Graduate Students
Current Ph.D. Students
Email: mbenson4@kumc.edu
Heather Wilkins lab
Investigating the relationship between mitochondrial dysfunction in Alzheimer’s Disease in various models.
Email: rcamones@kumc.edu
Jill Morris lab
I am interested in understanding how non-pharmacological interventions can be implemented to prevent diseases such as Alzheimer’s. My research is specifically looking at the effects of exercise, diet, and heat-therapy on cognition and Alzheimer’s disease biomarkers.
Email: schoudhury@kumc.edu
Erin Young lab
The primary focus of my research is on neurogenic bowel (NB) and abdominal pain following spinal cord injury (SCI). Using an established mouse model of SCI, I plan to investigate the underlying mechanisms that cause NB. Symptoms of NB include slow colonic transit, constipation, and chronic abdominal pain, which significantly impact the quality of life of SCI patients. The current treatments are symptom-focused and often ineffective. My research aims to identify the mechanisms of NB to pave the way for developing evidence-based, novel therapeutic treatments.
Email: sthomas23@kumc.edu
Doug Wright lab
I am currently a Ph.D. student in Dr. Doug Wright’s sensory nerve disorder lab. My project is focused on the effects of inflammation on the development of peripheral nerve fiber loss and pain, especially in diabetes. I am interested in the connection between chronic inflammation, pain, the gut microbiome, and mental health outcomes such as anxiety and depression.
Email: vcsikos@kumc.edu
Heather Wilkins and John Thyfault labs
I investigate how exercise can modulate brain health in the aspect of mitochondrial quality control in Alzheimer's disease. My study also aims to explore how the nutritional state influences the effectiveness of exercise and how different exercise modalities, like resistance and aerobic training, can potentially alleviate symptoms or delay the progression of Alzheimer's disease.
Email: mewald@kumc.edu
Olivia Veatch and Erin Young labs
I am interested in using bioinformatics to look at pharmacogenomic targets for chronic pain and sleep disorders.
Email: aferkul@kumc.edu
Julie Christianson lab
My research focuses on the influence of early life stress on chronic pain and cognitive function, specifically in Urologic Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome (UCPPS). My focus is to investigate how mitochondria, and gene expression are impacted in these outcomes, and how exercise could help attenuate the effects.
Email: ggriese@kumc.edu
Doug Wright lab
Understanding the impact of methylglyoxal (MGO) on axon degeneration and metabolism dysregulation, and utilizing ketones as a potential therapeutic to combat MGO toxicity.
Email: whauser2@kumc.edu
Doug Wright lab
Understanding the connection between neurodegenerative disease in the CNS and peripheral axon loss. Studying the role of both the Central and Peripheral immune systems in neurodegenerative diseases, as well as mechanisms of neuroinflammation with specific focus on the TLR4 signaling pathway.
Email: hhawks@kumc.edu
Katie Waugh and Russell Swerdlow labs
I am interested in how early neuroinflammation during development influences the highly variable neurological trajectories seen in Down Syndrome and the general population.
Email: lheslop2@kumc.edu
Doug Wright lab
My research focuses on restoring peripheral nerve health in a model of bortezomib-specific chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy by using a ketogenic diet as a therapeutic mechanism. I am interested in understanding the interplay between these factors and their effects on metabolism within neuronal cells.
Email: rkemna@kumc.edu
Jill Morris lab
My research is focused on the role of mitochondrial metabolism in Alzheimer’s Disease, and how mitochondrial function affects expression of hallmark AD biomarkers. Using cytoplasmic hybrid cell lines generated from clinical research participants in the KU Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, I am interested in understanding how mitochondrial function differs between individuals with and without AD.
Email: tmadden3@kumc.edu
Doug Wright lab
I am interested in the effects of innate immune signaling on peripheral axon degeneration. I hope to relate these mechanisms to clinical applications, such as autoimmune disease and opioid use.
Email: cmansel@kumc.edu
Olivia Veatch lab
One possible reason for the failure of clinical trials in Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is that they generally treat all AD patients the same. My project uses unsupervised machine learning to describe sub-types of AD using clinical databases and the electronic health record (EHR). Because family history is known to confer increased risk for AD, my project also seeks to use data-driven approaches to uncover possible AD sub-types that are associated with specific genetic risk measures.
Email: rreaves@kumc.edu
Jill Morris lab
My research interest is focused on understanding the progression and variability of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) biomarkers to better understand disease development. I am interested in how exercise and other interventions can influence AD biomarkers over time. Ultimately, the goal of my research is to identify meaningful biomarker changes to develop better treatment plans and prevention of AD.
Email: aroberts20@kumc.edu
Russell Swerdlow lab
We are working to create a mitochondria dysfunction model using iPSC derived Neurons. This model will allow us to better understand how mitochondria dysfunction influences Alzheimer's disease. Unraveling this mechanism could aid in the development of therapeutics for neurodegenerative diseases.
Email: arodriguez18@kumc.edu
Erin Young lab
I am part of Dr. Erin Young's lab, which uses a multi-omics approach to research Disorders of the Gut-Brain Interaction (DGBI's) including Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). We aim to investigate host-microbiome interactions to develop a therapeutic approach to alleviate visceral hypersensitivity and chronic abdominal pain observed in patients.
Email: svarghese3@kumc.edu
Kyle Baumbauer lab
At the GAPP laboratory, our research explores the intricate relationship between genetics, physiology, and pain. Within this context, my project delves into neuroinflammation in Spinal Cord Injury and investigates the underlying mechanisms responsible for the development of chronic pain.
Email: evetter@kumc.edu
Sandra Billinger lab
I am interested in the relationship between cerebrovascular health and cognitive decline, with the broader aim of supporting healthy aging.