Karen H. Gylys, Ph.D., R.N.
Professor
About
School of Nursing at UCLA
Principal Investigator, Gylys Lab
UCLA School of Nursing
BOX 956919, 6-266B Factor
Los Angeles, CA 90095-6919
Tel: (310) 206-3840
Fax: (310) 206-3241
Email: kgylys@sonnet.ucla.edu
Specialty
Synaptic pathology in Alzheimer's disease
CSF and Blood Biomarkers in Alzheimer's disease
Affiliations
UCLA Graduate Programs in Bioscience (GPB)
Research Interests
My laboratory studies pathways leading to synapse loss in Alzheimer's. Many in the field hold the hypothesis that Alzheimer's disease begins in the synapse, and it's important to define the earliest molecular changes when there may be an opportunity for reversal. My lab has developed methods for flow cytometry analysis of synaptosomes, which are resealed nerve terminals obtained by homogenization of the brain in sucrose. We study postmortem human tissue from Alzheimer's and control patients, as well as transgenic mouse models of Alzheimer's disease. The main focus is the mechanism by which apolipoprotein E contributes to genetic risk for Alzheimer's.
Collaborative projects with the Mary S. Easton Center for Alzheimer's Research at UCLA are directed at finding CSF and blood biomarkers for early identification and monitoring of treatments in AD patients.