معرفی
Dr. Dan Summers is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Iowa. His research focuses on protein homeostasis (proteostasis) in developing and diseased neurons, particularly examining mechanisms of axon maintenance and degeneration. Using interdisciplinary approaches including biochemistry, live imaging, and animal models, he investigates how proteostasis networks regulate axon vulnerability/resistance to disease, the role of local protein synthesis in axon biology, dynamics of neuronal stress response pathways, and non-cell autonomous interactions between neurons and glial/immune cells.
- Education: PhD from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Research Interests:
The Summers Lab explores fundamental questions about neuronal proteostasis, including:
- How proteostasis networks regulate axon vulnerability or resistance to neurodegenerative diseases
- Biogenesis of locally synthesized axonal proteins and their folding/chaperone requirements
- Spatial-temporal dynamics of stress response pathways like MAP Kinases
- Environmental influences on neuronal proteostasis through glial and immune cell interactions
Article Trends:
His publications demonstrate consistent focus on axonal proteostasis, SARM1/DLK signaling pathways, NAD+ metabolism in neurodegeneration, and molecular chaperone functions. Recent works highlight connections between mitochondrial dysfunction, phagocyte regulation, and retinal ganglion cell protection in glaucoma models.
Contact:
Office location: 236 Biology Building East (BBE), 210 East Iowa Avenue, Iowa City, IA 52242
