Karen D. Parfitt

Karen D. Parfitt is Professor of Neuroscience and Chair of the Neuroscience Department at Pomona College, where she has been a faculty member since 1994. Her research is centered on synaptic transmission and plasticity in the hippocampus, with a focus on the molecular mechanisms of memory and their disruption in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s Disease. She employs both mouse and Drosophila models to investigate these processes.

Her educational background includes a Ph.D. from the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center and a Bachelor of Science from Cornell University. She teaches core neuroscience courses such as Neurobiology with Lab, Neuropharmacology, and Senior Experimental Thesis in Neuroscience.

• Research Interests:
• Synaptic Physiology and Plasticity
• Molecular Mechanisms of Neurotransmitter Release
• Neurobiology of Alzheimer’s Disease
• Effects of Exercise on Synaptic Plasticity
• Neurobiology of Aging

Her recent publications reveal a strong trend in exploring how secreted amyloid precursor protein-alpha modulates long-term potentiation (LTP), how exercise influences dopaminergic transmission and synaptic plasticity, and how inflammatory pathways contribute to tauopathy. These works span molecular, cellular, and behavioral neuroscience, reflecting a multidisciplinary approach.

• Scientific Awards and Honors:
• President, Faculty for Undergraduate Neuroscience (2000–2001)
• National Institute of Aging Academic Research Enhancement Award (1998)
• National Science Foundation Instrumentation Grant (1995)
• Faculty for Undergraduate Neuroscience Service Award (2011)
• Mellon Partnership Grant (2009)
• Multiple Pomona College Faculty Grants (1998, 2014, 2018)

She has advised numerous undergraduate students, many of whom are co-authors on her publications, highlighting her commitment to mentored research. She has secured sustained funding from the NSF, NIH, NIA, and AFAR, supporting both instrumentation and research. Dr. Parfitt leads an active laboratory in Seaver Biology, focusing on electrophysiological and molecular analyses of synaptic function.