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Dr. Constanza J. Cortes (PI)
Dr. Constanza Cortes
Assistant Professor (cjcortes [at] uab.edu)
Education and Training
Research Assistant Professor
Duke University Department of Neurology
Duke Center for Neurodegeneration and Neurotherapeutics
Senior Fellow, Duke Aging Center
Postdoctoral Fellow
University of California San Diego
Department of Pediatrics
Mentor: Dr. Albert R. La Spada
Ph.D. in Cellular and Molecular Physiology
University of Chicago
Mentor: Dr. James A. Mastrianni
About Connie
I am interested in understanding how our brain ages, using animal models to understand the cellular and molecular changes in the aging brain. This is particularly fascinating as age is the most common risk factors for many neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease. If we can identify pathways that modulate aging of the central nervous system, we may be able to develop therapies for Alzheimer’s disease and help our brain heal itself.
I am really keen to share the excitement of scientific discovery with other people. Other scientists, my trainees, and the public! Training junior investigators is a large part of what I do, and I am particularly interested in breaking down barriers to enhance diversity and improve the representation of minorities in science. As such, good mentoring of students and postdocs is a personal goal of mine, and I enjoy training and supporting upcoming generations of scientists very much.
