Lulu Jiang (front left) and her lab team on outing at Humpback Rocks.
Lulu Jiang, MD, PhD, an assistant professor in the Department of Neuroscience at UVA School of Medicine, was awarded a $3.6 million R01 grant from the National Institute on Aging for her project titled “Epitranscriptomic Mechanism in the Pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s Disease.”
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder affecting over 6 million people in the U.S. and millions more worldwide. The disease is marked by the accumulation of tau protein aggregates and amyloid plaques in the brain. However, the precise mechanisms by which tau aggregation contributes to neuronal dysfunction and cognitive decline remain unclear.
Dr. Jiang’s project will investigate a novel aspect of AD biology: the role of RNA modifications in disease progression. Recent findings from her research show that tau aggregation is associated with increased levels of m6A-modified RNA, which disrupts protein translation and contributes to neuronal dysfunction. Her study aims to uncover how dysregulated RNA modifications drive AD pathogenesis and evaluate potential therapeutic strategies. If successful, this work could provide transformative insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying AD and inform the development of novel RNA-targeted therapies.
“This funding will allow us to uncover new layers of complexity in gene regulation related to Alzheimer’s disease, with the ultimate goal of identifying innovative approaches for treatment. I’m deeply grateful for the support of my collaborators and the NIH/NIA,” stated Dr. Jiang.
Collaborators on this project include Kate Meyer, PhD, from Duke University’s Department of Biochemistry.
Filed Under: Research