2022 - Walk to End Alzheimer's

Thank you to everyone who attended the 2022 Walk to End Alzheimer’s walk at the Summerlin Ballpark!

Kimberly Hernandez - Nevada INBRE Poster Symposium

[July, 2022] Congratulations to Kimberly Hernandez on presenting her research poster titled “Examining Neuroinflammation Severity in the Hippocampus of a Chronic Hyperglycemic Mouse Model Related to Alzheimer's Disease” for Nevada INBRE. The Nevada INBRE program offers a research stipend to undergraduate students to conduct a research program over the summer to gain research experience. Congratulations Kim!

Isabella Romero Yusti - Office of Undergraduate Research Summer Research Fellowship (SURF):

[2022] - Congratulations to Isabella Yusti on winning the Office of Undergraduate Research Summer Research Fellowship (SURF) ($1500)!

Similarly to her previous award (CAEO), SURF allows UNLV undergraduate students enrolled during the spring semester with a declared major who are working with a full-time NSHE faculty research mentor are eligible for consideration. At the time of award disbursement, the applicant must be a current undergraduate student at UNLV. At the end of the program, Isabella willwrite a paper and present it at the Fall UNLV Symposium. Congratulations!

Isabella Romero Yusti - CAEO Summer Research Institute (SRI):

[2022] - Congratulations to Isabella Yusti on winning the Center for Academic Enrichment and Outreach (CAEO) award ($4500)!

CAOE offers undergraduate students in UNLV’s the opportunity to conduct research under the guidance of mentors from the UNLV faculty. Through the Spring Semester Research Experience (SSRE) and Summer Research Institute (SRI), these students receive hands-on training in the use of investigatory methods specific to their disciplines; develop and hone critical thinking, academic writing, and oral presentation skills; and make connections with researcher practitioners at UNLV, other colleges and universities, and other entities. Consequently, participation in SSRE and SRI helps students prepare for success in graduate studies and in careers related to their academic fields. Congratulations Isabella!

Andrew Ortiz - UNLV Foundation Board of Trustees Graduate Fellowship

[2022-2024] - Congratulations to Andrew Ortiz on receiving the UNLV Foundation Board of Trustees Graduate Fellowship ($66,000)!

This award is the most prestigious fellowship awarded by UNLV. This highly competitive university-wide fellowship is granted to one UNLV doctoral student in their final two years of their dissertation research. Finalists undergo a vigorous review process, and an in-person interview with a committee panel of UNLV faculty. The stipend includes $66,000 stipend, $33,000per academic year, for two years, including full tuition remission, and student health insurance. The fellowship is awarded to students who are conducting rigorous and important research, while maintaining excellence in merits. Congratulations Andrew!

Andrew Ortiz - The UNLV Summer Doctoral Research Fellowship

[2022] - Congratulations to Andrew Ortiz on winning the The Summer Doctoral Research Fellowship ($7000)!

The UNLV Summer Doctoral Research Fellowship will be awarded to outstanding doctoral students who have demonstrated excellence in their fields of study and who will reduce their time to degree through summer support. This fellowship will be awarded to doctoral students during summer 2022 based on a competitive application process. This UNLV fellowship will cover summer 2022 tuition and fees and provide a stipend. Fellowship recipients will receive a 100% waiver of out-of-state tuition during the fellowship period, if applicable. Congratulations Andrew!

Amanda Osse - UNLV Summer Session Scholarship

2022 - Congratulations to Amanda Osse for winning the Summer Session Scholarship ($2000)!

The Summer Session Scholarships are designed to enable summer study for doctoral students, however excellent master's and specialist students may be considered. This funding helps supplement Amanda’s summer research on sex differences, in relation to Alzheimer’s disease, in several preclinical projects Congratulations Amanda!

Publication - Alzheimer's Disease Drug Development Research and Development Ecosystem

[April, 2022] Congratulations to Dr. Jeffrey Cummings, Dr. Jefferson Kinney, Dr. Howard Fillit, Amanda-Leisgang Osse, and several other authors, on publishing a book titled “Alzheimer's Disease Drug Development!”

This publication provides a definitive overview of the complex ecosystem facilitating Alzheimer's Disease drug research and development, demonstrating a drug's journey from in the lab, clinical trial testing, regulatory review, and marketing by pharmaceutical companies. It also includes details about the use of artificial intelligence, clinical trial management, and financing models. Congratulations!!

Kimberly Hernandez - Nevada INBRE Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program Summer Award

[March, 2022] Congratulations to Kimberly Hernandez for being 1 of 15 Nevada undergraduate students to be selected for the Nevada INBRE Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program Award ($7,200).

The Nevada INBRE program offers a $7200.00 research stipend to undergraduate students to conduct a research program over the summer to gain research experience. Kimberly will work alongside Andrew on investigating immune/metabolic cells in the brain in preclinical diabetic model. Congratulations Kimberly!

Publication - Diabetes: Risk factor and translational therapeutic implications for Alzheimer’s disease

[Feb, 2022] Congratulations on Dr Jeffrey Cummings, Dr. Jefferson Kinney, and Andrew Ortiz, on a special issue review paper titled “Diabetes: Risk factor and translational therapeutic implications for Alzheimer’s disease.” This publication focuses on current research highlighting how diabetes mechanistically confers a significant increased risk in developing Alzheimer’s disease in both preclinical and clinical studies. Furthermore, it contains diabetic agents that are currently being utilize in clinical trails. Congratulations!!

