Kassandra Kisler, PhD

Dr. Kisler is the Assistant Director of the Optical Imaging Core at the Center for Neurodegeneration and Regeneration at the Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute. She received her PhD in applied physics from Cornell University where she used a combination of microscopy and electrophysiology techniques to study cell biology. Her interests lie in understanding the contribution of neurovascular dysfunction to dementia and related conditions, and developing therapeutic and preventative treatments for neurodegenerative diseases. She focuses on the application of in vivo imaging techniques to study vascular dynamics and the cells that regulate vascular function in the living brain. Vascular dysfunction and loss of blood-brain barrier (BBB) integrity occurs during Alzheimer’s disease progression and in several other neurological diseases, but the causes and consequences are not well understood. Dr. Kisler’s current work builds upon her experience to tackle important questions related to blood-brain barrier (BBB) integrity, vascular regulation and function, its relation to brain electrical activity, and the mechanisms underlying neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s using transgenic model animals and in vitro approaches. In this role, she also investigates the effects of highly validated Alzheimer’s disease risk genes APOE4 and PICALM on neurovascular and brain function using microscopy, traditional biochemical techniques and next-generation omics technologies.

• Cornell University, Ithaca, NY — PhD — Applied Physics
• UC Davis, Davis, CA — BAS — Applied Physics, Chemistry

• Neurovascular function
• Blood-brain barrier
• Alzheimer's disease
• Stroke
• Microscopy

• Zlokovic, Berislav
• Thompson, Paul
• Wang, Danny
• Toga, Arthur
• Aisen, Paul
• Nation, Daniel