The Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC) is pleased to announce four Developmental Projects awardees, selected for their research targeting Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. Project funding commences April 1, 2023, and will run two years.
Starr Cameron, MS, BVetMed, DACVIM, and LaTasha Crawford, VMD, PhD, DACVP
Project: “Defining pathologic and molecular correlates of a spontaneous feline model of dementia”
Dr. Starr Cameron is a Clinical Assistant Professor in small animal neurology within the Department of Medical Sciences in the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Cameron’s research interests are in comparative epilepsy. She enjoys being a part of basic science, as well as clinical research, and bridging the two components together to improve knowledge and understanding of epilepsy in veterinary medicine, as well as to enhance the quality of life for her patients.
Dr. LaTasha Crawford is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pathobiological Sciences within the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Crawford’s clinical interests include anatomic pathology, neuropathology and mechanisms of pain and peripheral neuropathy. The Crawford lab studies pathologic changes in specific subsets of touch and pain neurons to understand how that dysfunction contributes to sensory deficits, mechanical allodynia, and chronic pain across different models of disease., Learn more about Crawford’s research within the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s School of Veterinary Medicine on her webpage.
Melissa Rosenkranz, PhD
Project: “Validation and Optimization of a Novel Brain Imaging Approach to Measuring Glial Activation”
Dr. Melissa Rosenkranz is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Distinguished Chair in contemplative neuroscience at the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s Center for Healthy Minds. Her research is focused on investigating the biology of the bi-directional mind-brain-immune pathways through which emotion and inflammation are mutually influential using a wide range of tools for this purpose, including functional and structural neuroimaging.
Nader Sheibani, PhD
Project: “Ocular Vascular Changes as Potential Early Alzheimer’s Disease Biomarkers”
Dr. Nader Sheibani is a Professor in the Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences in the McPherson Eye Research Institute at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His research interests include molecular and cellular regulation of angiogenesis, cell biology of vascular cell adhesion molecules and diabetic retinopathy.
