Diabetes and obesity injure the brain and peripheral nerves
Dr. Sarah Elzinga’s goal is to understand how immune system pathways respond to damage at the cellular level to promote inflammation and injure the nervous system, and she is utilizing multiple models to examine nervous system injury and cognitive decline. One model includes a novel 3D culture system, developed in collaboration with the University of Michigan’s bioengineering department, that is increasing our understanding of how the different cell types in the nervous system interact. Additionally, work in other model systems has begun to uncover the underlying mechanisms and present possible treatment options for brain and nerve injury secondary to diabetes and obesity.
Credentials
- BS, Equine Science, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, 2005
- MS, Animal Science, Michigan State University, 2011
- PhD, Veterinary Science/Immunology & Endocrinology, University of Kentucky, 2017
Honors & Awards
- Michigan Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s Early Career Investigator Mentorship Program
- T32 trainee, University of Michigan National Institutes of Health Multidisciplinary Postdoctoral Training Program in Basic Diabetes Research and Endocrinology Fellowship Training Program
- Biointerface Institute Challenge Grant
- Young Investigator Award, American Quarter Horse Association Foundation
- External review committee member, Gluck Center for Equine Research
Top Publications
Kim B., Elzinga S.*, et al. “The effects of insulin and insulin-like growth factor I on amyloid precursor protein phosphorylation in vitro and in vivo models of Alzheimer's disease” Neurobiology of disease 132 (2019):104541.
*co-first authorship
Elzinga, Sarah E.*, et al. "Sex differences in insulin resistance but not peripheral neuropathy in a diet-induced prediabetes mouse model." Disease models & mechanisms 14.4 (2021).
*co-first authorship
Elzinga, Sarah E.*, et al. "Sex differences in insulin resistance but not peripheral neuropathy in a diet-induced prediabetes mouse model." Disease models & mechanisms 14.4 (2021).
*co-first authorship
Guo K., Eid S.A., Elzinga S.,* Pacut C., Feldman E.L., Hur J. “Genome-Wide Profiling of DNA Methylation and Gene Expression Identifies Candidate Genes for Human Diabetic Neuropathy.” Clinical Epigenetics 12 no. 1 (2020):1-16.
*co-first authorship.
Guo K., Elzinga S.,* Eid S., et al. “Genome-wide DNA methylation profiling of human diabetic peripheral neuropathy in subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus” Epigenetics 14.8 (2019):766-779.
*co-first authorship
Elzinga News
Announcing the Edith Briskin Emerging Scholar
Edith Briskin has established an emerging scholarship and introduced Sarah Elzinga, Ph.D., as the inaugural Edith Briskin Emerging Scholar at the NeuroNetwork for Emerging Therapies.
DMM: 3 Publications Included in 100 Years of Insulin Celebration
It has been 100 years since the discovery of insulin. To celebrate this centenary, Disease Models & Mechanisms explores ongoing research in diabetes, including three publications from Drs. Eva Feldman, Stephanie Eid, Sarah Elzinga, and former lab member Dr. Phillip O'Brien.
Kim & Elzinga Find New Connection Between Obesity & Insulin-resistance to Alzheimer’s Disease
Drs. Kim and Elzinga report that proteins in the brain known to promote Alzheimer’s disease are significantly increased in response to eating a high fat diet and becoming obese.
Press: DMM First Person with Sarah Elzinga, PhD
Disease Models & Mechanisms selected Sarah Elzinga for a special Q&A about her recently published paper about the sex differences in insulin resistance, but not peripheral neuropathy in diet-induced prediabetes animal models