The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston · NeuroscienceFracassi Microglia Lab
Anna Fracassi · Galveston, Texas
Research Focus
Dr. Anna Fracassi's lab at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston focuses on understanding the complex relationship between microglia and tau proteins in Alzheimer's disease. They are particularly interested in how certain brain-derived tau oligomers can promote cognitive resilience in individuals who show signs of Alzheimer's pathology but remain cognitively intact. By investigating the unique characteristics of these oligomers and the role of microglia, they aim to uncover novel therapeutic targets to combat this devastating disease.
Alzheimer's diseasetau oligomerscognitive resiliencemicroglianeuroinflammation
Research Aims
4AIM 01Explore how tau oligomers from resilient individuals differ from those associated with Alzheimer's disease.
AIM 02Investigate the effects of TREM2-activating antibodies on microglial response to tau oligomers.
AIM 03Identify specific microglial phenotypes linked to resilience against neurodegeneration.
AIM 04Characterize the transcriptome signatures of microglia activated by resilient tau oligomers.
Skills the Lab Values
confocal microscopyelectrophysiologycell cultureWestern blotRNA sequencing
Output against the department
Publications48bottom 10% of dept.603rd of 671
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations3.4kbottom 26% of dept.495th 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.