John Joshua Lawrence

John Joshua Lawrence, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine. His research program is deeply integrated with the Garrison Institute on Aging, the Center of Excellence for Translational Neuroscience and Therapeutics, and the Center for Excellence in Integrated Health, providing him with a comprehensive understanding of Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis and its impact on hippocampal learning.

Dr. Lawrence's research focuses on the intersection of metabolic health and neurological function, with particular emphasis on nutrigenomics, cellular and synaptic physiology of Alzheimer's disease, excitation/inhibition balance in disease states, hippocampal learning and memory circuitry, GABAergic inhibition, cell type specificity of neuromodulation, antioxidant depletion across lifespan, neuroinflammation, effects of diet on healthy aging, computational neuroscience, and bioinformatics. His work investigates how vitamin A homeostasis disruption contributes to Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis, with a specific focus on all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) depletion in memory circuits as an early event leading to reduced retinoic acid receptor occupancy, excess reactive oxygen species, and mitochondrial dysfunction.

His recent publications demonstrate a clear research trajectory focused on Alzheimer's disease mechanisms and therapeutic interventions, particularly examining vitamin A/retinoic acid pathways, cholesterol modification strategies, and the convergence of artificial intelligence with neuroscience for neurological disorder diagnosis. This work spans both basic science investigations of molecular and cellular mechanisms and translational applications for therapeutic development.

Dr. Lawrence currently leads two major NIH R01-funded projects: one investigating transcriptional dysfunction in dentate gyrus cell types related to retinoic acid responsive genes in Alzheimer's protection, and another examining how HDAC inhibition and vitamin A supplementation can boost retinoic acid-sensitive gene transcription to prevent Alzheimer's-related learning deficits. He also studies vitamin D deficiency in health disparities and cognitive decline, particularly among Hispanic populations.

His laboratory maintains active research collaborations across Texas Tech University faculty in Engineering, Biology, Nutritional Sciences, and the Center for Biotechnology and Genomics, creating a multidisciplinary approach to understanding and addressing the complex mechanisms of Alzheimer's disease and healthy aging.