Meredith D. Hartley
- Research Project Leader
- Assistant Professor, Chemistry
Contact Info
Lawrence
Lawrence, KS 66045
Personal Links
Biography —
Meredith D. Hartley, an Assistant Professor of Chemistry, leads the research project "Estrogen Regulation of Cholesterol Metabolism During Myelin Damage and Repair" as part of the BD-WH initiative. This project investigates the impact of estrogen on central nervous system (CNS) lipids and its role in promoting myelin repair. It specifically examines cholesterol metabolism dynamics in the processes of demyelination and remyelination. The study aims to shed light on estrogen's influence on brain health, particularly relevant due to higher rates and severity of neurological diseases like multiple sclerosis observed in women post-menopause.
Education —
Research —
Myelination in the central nervous system
The research in the Hartley laboratory focuses on myelin, which is the protective insulation that wraps around neurons and acts as an insulator to increase the efficiency of neuronal signaling. Myelin is critical for a healthy central nervous system, and damage to myelin (or demyelination) occurs in neurological diseases like multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer’s disease. Our laboratory studies how the central nervous system (CNS) repairs myelin after damage to identify new pathways that could be targeted for therapeutic development. We have two main areas of interest within this field: (1) lipids are a major component of myelin and our goal is to define how lipids are regulated during myelin damage and repair, and (2) thyroid hormone and estrogen can induce remyelination and our goal is to identify specific pathways that mediate the hormone action during remyelination.
Selected Publications —
De Silva Mohotti, N., Kobayashi, H., Williams, J.M., Binjawadagi, R., Evertsen, M.P., Christ, E.G., and Hartley, M.D. Lipidomic Analysis Reveals Differences in the Extent of Remyelination in the Brain and Spinal Cord. J. Proteome Res. 2023, XXXX, XXX, XXX-XXX. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jproteome.3c00443
Hartley, M.D., et al., Pharmacological Complementation Remedies an Inborn Error of Lipid Metabolism. Cell Chemical Biology, 2020. 27(5): p. 551-+.
Awards & Honors —
Sutton Family Research Impact Award, 2023
American Thyroid Association Early Career Research Grant, 2020-2022
OHSU Postdoctoral Paper of the Year Award, 2019
National Multiple Sclerosis Society Postdoctoral Fellow, 2015-2018
American Chemical Society Predoctoral Fellowship in Medicinal Chemistry, 2008-2009