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Campbell, B.S., George
The microtubule-based motor proteins kinesin and dynein mediate the anterograde and retrograde active transport of cargos in axons, respectively. This transport is highly regulated and essential to axonal health and function. The importance of understanding vesicular transport mechanisms is furthermore highlighted, as there is evidence that disruptions in axonal transport could be involved in the initiation of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and prion diseases.
As a TL-1 trainee, George investigates how protein aggregates induced by infectious prions inside axons may lead to axonal blockages and to impairments in synaptic vesicle transport that can lead to neuronal dysfunction. Elucidating the mechanisms of how motor proteins regulate transport and how transport is specifically impaired in prion diseases will allow the design of therapies to directly target motor protein dysregulation and thus “dissolve” traffic jams created by prion aggregates. Thus, we will use knowledge gained from motor regulation in healthy neurons to treat motor dysfunction in prion and other neurodegenerative diseases.
Prior to his graduate studies at TSRI, George was awarded a B.S degree in both Biology and Chemistry at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in 2011. Previous research experiences include summer research in biochemistry and an undergraduate thesis in genetics.