Kevin Hascup Lab

This neurobiology of aging and Alzheimer’s disease lab is focused on understanding the biological mechanisms associated with successful aging to provide preventive strategies or therapeutic interventions to ameliorate cognitive decline.

    Overview

    Our laboratory takes a geroscience approach to understanding biological processes that contribute to the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease. The long-term goals of our laboratory are to:

    1. identify nonpharmacological interventions that target insulin and glutamate signaling pathways that prevent or alleviate cognitive decline and
    2. elucidate their mechanisms of action in order to identify pharmacological targets for treating Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.

    To address these goals, our laboratory has several ongoing research interests examining the contribution of body temperature, glutamatergic neurotransmission, and glucose homeostasis on cognitive decline in mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease as well as extended longevity. These parameters are assessed by using innovative whole animal and molecular biological techniques to measure in vivo neurotransmitter dynamics, cognitive performance, and metabolism.

    Current projects

    •    Neurotransmitter dysregulation in AD (NIH R01 AG057767)
    •    Cell senescence in aging and AD (NIH R01 AG061937)
    •    COVID-19 Infection on AD (NIH R01 AG061937-S3)
    •    Core body temperature on AD pathogenesis
    •    Model organism development for AD, aging, and COVID-19
    •    Cell senescence in epilepsy

     

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    Grant funding

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    Smith Alzheimer's Center

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    News

    Alz

    Senolytic treatment improves cognition in female Alzheimer’s mice

    Nearly two-thirds of the approximately 7 million people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in the United States are women. There are several theories as to why it affects them more, but the question is far from answered.
    McFadden

    Fund established in McFadden’s honor to further dementia research

    Sam McFadden’s curiosity and passion for studying neurodegenerative diseases will live on through the recently established Samuel A. McFadden Aging and Neurodegenerative Disease Research Fund
    Kevin Hascup

    Hascup Lab, SIUC collaboration to explore new path for Alzheimer’s therapy

    A collaboration between neuroscience and engineering will explore a novel approach in reducing formation of plaques commonly found in those with Alzheimer’s. Kevin Hascup, PhD, of the Smith Alzheimer

    Publications

    Cognitive function among military veterans with STEM occupations
    Sexual dimorphic metabolic and cognitive responses to Fisetin or Dasatinib and …
    Resistance to mild cold stress is greater in both wild-type and long-lived GHR-…
    Friend or Foe? Defining the Role of Glutamate in Aging and Alzheimer’s Disease
    Full list of publications

    Lab Team

    Lab Collaborators

    Past Lab Team Members

    • Lindsay Alewelt
    • Matthew Cleveland, MD
    • MaKayla Cox
    • Nahayo Esperant-Hilaire, MD        
    • Tracy Evans, PhD
    • Caleigh Findley, PhD
    • Patrick Fitzgerald, MD
    • Thomas Johnston
    • Nadeem Khan, MD
    • Abigail Levy, MD
    • Erik Lokaitis
    • Neha Mokhasi
    • Oladele Owasoyo, PhD
    • Sujata Pandey
    • Collin Pauly
    • Teonna Piphus
    • Hannah Roberts
    • Lindsey Sime
    • Ernesto Solis, Jr., PhD
    • Aaron Sul, MD
    • Farah Tamizuddin, MD
    • Darrow Traylor
    • Niyant Vora
    • Bradley Vost, MD

    Team photos