chad-leugersuiowaedu

Department
Internal Medicine

Lab
Gloria Lee

Research Interests

My general research interests are in neuronal differentiation and development, as well as the neurodegenerative diseases with tau pathology. Our lab studies the microtubule associated protein tau and aims to identify novel functions for this protein that link tau with neuronal signal transduction events. My thesis project in particular is focused on a novel link between tau and the MAPK signaling pathway. This work identifies new physiological roles for tau in early neuronal development and also has implications for the aberrant cell cycle re-entry hypothesis of Alzheimer’s disease where it is not exactly clear how tau is contributing to cell death.

Current Projects

Recent work has shown that Tau interacts with several tyrosine kinases such as Src, Fyn, and Abl. Phosphorylation of tau by these kinases is developmentally regulated in the brain and is also associated with the tau pathology of Alzheimer's disease. My research is focused on looking at the functional role of both tau in general and tyrosine phosphorylated tau in particular with respect to neuronal signaling. I'm currently using several PC12 derived cell lines to look at tau involvement in the nerve growth factor(NGF) signaling pathway. One project involves the construction of a doxycycline inducible cell line that expresses RNAi to repress the endogenous tau in the cell. I can then transfect in various tau mutants to look at their effect on NGF induced signaling.

Experience with the Neuroscience Program and Iowa City :

I have really enjoyed being a part of the Neuroscience Graduate Program here at the University of Iowa. The program offers many opportunities for students to increase their scientific knowledge and research skills. In addition, the weekly seminars and other activities give you a chance to stay updated with the breadth of research that is ongoing in the neuroscience field. I particularly enjoy hearing about research from students and faculty in the cognitive track in addition to my own interests in molecular biology.

The Iowa City area is a great place to live and work. The climate is moderate, the local dining and entertainment options are numerous, and the close proximity to several large cities all contribute to making graduate school at the University of Iowa a great choice.