University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill · PhysiologyCohen Lab
Sarah Cohen · Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Research Focus
Dr. Sarah Cohen's lab at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill investigates the role of a specific protein, apolipoprotein E (APOE), in brain cells related to Alzheimer's disease. The lab focuses on how APOE affects fat metabolism in brain cells called astrocytes and microglia, and how this relates to the risk of developing Alzheimer's, particularly for individuals carrying the APOE4 gene. By understanding these mechanisms, the research aims to uncover potential new targets for treating Alzheimer's disease.
Alzheimer's diseaseAPOElipid metabolismastrocytesmicroglianeurodegenerationinflammationlipid dropletsgenetic risk factors
Research Aims
3AIM 01Investigate how altering APOE levels in astrocytes affects lipid composition and metabolism.
AIM 02Examine the impact of modulating APOE in microglia on their lipid metabolism and inflammatory responses.
AIM 03Create a resource to visualize and quantify lipid droplets across various brain regions and cell types in mouse models.
Skills the Lab Values
cell culturemicroscopyfluorescence-activated cell sortingin vivo modelslipid analysisgene editing (CRISPR)Western blotRNA extractiondata visualization
Output against the department
Publications176top 38% of dept.109th of 286
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations5.3kbottom 44% of dept.159th of 286
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.