Jack Lipton

Jack W. Lipton, PhD, serves as Chair and Professor of Translational Neuroscience at Michigan State University's College of Human Medicine. He directs the Lipton Lab at the Grand Rapids Research Center and holds a joint appointment with the MSU Neuroscience Program.

• Education: UC Berkeley (B.A. Psychology), UCLA (Ph.D. Behavioral Neuroscience)
• Prior institutions: Rush University Medical Center, University of Cincinnati

Dr. Lipton's research spans two major domains: neurodegenerative disease and developmental neurotoxicology. His Parkinson's disease work focuses on:

• Alpha-synuclein pathology
• Gene therapy approaches
• Deep brain stimulation
• Neural transplantation

Developmental studies examine:

• MDMA/cocaine effects on fetal dopamine neurons
• Neurite sprouting mechanisms
• Behavioral consequences of prenatal exposure
• Long-term CNS changes from drugs of abuse

Key funding sources include:

• NIH (continuous since 1993)
• National Institute on Drug Abuse
• National Institute on Neurological Disorders
• Michael J. Fox Foundation

Recent publications demonstrate expertise in:

• Alpha-synuclein fibril modeling
• Saliva-based diagnostics
• Neurotrophic factor genetics
• Aged animal model systems

Scientific leadership includes:

• Director, Division of Neuropharmacology (UC 2004-2009)
• Founder, MSU Department of Translational Neuroscience
• Director, MSU Early Detection Program
• Chair, MSU Translational Science and Molecular Medicine

Current initiatives focus on:

• Biomedical disaster preparedness
• University research analytics
• Saliva testing infrastructure
• Translational science leadership