Sarah Elzinga, PhD

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.