Savannah Sims

PhD student

Organization:

West Virginia University School of Medicine

Department:

Microbiology, Immunology & Cell Biology

Classification:

Graduate Assistant

My primary research interest is to understand neuroimmune cellular and molecular mechanisms that are relevant to pathogenesis in neurological insult and disease. I developed these interests during my undergraduate career at West Virginia University in the Immunology and Medical Microbiology program. I currently work with Dr. Gordon Meares studying signaling pathways in glial cells that lead to inflammation in the Central Nervous System (CNS). Specifically, I study how the protein kinase Janus Kinase (JAK) 1 modulates gene expression in response to cellular stressors, such as Endoplasmic Reticulum stress. I hope to gain insight on how immunological processes are regulated in astrocytes to identify therapeutic targets for neurological and neurodegenerative diseases.

In addition to my research, I am an officer in the West Virginia University Science Policy Organization and serve as a West Virginia University Gold and Blue Ambassador. I am personally supported by a National Institutes of Health T32 Graduate Research Training Program: Stroke and its Co-morbidities.