Neuroscientist Inspires Next Generation of Scholars at TouroCOM
Groundbreaking Researcher Dr. Gurjinder Kaur Studies Degenerative Brain Disorders Like Alzheimer's Disease and Down Syndrome
Dr. Gurjinder Kaur, Ph.D., is a distinguished neuroscientist, researcher and academic leader. Currently serving as the associate director of the master’s program and associate professor of physiology at Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine in Middletown, Dr. Kaur's dedication to both scientific discovery and student success has made her a cornerstone of the TouroCOM community.
Dr. Kaur earned her Ph.D. in neuroscience from Guru Nanak Dev University in Amritsar, India. Her dissertation explored opiates-neurotransmitter interactions in the hypothalamic control of gonadotropin release.
Before joining TouroCOM, Dr. Kaur spent over a decade as a research scientist at the Center for Cognitive Neurology at NYU Medical Center and the Center for Dementia Research at the Nathan S. Kline Institute. There, she cultivated her interest and investigations into the cellular and molecular underpinnings of the pathobiology of neurodegenerative brain disorders, with a particular focus on Alzheimer's disease, Down syndrome (DS), and intracellular vesicle trafficking.
Although the risk of major neurodegenerative diseases increases with age, the contribution of aging to these disease processes remains unknown. Cells can enter a state known as senescence upon unresolved DNA damage resulting from multiple stressors, oxidative stress, and excessive mitogenic signaling. Dr. Kaur’s goal is to fully elucidate the pathobiology of neurodegeneration to efficiently exploit the therapeutic targets.
Her excellence has been recognized through several awards. She was named Teacher of the Year at TouroCOM Middletown for the 2022–2023 academic year, a testament to her commitment to education. She is also the recipient of the Touro University Seed Grant for her research work. Her project explored the pharmacological attenuation of microglial NLRP3 inflammasome ameliorated amyloid pathology in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. Earlier, she secured an investigator-initiated research grant from the Alzheimer's Association as a principal investigator to study intracellular oligomeric Abeta and endosomal pathology in APPE693Q mice.
Currently, Dr. Kaur's research is focused on the compelling data from Down syndrome mouse models indicating cerebellar atrophy and cerebellum-associated abnormalities. Cerebellar ataxia in DS is a common cause of motor difficulties, stemming from reduced cerebellar volume, cerebellar hyperplasia, which impairs balance, coordination, and steady gait. Although most of the clinical research targets cognitive disabilities in DS individuals, there is a pressing need to clearly highlight the multifaceted nature of other DS brain abnormalities besides intellectual disabilities. Dr. Kaur and her team’s research project involves elucidating the complex role of mitochondrial dysfunction in cerebellar abnormalities in DS. The research is aimed at determining whether cerebellar neuronal loss and further dysfunction in DS brain are driven by mitochondrial pathology.
Dr. Kaur's role as a researcher and educator allows her to bring innovative knowledge into the classroom, inspiring the next generation of medical professionals and scientists.
