Drs. Melissa Duff and Laurie McCormack and focused on the neural bases of social cognition. Her current work examines the neural and psychological bases of empathy through studies of patients with acquired brain injury, psychiatric disease, and healthy aging.
The Association between Brain Age and DNA Methylation Age at the Global and the Local Level (2024)
Jieqiong Wang, PhD
University of Nebraska Medical Center
Dr. Wang is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurological Sciences at UNMC. Her Pilot Project investigated her hypothesis that the brain age is associated with DNAm age, using multiple models including diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), resting state functional MRI (rs-fMRI), and machine learning (ML) models for voxel-wise brain age estimation. In collaboration with Dr. Howard Fox's lab, Dr. Wang integrates brain age (obtained through conventional ML or deep learning) and DNAm age to unravel the complex interdependence mechanisms underlying aging processes, and provide insights into strategies for preventing accelerated aging.
Impact of KMT5B Expression on Choroid Plexus Development and Macrocephaly (2024)
Holly Feser-Stessman, PhD
Creighton University
Dr. Stessman is an Associate Professor in the Department of Pharmacology & Neuroscience at Creighton University. Her Pilot Project explored the mechanisms that cause relative macrocephaly-increased head circumference disproportionate to height, a key neurophenotype in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Looking at the macrocephaly-linked gene KMT5B, Dr. Stessman's study used a novel animal model to link KMT5B-related ASD to brain growth and development through mechanisms which may reveal highly specific and druggable targets for the patient population.
Neural Basis of Cognitive Impairments in Older Adults with Myeloid Malignancies (2023-2024)
Vijaya Bhatt, MBBS, MS
University of Nebraska Medical Center
Dr. Bhatt is an Associate Professor and Medical Director of the Leukemia Program in the Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine. He is board certified in Internal Medicine, Hematology and Oncology. He has also completed a Master of Science in Clinical and Translational Research. He manages patients with acute leukemia, myeloid malignancies and other hematologic disorders and those who have undergone hematopoietic stem cell transplant. He finds great joy in interacting with his patients and working in a multidisciplinary team to support patients through the course of their treatment. Dr. Bhatt's CoNDA Pilot Project aimed to identify the nature, prevalence, severity, and the underlying neural mechanisms of cognitive impairments in older adults with myeloid malignancies, utilizing EEG/MEG and fMRI technology.
CEST MRI for Neuropathology of ART and Nicotine (2022-2023)
Yutong Liu, PhD
University of Nebraska Medical Center
Dr. Yutong Liu is an Associate Professor of Radiology at UNMC, the Bioimaging Core Lab Director, and Director of the CoNDA Center’s Small Animal MRI Core. The goal of Dr. Liu’s Pilot Project was to deploy “novel” magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques developed in his team’s laboratories to noninvasively track drug and metabolites linked to neuropathological and neuroprotective outcomes resulting from the synergetic effects of ART and nicotine. The MRI techniques developed employ a novel contrast coined as “chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST)”. The overarching goal was to develop CEST as a reliable biomarker for measures of ART neurotoxicity in the context of SUDs that can be translated for future human clinical research.
Neuroinflammation in Neurodegeneration and Cognitive Impairment associated with Global Ischemia (2022-2023)
Jee-Yeon Hwang, PhD
Creighton University
Dr. Hwang is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience at Creighton University. The goal of her research is to understand the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the pathophysiology of neurological diseases and disorders such as stroke, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Huntington’s disease. Another goal is to identify novel therapeutic targets for these devastating diseases. This CoNDA Pilot Project examined the role for TREM1-mediated neuroinflammation in global ischemia-induced neuronal death and cognitive deficits. Dr. Hwang saught to establish TREM1 inhibition asa novel therapeutic strategy for the amelioration of global ischemic stroke. To perform her research, she utilized the small animal MRI system, hippocampal based learning and memory behavioral assays.
Bioelectrical Brain Markers for Early Diagnosis of Neurodegeneration in Temporal and Frontal Areas in Patients with FTD, LDB and AD: EEG/MEG Study (2022-2023)
Valentina Gumenyuk, PhD
University of Nebraska Medical Center
Dr. Valentina Gumenyuk is an Assistant Professor of Neurophysiology and the Director of the CoNDA's MEG Core at UNMC. Her Pilot Project saught to collect clinical and scientific data measured by Magnetoencephalography (MEG) to test the working hypotheses. MEG is a noninvasive method to measure and evaluate neurophysiological activity related with cognitive functions (language, attention, and memory) or with sensory-motor, -auditory and -visual primary functions. MEG data was recorded from patients with different forms of dementia while they performed cognitive tasks. Dr. Gumenyuk used brain localization analysis to differentiate the abnormal brain activity between participants, specifically across temporal and frontal brain regions. The sleep onset parameters in all participants were evaluated while they performed the sleep-nap during the MEG recording. The goal of this study was to identify the early onset impairments in the brain activity caused by the frontotemporal dementia and dementia Lewy body.
