Harris Blankenship, a PhD candidate in Physiology at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center (OUHSC), is making waves in the scientific community with a groundbreaking publication in Nature Communications. His research sheds new light on early neuropsychiatric symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), offering potential for innovative treatments.

While memory loss often defines AD in the public mind, many patients experience neuropsychiatric disorders like depression long before cognitive decline sets in. These symptoms arise from dysfunction in brain regions not typically associated with Alzheimer’s—specifically, dopamine-releasing neurons in the ventral midbrain.

Harris’s study revealed that these neurons in an AD model are intrinsically hyperexcitable. Remarkably, their normal function could be restored by targeting a protein called casein kinase 2. This discovery opens the door to exploring new treatments for nontraditional AD symptoms, potentially transforming early-stage care for millions of patients.

“This work was a culmination of roughly three and a half years of research and sums up the first chapter of my dissertation,” Harris shared. “The preliminary data generated for this project in Dr. Mike Beckstead’s lab was my main motivation for applying to the OU Health Sciences Graduate College. To see the work come together and published in Nature Communications is truly an honor.”

Harris’s achievement underscores the caliber of research taking place at OUHSC, where students like him are tackling some of the most pressing challenges in healthcare.

Read Harris’s article in Nature Communications here.

Stay tuned for more exciting breakthroughs from our talented Graduate College community!