Tuesday, Nov. 6, Noon – 1 p.m., PBS 114, WSU-Spokane
“Rethinking protein homeostasis in a metazoan: A Case of Nerves?” will be presented by Veena Prahlad, Ph.D., Associate Professor at University of Iowa, in the Aging Mind & Brain Initiative, Department of Biology.
Research Summary
Dr. Prahlad’s broad research interest is to understanding how cells of a metazoan coordinate their gene expression programs to adapt to changing environments. Over the past few years her lab has discovered that sensory stimuli coupled to the release of the neuromodulator serotonin, and immune signaling from peripheral tissue to neurons, can activate adaptive cytoprotective responses to macromolecular dysfunction and suppress degeneration in the metazoan C. elegans. The pathways responsible for protection in both these cases are highly conserved. These findings lead to the intriguing possibility that triggering particular neurosensory and immune pathways by environmental manipulation, or sensory regimen, can protect against human neurodegenerative diseases.
If you are interested in a one-on-one meeting with Dr. Prahlad, please sign up here.
Questions? Contact Breezy Tottenhoff (btottenhoff@wsu.edu).
