University of California-San Diego · PharmacologyHook Lab
Vivian Y. H Hook · La Jolla, California
Research Focus
Dr. Vivian Y. H. Hook's lab at UC San Diego focuses on understanding the complex neuropeptide systems in the human brain, particularly how they are altered in Alzheimer’s disease. The research aims to identify specific neuropeptides and the enzymes that produce them, which can help explain synaptic dysfunction in Alzheimer’s. Insights from this work could lead to new biomarkers for Alzheimer's and potential therapeutic targets for treatment.
Alzheimer's Diseaseneuropeptidesneuropeptidomicsproteomicsbiomarkersbrain functioncognitive impairment
Research Aims
4AIM 01Elucidate normal human brain neuropeptidome signatures and biosynthetic proteases.
AIM 02Evaluate age-related production of human neuropeptides in induced neurons.
AIM 03Assess dysregulation of neuropeptidomes in Alzheimer’s and mild cognitive impairment brains compared to controls.
AIM 04Investigate the biological roles of dysregulated neuropeptides in neuronal function and health.
Skills the Lab Values
multi-omics analysisproteomicsmass spectrometrycell culturehuman induced neuronsneuropeptide extractionelectrophysiologydata analysis using computational biologyWestern blotexperimental design
Output against the department
Publications243top 34% of dept.158th of 462
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations9.0ktop 42% of dept.194th of 462
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.