Dr. Michael A. Johnson's lab at the University of Kansas focuses on the role of zinc in neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. They develop advanced analytical methods to study how zinc interacts with neurotransmitters in the brain, specifically looking at how disruptions in zinc signaling can impair cognitive function. By using zebrafish as a model organism, they aim to create new insights that could help in developing therapies targeting these diseases.

Dr. Steven Allan Soper's lab focuses on developing rapid diagnostic tools for stroke using markers found in blood. By analyzing RNA from extracellular vesicles in blood samples, the lab aims to create a test that can diagnose acute strokes within 31 minutes. This innovative approach hopes to significantly improve timely treatment rates for stroke patients, which are currently very low due to diagnostic limitations.