{"688275":{"#nid":"688275","#data":{"type":"event","title":"PhD Proposal by Brendan R. Tobin","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBrendan R. Tobin\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBioE Ph.D.\u0026nbsp;Proposal\u0026nbsp;Presentation\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDate and Time: Monday, March\u0026nbsp;2nd, 2026, at 1:00 PM (EST)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELocation: EBB Krone - 4029 Conference Room\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gatech.zoom.us\/j\/98566331965\u0022 title=\u0022https:\/\/gatech.zoom.us\/j\/98566331965\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/gatech.zoom.us\/j\/98566331965\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAdvisor:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELevi Wood, Ph.D. (Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECommittee Members:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHang Lu, Ph.D. (School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEdward Botchwey, Ph.D. (Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EZhexing Wen, Ph.D. (Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory School of Medicine)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESrikant Rangaraju, M.D.\u0026nbsp;(Department of Neurology, Yale School of Medicine)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHarnessing\u0026nbsp;MAPK\/ERK Signaling with Receptor Tyrosine Kinases to Control Alzheimer\u0027s Disease Associated Microglia\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the Alzheimer\u2019s disease brain, a subset of the brain resident immune cells, microglia, transition from a homeostatic population to an activated disease associated microglial (DAM) phenotype. These microglia possess hyperactivation of the ERK signaling protein and some protective functions. Preliminary analysis utilizing a computational model of cell signaling networks identified two receptor tyrosine kinases, CSF1R and TGFBR1\/2,\u0026nbsp;that are upstream of the MAPK\/ERK pathway and\u0026nbsp;have the\u0026nbsp;capacity to modulate the DAM phenotype in vitro and in vivo and alter therapeutically relevant microglial function. Interestingly, despite the convergent signaling through the MAPK\/ERK pathway by these receptors, there is a divergent functional response. CSF1R acts as a pro-DAM receptor, and TGFBR1\/2 acts as a checkpoint on the transition into DAM. This work seeks to provide a clear mechanism of how these receptors signal through the MAPK\/ERK pathway, including the specific temporal dynamics of activation, and determine the therapeutic relevance of targeting these receptors. Specifically, \u003Cstrong\u003EAim 1\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;will validate the role of these receptors and their interaction\u0026nbsp;with\u0026nbsp;the MAPK\/ERK pathway using proximity labeling of proteins. \u003Cstrong\u003EAim 2\u003C\/strong\u003E will deploy a real-time reporter system of ERK phosphorylation to establish the dynamics of ERK activation associated with the DAM phenotype. \u003Cstrong\u003EAim 3\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;will target these receptors with inhibitors\u0026nbsp;in a mouse model of Alzheimer\u2019s disease and assess therapeutic potential. Together, this work will fill critical gaps in Alzheimer\u2019s pathophysiology and identify novel therapeutic avenues to target microglia.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EHarnessing MAPK\/ERK Signaling with Receptor Tyrosine Kinases to Control Alzheimer\u0027s Disease Associated Microglia\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Harnessing MAPK\/ERK Signaling with Receptor Tyrosine Kinases to Control Alzheimer\u0027s Disease Associated Microglia"}],"uid":"27707","created_gmt":"2026-02-16 17:33:47","changed_gmt":"2026-02-16 17:38:15","author":"Tatianna Richardson","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","field_event_time":{"event_time_start":"2026-03-02T13:00:00-05:00","event_time_end":"2026-03-02T15:00:00-05:00","event_time_end_last":"2026-03-02T15:00:00-05:00","gmt_time_start":"2026-03-02 18:00:00","gmt_time_end":"2026-03-02 20:00:00","gmt_time_end_last":"2026-03-02 20:00:00","rrule":null,"timezone":"America\/New_York"},"location":"EBB Krone - 4029 Conference Room ","extras":[],"groups":[{"id":"221981","name":"Graduate Studies"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"102851","name":"Phd proposal"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[{"id":"1788","name":"Other\/Miscellaneous"}],"invited_audience":[{"id":"78771","name":"Public"}],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}