Models of Pathogenic Protein Dynamics in Protein-Misfolding Disorders

TOPICAL COLLECTIONS

Guest Editors

Kelly DuBois

Michigan State University, College of Human Medicine, Department of Translational Neuroscience

Kelly DuBois received her PhD in Biomedical Sciences from the University of California, San Francisco, in 2007 and completed post-doctoral training in molecular parasitology at Cambridge University, UK, in 2011. Dr. DuBois then spent four years as an assistant professor of Biology at Calvin University, Grand Rapids, MI teaching and studying the effects of green infrastructure on environmental microbiota. Dr. DuBois is currently a senior research associate in the Kanaan lab in Michigan State University’s College of Human Medicine, Department of Translational Neuroscience, where she focuses on developing and using fluid biomarker assays for the detection of Alzheimer’s Disease and related dementias. Her laboratory skill set includes many cellular and molecular techniques such as eukaryotic and prokaryotic cell culture, Simoaâ, dd/qPCR, protein biochemistry, western blot, ELISA, immunocytochemistry, and confocal microscopy.

Margaret Caulfield

Michigan State University, College of Human Medicine, Department of Translational Neuroscience

Maggie Caulfield received her PhD in immunology from Northwestern University, Chicago, IL in 2013 and completed post-doctoral training in neurology at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN in 2016. Dr. Caulfield then spent 3 years as an assistant professor of Biology at Calvin University, Grand Rapids, MI teaching and studying sex differences in immune cell responses in CNS autoimmune disease. Dr. Caulfield is currently a senior research associate in the Steece-Collier lab in Michigan State University’s College of Human Medicine, Department of Translational Neuroscience where she focuses on the pre-clinical analysis of gene-therapy based interventions to reduce common therapeutic side effects in Parkinson’s disease as well as precisions medicine strategies to increase the efficacy of stem cell replacement therapies in neurodegeneration. Her laboratory skill set includes a variety of cellular, molecular, and histological techniques such as cell culture, flow cytometry, RNA in situ hybridization, dd/qPCR, western blot, ELISA, immunohistochemistry, confocal microscopy, stereotaxic surgery, and animal behavior ratings.

Collection Overview

This collection would encompass methods to study pathogenic protein misfolding associated with a wide range of disorders including but not limited to Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and prion diseases. Our goal is to include methods ranging from in vitro, in vivo, and ex vivo systems unified under the study of protein folding dynamics and implications in human disease. Currently, there are numerous and varied methods for inducing protein misfolding and aggregation within the laboratory setting (e.g., pre-formed fibril models in Parkinson’s disease models) with little consensus regarding the advantages and disadvantages of each. This collection would provide an opportunity to compare, contrast, and ideally implement the most advantageous methodological tools across disciplines to answer specific pre-clinical questions with regard to protein misfolding and aggregation.