Nevada Senators & UNLV President visit the lab!

Thank you Senator Cortez Masto, Senator Jacky Rosen, and UNLV president Keith Whitfield for visiting our laboratory! We hope you enjoyed your visit!

“It was great to tour @UNLV ’s brain health lab with @SenJackyRosen to discuss the important research they’re doing on brain disorders, from traumatic brain injuries to Alzheimer’s. This state-of-the-art facility is doing incredible work that will make life better for all Nevadans.” - Senator Cortez

Crystal Pineda - LSAMP [Spring 2022]

Congratulations to Crystal Pineda on being accepted to the Spring 2022 LSAMP Program! The Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP) is a federal program funded through the National Science Foundation (NSF). The purpose of LSAMP is to increase the quantity and quality of students successfully completing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) baccalaureate degree programs. They gain near-peer mentoring that pairs juniors and seniors with STEM graduate students, Extracurricular STEM-enrichment activities for participants at CSN and CCC, Paid undergraduate research opportunities for UNLV and NAU juniors and seniors, and STEM industry internships and job-shadowing opportunities for UNLV and NAU juniors and seniors. Crystal will be working alongside Andrew Ortiz on investigating the effects of diabetes-induced phosphorylation/dephosphorylation in Alzheimer’s disease. Congratulations Crystal!

Jevons Wang - ANAAPISI [Spring 2022]

Congratulations to Jevons Wang for being accepted into the Spring 2022 ANAAPISI Program! AANAPISI targets low-income/first-generation Asian Americans, Native American Pacific Islanders, and other low-income individuals with an academic need. The program helps in Textbook Lending Library, Scholarship Opportunities, Paid Undergraduate Research Experience, Faculty Mentoring, Paid Conference Travel, Academic Coaching/Counseling, One-on-one tutoring sessions, Priority Registration and Graduate/Professional School Counseling. Jevons will be working alongside Andrew Ortiz on investigating how different diabetic severity states impact Alzheimer’s disease pathology. Congratulations Jevons!

Kimberly Hernandez - [McNair Scholar Program - 2022]

Congratulations to Kimberly Hernandez on being accepted to the UNLV 2022 McNair Program! The McNair program is a nationally recognized association that helps prepare underrepresented undergraduate students with resources to pursue doctoral studies. The program helps assist students with: graduate school applications, The program helps in Textbook Lending Library, Scholarship Opportunities, Paid Undergraduate Research Experience, Faculty Mentoring, Paid Conference Travel, Academic Coaching/Counseling, One-on-one tutoring sessions, Priority Registration, GRE training, and Graduate/Professional School Counseling. Kim will be working alongside Andrew Ortiz on investigating diabetes and how it impacts the immune response in the brain. Congratulations Kim!

Publication - Nevada exploratory Alzheimer’s disease research center: Advancing dementia care in rural communities

2022 [January] - Congratulations to faculty in the Department of Brain Health: Dr. Jefferson Kinney, Dr. Jeffrey Cummings, and Dr. Samantha John, on a new publication in The Journal Of The Alzheimer’s Association [Alzheimer’s & Dementia] titled: Nevada exploratory Alzheimer’s disease research center: Advancing dementia care in rural communities.

Abstract: People with MCI and AD living in rural areas represent an understudied and underserved population in the broader AD landscape. Very little works have been done on rural cohorts by NIA-designated Alzheimer’s Disease Research Centers (ADRCs) in the past. The Nevada Exploratory ADRC (NVeADRC) is specifically set to study AD and related dementias in rural individuals and to systematically generate novel data on the clinical features of AD, clinical outcomes, and social determinants of health.

Andrew Ortiz & Amanda Leisgang-Osse - UNLV Student Spotlight!

Congratulations to Andrew Ortiz and Amanda Leisgang-Osse on being featured on the UNLV Student Spotlight! This interview-article highlights graduate student research at UNLV.

Sky Ferguson - Research Poster Presentation (2021 National AISES Conference)

2021 (October) - Congratulations to Sky Ferguson, on presenting her research poster titled “Evaluation of a Novel Mouse Model With The Loss of GABA B Receptors” at the 2021 AISES National Conference in Phoenix, AZ! The Annual AISES National Conference is a unique, three-day event focusing on educational, professional, and workforce development for Indigenous peoples of North America and the Pacific Islands in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) studies and careers. Congratulations!

Publication - Altered theta rhythm and hippocampal-cortical interactions underlie working memory deficits in a hyperglycemia risk factor model of Alzheimer’s disease

2021 [September] - Congratulations to Dr. Jefferson Kinney and Andrew Ortiz, in collaboration with Dr. James Hyman in vivo electrophysiology laboratory, on a new publication in Nature Communication Biology titled: “Altered theta rhythm and hippocampal-cortical interactions underlie working memory deficits in a hyperglycemia risk factor model of Alzheimer’s disease.” This study investigated the effects of diabetes (i.e., chronic hyperglycemia) on hippocampal network activity. Congratulations!

Andrew Ortiz — Alzheimer's Association International Conference

Andrew Ortiz presented at the 2021 Alzheimer’s Association International Conference on his project titled “Examining the effects of a blood glucose rescue on Alzheimer’s disease-related pathology, in young vs. aged hyperglycemic mice.”

Dr. Kinney - Interview on Brain Health

Dr. Kinney interview regarding the Department of Brain Health!