Jane M Flinn

Jane M Flinn is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at George Mason University. Her research focuses on the role of metals (zinc, copper, iron) in learning, memory, Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and traumatic brain injury (TBI). She has developed transgenic mouse models to study late-onset AD and tau pathology. Her work also examines behavioral outcomes like circadian rhythms and nest-building in these models. Dr. Flinn has held leadership roles, including Chair of the Department of Psychology (1984–1995) and Director of the Undergraduate Neuroscience Program (2006–2016). She has received awards such as the David J. King Teaching Award (2016) and the University Mentoring Award (2015).

Education: Ph.D. in Psychology from George Washington University (1974), Ph.D. in Physics from the Catholic University of America (1969), M.Sc. in Physics from UCLA (1962), and B.A. in Physics from Oxford University (1960).

Research interests emphasize metal interactions in neurodegenerative diseases. Her studies on zinc’s role in fear extinction and memory deficits have implications for conditions like PTSD. She has collaborated on projects involving synchrotron X-ray fluorescence to map metal distributions in brain tissues. Recent grants include investigations into TBI and Alzheimer’s mouse models.

Awards highlight her teaching and mentoring excellence. She has supervised over a dozen doctoral students, including work on young blood plasma therapies for TBI and tauopathies. Her lab’s collaborations span institutions like Brookhaven National Labs and the United States Geological Survey.