The Elzinga lab at MSU
Brain health and aging
The Elzinga Lab is working to understand how inflammation and the immune system promote cognitive impairment and dementia as we age, particularly in people with obesity, prediabetes, and diabetes.
the Elzinga lab at msu
THE PEOPLE
Meet the people that do the work!
Lab PI
Dr. Elzinga first became interested in research due to her love of horses and had her first research experience at MSU learning about equine nutrition. She is passionate about building our understanding of how the brain works and how we can use that understanding to better treat diseases.
Alyssa May
Research Assistant
Alyssa May developed a strong passion for research, driven by her interest in swine and agricultural sciences. She gained valuable research experience at the University of Missouri, where she focused on hematopoiesis and the development of the immune system in swine during gestation and the post-gestational timepoints. Her master’s thesis, titled A Cell Atlas of Swine Immune System Development, utilized single cell sequencing and flow cytometry techniques. This experience deepened Alyssa’s understanding of the immune system and the cellular mechanisms within the body. She is now eager to further expand her knowledge and explore the roles of cellular processes in cognitive dysfunction.
Marshall VanNess
Research Assistant
Marshall VanNess developed an interest in research during his undergraduate studies, where he was mentored by his biology professor. He gained his first research experience at Morehouse College, studying cytotoxicity in advanced prostate cancer cells under the guidance of a graduate student. This experience sparked his passion for scientific inquiry, which he continued to pursue during a post-baccalaureate opportunity at the Allen Institute, where he studied electrophysiology and spatial transcriptomics. Marshall is particularly interested in exploring how lifestyle factors impact immune function and brain health, with a focus on identifying ways to reduce factors that predispose individuals to neurological diseases.
Contact the Lab:
766 Service Rd
East Lansing MI, 48823
[email protected]
the Elzinga lab at MSU
collaborators
Science is a team sport! The Elzinga Lab collaborates with multiple labs, including several labs at the University of Michigan, the University of North Dakota, and multiple labs at Michigan State University-including faculty within the Department of Physiology. Frequent collaborators are featured below!
Drs. Sarah Elzinga and Eva Feldman
Dr. Junguk Hur
Drs. Sarah Elzinga and Evan Reynolds
Dr. Kai Guo
The elzinga lab at MSU
the science
The Elzinga Lab has 3 main projects:
1. Understand the role of a specific inflammatory pathway (cGAS/STING) in the brain during aging in models of obesity, prediabetes, and diabetes.
2. Learn how cells in the brain communicate using inflammatory signals and how that might be causing additional damage to the brain.
3. Uncover how different systems, particularly the brain and other organs, are communicating during aging and with cognitive impairment.
The elzinga lab at MSU
publications and funding
Recent highlighted publications and links to full ORCHID and NCBI lists:
The majority of the lab's funding comes through national grant applications.
Current funding sources or agencies are highlighted below.
