Lance A. Johnson, PhD

Research in our lab is dedicated to understanding the role of the Alzheimer's disease risk factor Apolipoprotein E (APOE) in cerebral metabolism.  With a special focus on glia and their contributions to neurodegeneration, we employ a variety of transcriptomic and metabolomic approaches (from cells to mice to humans) in order to identify early-life changes in metabolism associated with APOE.  Our lab's overarching goal is to discover new therapeutic targets that will allow us to reprogram metabolism in individuals at-risk for Alzheimer's disease in order to enhance cognitive resilience and to extend the brain’s health span.