Alicia Pickrell

Alicia Pickrell is an Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies at Virginia Tech's School of Neuroscience within the College of Science. She holds a B.Sc. and B.A. in Neuroscience and Political Science from the University of Pittsburgh and a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the University of Miami: Miller School of Medicine.

Her research focuses on mitochondrial dysfunction in neurodegenerative diseases, specifically examining how neuronal subtypes respond to mitochondrial stress. Key areas include mitophagy, mitochondrial quality control, and STING signaling in brain injury.

Recent publications highlight her work on

• 2025: TBK1 trafficking mechanisms
• 2024: STING-mediated neuroinflammation
• 2023: mtDNA dynamics and astrocyte responses

Scientific awards include a DoD grant for neurotrauma research. She has advised PhD candidates Sahitya Ranjan Biswas and Colin Kelly, with lab activities documented in team events like hiking and apple-picking.