Nathalie Sumien

Nathalie Sumien is an Associate Professor in the Department of Pharmacology & Neuroscience at the University of North Texas Health Science Center (UNTHSC), serving as Interim Chair of the Institute for Healthy Aging and a member of the College of Biomedical and Translational Sciences. She holds a PhD in Biochemistry from Southern Methodist University and a BS in Physiology from the University of Mont Saint Aignan.

Her research focuses on interventions to improve motor and cognitive function in aging and neurodegenerative diseases, particularly Alzheimer’s. Key areas include combining antioxidant supplementation with exercise, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, and sigma-1 receptor modulators. She explores how interventions interact with genetic factors like APOE genotype and sex differences to influence outcomes.

Dr. Sumien leads multiple NIH-funded projects, including the REAP New Investigator Grant exploring epigenetic links between repetitive head injury and Alzheimer’s, and training programs in neurobiology. Her lab uses rodent models to study stroke, chemotherapy-induced cognitive deficits (chemobrain), and the impact of drug abuse on stroke susceptibility and accelerated aging.

Her work emphasizes translational research, aiming to identify mechanisms underlying neuroprotection and develop therapies to extend healthy aging. Collaborations span neurology, immunology, and pharmacology, with a focus on developing diagnostic tools and therapeutic strategies for neurodegenerative diseases.