Bess Frost

Dr. Bess Frost is a Professor of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry and Professor of Brain Science at Brown University, where she also serves as the Salame-Feraud Director of the Center for Alzheimer's Disease Research. She leads research focused on the fundamental neurobiological processes underlying brain aging and neurodegeneration, with particular emphasis on Alzheimer's disease and related tauopathies.

Dr. Frost earned her B.S. in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry from the University of Texas, Austin, where she investigated the effects of chronic alcohol exposure on the brain. She completed her Ph.D. at the University of California San Francisco working with Dr. Marc Diamond, and conducted postdoctoral training with Dr. Mel Feany at Harvard Medical School. She began her independent laboratory at the University of Texas Health San Antonio in 2015 before moving to Brown University.

Dr. Frost's research program employs a multi-system approach to investigate neurodegenerative processes. Her laboratory uses Drosophila as a primary model organism for early discovery due to its suitability for investigating causal relationships in disease processes. These findings are then validated using induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-based modeling, as well as neuropathological and computational analyses of mouse and postmortem human brain tissue. A major focus of her work centers on how pathogenic tau protein affects transposable elements, nuclear and genomic architecture, and RNA biology in the context of brain aging and neurodegeneration.

Analysis of Dr. Frost's recent publications reveals a strong emphasis on the role of tau pathology in disrupting fundamental cellular processes. Her work demonstrates how pathogenic tau spreads between cells similarly to prion proteins and negatively affects DNA packaging and nuclear architecture. A significant theme across her recent work is the connection between tau-induced transposable element activation and neuroinflammation, suggesting novel mechanisms underlying neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease and related disorders. Her research has progressed from basic mechanisms to clinical applications, including the completion of a Phase IIa clinical trial (ART-AD) in patients with early Alzheimer's disease.

Dr. Frost's contributions to the field have been recognized with prestigious awards:

• Oskar Fischer Prize (2022) - Gold Recipient
• CurePSP Standout Achievement Award (2021)
• O'Donnell Award in Medicine from The Academy of Medicine, Engineering & Science of Texas (2020)

Dr. Frost has made significant contributions to our understanding of Alzheimer's disease mechanisms. Her laboratory discovered that pathogenic forms of tau can spread between cells in a prion-like manner and that toxic tau drives neurodegeneration by disrupting DNA packaging and nuclear architecture. She has led a Phase IIa clinical trial based on her team's discoveries. Her work bridges basic science and clinical applications, with major efforts focused on transposable elements, nuclear architecture, and RNA biology in tauopathies. She maintains active collaborations across multiple institutions, as evidenced by her extensive publication record with numerous co-authors in the field of neurodegeneration research.

The Frost Laboratory employs a multi-system approach to rapidly identify, test, and validate hypotheses relevant to human aging and disease. The laboratory combines Drosophila research with comparative analyses in mouse brain tissue, iPSC-derived neurons, microglia, astrocytes, and postmortem human brain tissue to ensure translational relevance of their findings.