Casey N. Cook

Dr. Casey N. Cook is an Associate Professor of Neuroscience at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, where she leads the Comparative Pathogenesis of Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Laboratory. Her research is dedicated to uncovering the molecular mechanisms underlying neurodegenerative diseases, with a strong focus on tauopathies, TDP-43 proteinopathies, and white matter abnormalities.

Her research interests include:

• Pathogenic mechanisms in tau aggregation and toxicity
• TDP-43 pathology in Alzheimer’s disease, frontotemporal dementia (FTD), and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
• Role of oligodendrocytes and myelination defects in neurodegeneration
• Utilization of animal and cellular models to validate findings in human tissue

Dr. Cook’s recent publications reflect a strong trend in structural and molecular neuroscience, particularly in protein aggregation diseases. Her work leverages cryo-EM, transgenic models, and human biofluid/tissue analysis to identify therapeutic targets and biomarkers. She is actively involved in high-impact collaborative research across neurodegenerative disorders.

Her scientific contributions are supported by multiple NIH grants, including those from the National Institute on Aging and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Notable projects include:

• Investigating tau and ApoE4-mediated alterations in oligodendrocyte progenitor cells
• Impact of T cells on the CNS during aging and Alzheimer’s disease
• Mechanistic insights into the A152T risk variant and tauopathy
• Manipulating tau's posttranslational modifications to block disease progression

Dr. Cook collaborates extensively with leading researchers at Mayo Clinic, including Dr. Petrucelli, Dr. Dickson, and Dr. Kang. Her laboratory is part of Mayo Clinic’s robust neuroscience research ecosystem, contributing to both discovery and translational efforts in neurodegenerative diseases.