University of Pennsylvania · NeuroscienceCognitive Health and Disease Lab
Alice S Chen-Plotkin · Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Research Focus
Dr. Alice S Chen-Plotkin's research focuses on understanding the differences in cognitive outcomes among patients with Lewy body diseases, which include Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. By studying the role of a protein called alpha-synuclein and its interactions with other disease markers, her lab aims to identify why some patients experience significant cognitive decline while others do not. The ultimate goal is to uncover new therapeutic targets to help manage or prevent these debilitating diseases.
Lewy body diseasealpha-synucleindementiacognitive declinebiomarkersParkinson's diseaseAlzheimer's disease
Research Aims
4AIM 01Investigate the contribution of host characteristics to cognitive heterogeneity in Lewy body diseases.
AIM 02Study the role of alpha-synuclein species in cognitive decline among patients.
AIM 03Characterize interactions between alpha-synuclein, amyloid plaques, and tau proteins.
AIM 04Assess genetic factors that influence disease progression and cognitive outcomes.
Skills the Lab Values
cell cultureCRISPR/Cas9immunohistochemistryprotein analysisgenomic screeningbiomarker identificationmouse modelsmass spectrometryreal-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC)
Output against the department
Publications242top 30% of dept.201st of 671
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations21ktop 19% of dept.130th 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.