University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus · NeuroscienceChoroid Plexus Research Lab
Dandan Sun · Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Research Focus
Dr. Dandan Sun's lab at the University of Pittsburgh focuses on understanding the role of the choroid plexus in brain health, especially in relation to Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia. The lab studies how the blood-cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) barrier can become dysfunctional, allowing harmful immune cells into the brain, which may contribute to cognitive decline. By investigating the mechanisms behind these changes, the lab aims to identify potential new therapies for treating these conditions.
Alzheimer's diseasevascular dementiablood-CSF barrierchoroid plexusneuroinflammation
Research Aims
3AIM 01Investigate whether BCAS causes disruption of the ChP epithelial cytoarchitecture and polarity.
AIM 02Investigate whether SPAK- and NF-KB-dependent transcriptome changes drive dysregulation of the ChP epithelial cytoarchitecture and polarity.
AIM 03Determine whether BCAS alters the ChP volume and CSF secretion.
Skills the Lab Values
mouse modelsimmunoblot analysismagnetic resonance imagingtransmission electron microscopycell culture
Output against the department
Publications253top 28% of dept.190th of 671
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations10ktop 39% of dept.265th of 671
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.