معرفی
JungA 'Alexa' Woo, PhD is an Associate Professor in the Department of Pathology at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. Previously, she held an Assistant Professor position at the University of South Florida, College of Medicine from 2017 to 2021. Her research focuses on beta-arrestin signaling in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Frontotemporal dementia (FTD), Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and Parkinson’s disease (PD). She also investigates the role of mitochondrial protein CHCHD2 in Lewy body disorders (LBD).
Education:
- PhD in Neuroscience, University of South Florida (2015)
- Master’s degree, Seoul National University, South Korea
- Postdoctoral training with Dr. Stephen Liggett at USF Health
Research Interests: Dr. Woo’s lab explores how beta-arrestins contribute to neurodegeneration via tau pathology and mitochondrial dysfunction. Key projects include:
- Dissecting beta-arrestin1/2 roles in AD/ADRD comorbidities
- Developing small-molecule inhibitors targeting beta-arrestin oligomerization
- Characterizing CHCHD2 mutations in PD/LBD
- Collaborating with the Kang lab on CHCHD2 vs CHCHD10 comparisons
Grants & Funding: NIH R01 grant and State of Florida research grants support her work on tau pathology and beta-arrestin signaling.
Labs & Teams: Her lab employs interdisciplinary methods including live-cell imaging, genetic models, and electrophysiology to study neurodegenerative mechanisms. The Woo Lab emphasizes translational approaches for therapeutic development.
