Johns Hopkins University · NeuroscienceMicroglial Dynamics in Parkinson's Unit
Kelly Alexander Mills · Baltimore, Maryland
Research Focus
Dr. Kelly Alexander Mills's lab at Johns Hopkins University focuses on understanding the role of microglia, the brain's immune cells, in Parkinson's disease. The research aims to explore how microglial activation affects cognitive and motor functions in patients, particularly in those with varying degrees of disease severity. By developing and using specialized imaging techniques, the lab seeks to correlate microglial activity with cognitive decline and other pathological biomarkers, which may lead to new treatment strategies for Parkinson's disease.
microgliaParkinson's diseasecognitive impairmentmotor dysfunctionneuroimagingbiomarkersimmune responseclinical trialsinflammation
Research Aims
3AIM 01Investigate the relationship between microglial activation and cognitive impairment in Parkinson's disease.
AIM 02Assess if microglial binding correlates with markers of immune function in Parkinson's disease patients.
AIM 03Explore the correlation between microglial activity and levels of neurodegenerative biomarkers in blood and brain tissue.
Skills the Lab Values
PET imagingflow cytometryRNA sequencingneurodegenration biomarkersmouse modelsdata analysisimmunohistochemistrycell culturebehavioral assays
Output against the department
Publications117bottom 41% of dept.394th of 671
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations1.3kbottom 7% of dept.627th 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.