University of Colorado Boulder · NeuroscienceBubak Lab
Andrew N Bubak · Boulder, Colorado
Research Focus
Dr. Andrew Bubak's lab focuses on understanding how a virus linked to chickenpox and shingles, called the varicella zoster virus (VZV), may increase the risk of vascular dementia by causing inflammation and damage to blood vessels. They study the role of tiny vesicles called exosomes, which carry inflammatory proteins and persist in the body long after shingles symptoms have disappeared. This research may lead to new treatments and vaccines to reduce dementia risk associated with this virus.
Vascular dementiaHerpes zosterVaricella zoster virusExosomesVasculitisThrombosisInflammationNeurodegenerationCerebrovascular diseaseViral infections
Research Aims
2AIM 01Analyze exosome content from patients with herpes zoster to identify vascular damaging proteins and miRNAs over a year.
AIM 02Determine the mechanisms by which exosomes from herpes zoster promote vascular dysfunction.
Skills the Lab Values
Exosome isolationProtein analysisDisease modelingCell cultureFlow cytometryRNA extraction and analysisBiomarker discoveryMass spectrometryMicroscopyData analysis
Output against the department
Publications61bottom 15% of dept.572nd of 671
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations982bottom 5% of dept.636th 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.