Lauren M. Hablitz

Lauren M. Hablitz is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurology at the University of Rochester Medical Center, where she leads the Hablitz Lab at the Center for Translational Neuromedicine. Her research focuses on circadian synchrony, glymphatic system function, and chronotherapy in chronic neuropathic pain and stroke.

Education:

• B.S. in Biology from Pennsylvania State University (2010)
• Ph.D. in Cell, Molecular, and Developmental Biology from University of Alabama at Birmingham (2015)

Dr. Hablitz defined the endogenous circadian rhythm of the glymphatic system and discovered CSF distribution rhythms between brain and mandibular lymph nodes. Her work bridges circadian biology and neurovascular function, exploring how chronotherapy can improve outcomes in neurodegenerative diseases and pain disorders.

Article trends show her team's focus on glymphatic system dysfunction in chronic pain models, Aquaporin-4 mechanisms, circadian disruption effects on neurovascular integrity, and peptidergic regulation via VIP/AVP signaling. Key technical approaches include in vivo imaging, confocal microscopy, and mass spectrometry.

Scientific Awards:

• 2021 Outstanding Early Investigator Award
• 2020 Merit Award
• 2016 Tartar Trust Foundation Fellowship
• 2014 Trainee Award

The Hablitz Lab collaborates with Dr. Maiken Nedergaard and includes Emma Waight (Technical Associate) and Eevalien Duyvesteyn (Research Assistant). Projects span glymphatic dysfunction in chronic pain, circadian stroke rhythms, and lymphatic-glymphatic homology, using murine models and molecular manipulation.