Johns Hopkins University · NeuroscienceLaboratory for Muscle Health and Drug Delivery
Barbara Stauch Slusher · Baltimore, Maryland
Research Focus
Dr. Barbara Stauch Slusher's lab at Johns Hopkins University focuses on innovative ways to combat age-related muscle loss, known as sarcopenia. The research specifically investigates a targeted delivery system using dendrimers, which are nanoparticles that can deliver drugs effectively to the right cells, such as activated macrophages in aging muscles. By optimizing a potential treatment that inhibits a specific enzyme involved in muscle degradation, the lab aims to improve muscle function and quality of life for older adults.
sarcopeniadendrimersmacrophagesdrug deliveryneuromuscular junctionpharmacokineticsagingmuscle functionbiological assays
Research Aims
3AIM 01Synthesize and characterize generation 4 and generation 6 dendrimer-2PMPA conjugates.
AIM 02Assess dendrimer-2PMPA pharmacokinetics, target engagement, and biodistribution in aged mice.
AIM 03Evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of the selected dendrimer-2PMPA conjugate in aged mice.
Skills the Lab Values
synthesis of dendrimersanimal modelspharmacokinetics assessmentelectrophysiology techniquesbehavioral testinghistological analysisdrug characterizationtarget engagement studiesclinical trial design
Output against the department
Publications588top 9% of dept.61st of 671
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations21ktop 20% of dept.134th 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.