معرفی
Caryl E. Sortwell, PhD is Professor of Translational Neuroscience and Associate Chair of the Department of Translational Neuroscience at Michigan State University College of Human Medicine. She holds the prestigious Edwin A. Brophy Endowed Chair in Central Nervous System Disorders and directs the Sortwell Lab at the Grand Rapids Research Center.
Dr. Sortwell received her B.S. in Psychology from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana in 1987 and earned her PhD in Anatomy and Cell Biology/Neurobiology from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 1994. She completed postdoctoral training at Rosalind Franklin Medical School and Rush University Medical Center from 1994-1997.
Her research program focuses on therapeutic strategies for Parkinson's disease, particularly investigating alpha-synuclein pathology and synucleinopathy triggered by alpha-synuclein preformed fibrils. She examines novel disease-modifying treatments and precision medicine approaches to improve existing anti-parkinsonian therapies. The Sortwell Lab has developed an in vivo synucleinopathy platform using alpha-synuclein preformed fibrils that is now widely used in PD research worldwide.
Analysis of her recent publications reveals a consistent focus on Parkinson's disease mechanisms, with particular emphasis on alpha-synuclein pathology, neuroinflammation, and therapeutic interventions. Her work spans molecular, cellular, and behavioral approaches, with increasing attention to precision medicine applications and sex/age differences in treatment responses.
- Edwin A. Brophy Endowed Chair in Central Nervous System Disorders
Dr. Sortwell has mentored numerous students and researchers who have contributed to significant advances in Parkinson's disease research. Her lab personnel include Christopher J. Kemp, Joe Patterson, PhD, Jacob Howe, Michael Kubik, Nathan Kuhn, Anna Stoll, and Moumita Hore. Her technical expertise spans immunohistochemistry, stereological analysis, stereotaxic surgery, and various molecular and cellular techniques for studying Parkinson's disease models.
The Sortwell Lab maintains an active research program focused on synucleinopathy neuroprotection and precision medicine approaches for Parkinson's disease. They collaborate with researchers like Dr. Joe Patterson to analyze genetic consequences of alpha-synuclein inclusions and leverage their alpha-synuclein fibril model to examine pathophysiological events associated with synucleinopathy.
