The Neurobiology of Aging Research Labs at TCU
The Neurobiology of Aging labs are under the direction of Drs. Michael Chumley and Gary Boehm. Our primary mission is to unravel the connection between the immune system and the nervous system. More specifically, we focus on the interconnection between the immune system and the brain during aging. One of our primary areas of interest is how inflammation affects the onset and progression of Alzheimer's disease, including the cellular and molecular changes linked to behavioral and cognitive alterations.
Michael J. Chumley, PhD
PhD: Microbiology and Immunology
University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, 2000 MS: Exercise Physiology University of Wyoming, 1994 BS: Education University of Wyoming, 1987 Biography
I was born in Nebraska and raised in Nebraska and the mountains of Wyoming. My father was a high school teacher, coach, and administrator and so it is not surprising that I followed in his footsteps. I have a BS in Education from the University of Wyoming. I taught biology, chemistry, AP chemistry, and physics and was a head wrestling coach and assisted in several other sports. I returned to the University of Wyoming and obtained an MS in Exercise Physiology in 1994, after doing the majority of my research at the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. After a short stint at "The" Ohio State University, I moved back to Denver, Colorado. I received a PhD in Microbiology and Immunology from the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in 2000, under the mentorship of Drs. David Nemazee and John Cambier. I continued doing postdoctoral research with John Cambier for about a year, before transferring to the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Kansas, with Dr. Rick Dobrowsky and then in Developmental Biology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas with Dr. Mark Henkemeyer. After several years of "bench top" research, I realized that I missed teaching. So, in 2008, I joined the faculty at Texas Christian University. Since arriving at TCU, I have mentored over 80 undergraduate students and nearly 20 graduate students in research. Most of these students have been jointly mentored with Dr. Boehm as part of our Neurobiology of Aging group. I have taught a number of courses while at TCU, including lectures in Introductory Biology, Cell and Molecular Biology, and Immunobiology of Disease, and have been the instructor of record in Mammalian Physiology, Immunology, and Neurobiology of Aging (which is team taught with Dr. Boehm). I have been honored with a number of awards while at TCU, including several Mortar Board Preferred Professor honors, a number of TCU Senior Class Legacy honors, the John V. Roach Honors College Professor of the Year award, and the Wassenich Award for Mentoring in the TCU Community. When I can find spare time, I like to play golf, attend the theater, and dabble in photography. You can see some of my work at www.mjchumleyphotos.com/
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Gary Boehm, PhDPhD: Behavioral Neuroscience
University of Connecticut, 1996 MS: Behavioral Neuroscience University of Connecticut, 1992 BS: Psychology Utah State University, 1989 Biography
I was born and raised about 30 minutes north of Salt Lake City, and attended Utah State University in Logan UT, where I received my undergraduate degree in Psychology. During that time, I completely fell in love with Neuroscience, and moved to Storrs, CT, where I obtained my MS and PhD in Behavioral Neuroscience at the University of Connecticut, with Victor Denenberg. During that time, I became particularly fascinated in the interplay between the nervous system and the immune system, and moved to a postdoctoral fellowship program at the University of Rochester Medical Center, with the original founding fathers of Psychoneuroimmunology, Robert Ader, Nicholas Cohen, and David Felten (and others there). In 1999, I moved to TCU, and set up shop studying the neural and behavioral effects of peripherally induced proinflammatory cytokines; most often their effects on learning and memory. Several years later, I was excited to see Mike Chumley join the faculty at TCU, given his shared interest and experience in both Immunology and Neuroscience. We have been collaborating ever since, both as collaborators and friends, and work together with undergraduate and graduate students to address a number of scientific questions, including how environmental factors such as inflammation/stress/sleep loss/nutrition/etc., may interact with some of the known pathological and psychological processes involved in Alzheimer’s disease. The classes I teach every year are Introductory Neuroscience, Advanced Neuroscience, Neurobiology of Aging Seminar (with Dr. Chumley), and Functional Neuroanatomy. However, I have sometimes taught others, including General Psychology, Principles of Behavior (a beefed-up Gen Psych with labs), Models of Stress and Health, Psychopharmacology, and Human Neuropsychology. When not working, I love reading, most kinds of sports, hanging out with my two puppies (Loki and Lilah), making things for Halloween (comprising most of what is left of my artistic endeavors), and being in nature/outdoors (particularly kayaking or exploring national parks).
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