Ontogeny of Attention Dysfunction in Early Childhood (2022-2023)
Anastasia N. Kerr-German, PhD
Boys Town National Research Hospital
Anastasia Kerr-German graduated from the University of Tennessee in 2019 with a PhD in Experimental Psychology with a concentration in Development Cognitive Neuroscience. She served as faculty at Boys Town National Research Hospital and the Director of the Brain, Executive Functioning, and Attention Research (BEAR) Laboratory in the Center for Childhood Deafness, Language and Learning. One of the goals of her research program is to understand how children’s brains process the information in the world around them and what individual factors might lead to different developmental trajectoriesand long-term outcomes for psychopathology. To explore these questions, she utilizes methods such as functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), eye-tracking, and hyper-scanning. Currently, she is exploring the relationship between early developing attentional processing and executive functioning in toddlers, risk for ADHD in toddlers, and the relationship between functional connectivity and ocular-motor control and behavior in children ages 2 to 7 years old as well as those with an ADHD diagnosis.
Age-Specific Impacts in Neurocognitive Outcomes Following Prolonged Social Isolation (2020)
Aaryn Mustoe, PhD
University of Nebraska at Omaha
Dr. Mustoe was a Visiting Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology and a Research Associate at the Callitrichid Research Center at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. He received his BS degree in Biology and Psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, a PhD in Neuroscience and Behavior from UNO, and was a postdoctoral researcher at UNO/University of Nebraska Medical Center. Dr Mustoe is trained as a behavioral endocrinologist and pharmacologist and studies neural, hormonal, and behavioral mechanisms underlying individual differences in prosocial behavior and vulnerabilities and resilience to social stressors.
Neuromagnetic Signatures of Down Syndrome (2020-2021)
Max Kurz, PhD
Boys Town National Research Hospital
Dr. Kurz is a scientist in the Institute for Human Neuroscience and Director of the Physiology of Walking & Engineering Rehabilitation (PoWER) Laboratory. His research program uses a blend of multimodal neuroimaging (EEG, MEG, sMRI) and advanced biomechanical engineering methods to uncover the neurophysiology of how individuals make cognitive-motor decisions, integrate sensory information and generate motor actions. Primary areas of interest include igniting beneficial neuroplasticity in children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (i.e., cerebral palsy, Down syndrome) for improved mobility. In addition, his research is directed at the development of innovative rehabilitative solutions that can eliminate barriers and unlocking an individual's true potential.
Immunometabolism in Parkinson’s Disease: Peripheral Marker and Correlation with Neuroimaging (2020-2021)
Kelly Stauch, PhD
University of Nebraska Medical Center
Dr. Stauch is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurological Sciences at UNMC. Her research examines the mechanisms leading to bioenergetic dysfunction and the role this plays in modulating pathogenesis of brain injury, aging, and neurodegenerative disease, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease (PD). Her CoNDA Pilot Project utilized her expertise and novel reproducible rat model of PDto elucidate the relationship of peripheral and neuroimaging biomarkers to PD disease course.
"PRANK-Generations" Study: Elucidating the Effects of Polygenic AD Risk on Brain, Cognitive, Socioemotional and Behavioral Outcomes in Development and Aging using a Novel Multimodal Approach and a Multigenerational Sample (2023-2024)
Project Leaders: Drs. David Warren, Jieqiong Wang, Kuan-Hua Chen (UNMC), and Janelle Beadle (UNO)
The PRANK-Gen team of investigators studied the effects of Alzheimer’s disease polygenic risk (AD-PRS) on development and aging using this innovative multigenerational approach. Building on the success of the NIA-funded PRANK study (R01 AG064247) that has enrolled more than 180 child participants, the team enrolled a new sample consisting of the familial elders (age 65-85 years) of PRANK enrollees. They measured brain, cognitive, and socioemotional variables from these older adults along with AD risk factors (genetic) and AD biomarkers (neuropathological) as well as social connectedness (interpersonal synchrony) in child-elder dyads. Then, the team used machine learning/artificial intelligence (ML/AI) approaches to model and predict AD-related outcomes for PRANK participants using the multigenerational, multimodal dataset. By using innovative methods and samples, this study supported important interim findings regarding the effects of AD-PRS in development and aging that would otherwise require decades, and it will drive future scientific collaborations on this topic by the multidisciplinary team of investigators.
TREM1 as a Novel Therapeutic Target for Global Ischemia Induced Neuroinflammation, Neuronal Death and Cognitive Deficits (2023-2024)
Project Leaders: Drs. Jee-Yeon Hwang, Holly Feser-Stessman, and Gopal Jadhav (Creighton University)
The TREM-1 team of investigators worked together to develop novel small molecule TREM1 inhibitors and examine the ability of these inhibitors to prevent global ischemia-induced neuroinflammation, neuronal death and cognitive impairment. In addition, they provided gene expression profiles in the presence and absence of TREM1 inhibitors at the level of specific neural cell populations or single cells and therefore, advanced our understanding of the mechanisms by which TREM1 affects global ischemia pathology. It is anticipated that these translational studies will create a foundation for developing novel therapeutic strategies to ameliorate neuronal death and cognitive deficits in this serious medical condition.