Jennifer Lynn Bizon

Research topics

Matched from this investigator's NIH project titles and abstracts.

• Cognitive Aging
• Alzheimer's and Dementia
• Learning and Memory
• Depression
• Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience

Active NIH awards

• Mechanisms and therapeutic potential of vagus nerve stimulation in aging and Alzheimer’s disease

  5R01AG067429-03

  NIA · FY 2025 · $536K

  PROJECT SUMMARY. One in three older adults exhibits some form of cognitive deficit, with 13% of individuals over age 65 meeting the clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Even in the absence of overt pathology, age-related cognitive dysfunction can be sufficiently severe as to disrupt instrumental activities of daily living and, consequently, the ability to maintain personal independence. In aging and AD, mnemonic functions supported by the hippocampus (HPC) and executive functions supported by the prefrontal cortex (PFC) are particularly vulnerable to decline. Both HPC and PFC undergo molecular and electrophysiological alterations with age that perturb the balance between excitatory and inhibitory (E/I) signaling necessary for optimal cognition. In addition, aberrant E/I signaling in aging increases susceptibility to AD neuropathology. Moreover, age-associated increases in peripheral inflammation can dysregulate E/I signaling, exacerbate AD pathology, and impair cognition. An ideal intervention for improving cognitive outcomes in aging would thus: 1) benefit multiple aspects of cognitive function with minimal side effects, 2) act to re-establish E/I homeostasis across the aged brain, 3) attenuate the accumulation of AD pathology that can worsen cognitive dysfunction, and 4) be readily translated across species. Electrical vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) has been used safely and effectively for 30 years to treat epilepsy and depression, and published and preliminary data show that it positively influences central nervous system E/I signaling. VNS also reduces pro-inflammatory cytokines in the periphery, as well as tau levels in AD patients. Most importantly, data in both animal and human subjects show that VNS enhances multiple forms of PFC- and HPC-dependent cognition that are compromised in aging. Despite these promising findings, VNS has not been rigorously evaluated as a potential treatment for age-associated cognitive decline. The objective of this proposal is to determine if chronic VNS mitigates deleterious neurobiological and inflammatory consequences of aging and improves cognitive function in aged subjects. Our rationale is that such studies will provide a foundation for use of VNS as a treatment for cognitive impairments in aging. Our overarching hypothesis is that chronic VNS will benefit cognition in aging by restoring E/I homeostasis, reducing inflammation, and protecting against AD- associated pathology. Aim 1 will determine whether VNS normalizes molecular and electrophysiological signatures of E/I dysregulation and reduces peripheral markers of inflammation in aging. Aim 2 will determine whether VNS remediates multiple forms of age-associated cognitive impairment. Aim 3 will use a targeted AAV- based approach to determine whether VNS protects against neuropathology and cognitive decline associated with AD-like tau pathology. These experiments will be significant as they will help to determine the utility of VNS as an intervention for treating cognitive decline in aging and AD.

• Broad-based Research, Analytics and Innovation in Neuroscience (B2RAIN) predoctoral Training Program

  5T32NS131140-02

  NINDS · FY 2025 · $268K

  The overarching objective of the proposed program is to provide an enriched and innovative predoctoral training experience to foster the next generation of stellar neuroscientists. The Broad-based Research, Analytics, and Innovation in Neuroscience (B2RAIN) Predoctoral Training Program takes advantage of the University of Florida’s exceptional strength in neuroscience and its burgeoning Artificial Intelligence/data science communities. Given these strengths, the University of Florida (UF) is uniquely suited to offer a training program that strongly aligns with the stated goals of the Jointly Sponsored NIH Predoctoral Training Program in the Neurosciences and to offer the first such program to predoctoral trainees in the State of Florida. Indeed, UF offers an exceptional environment for the B2RAIN program that includes a strong cadre of dedicated and productive mentors. The B2RAIN program is carefully designed to integrate a well-rounded core neuroscience curriculum with coursework and practical experiences that will enable neuroscience predoctoral trainees to build strong quantitative skills that emphasize AI principles, coding, experimental design, and statistical rigor. Moreover, students will acquire a full complement of critical interdisciplinary skills around communication, collaboration, rigor, and resilience that will bolster individual scientific and professional success. The requested funds, together with a strong institutional commitment, will enable a minimum of eight neuroscience predoctoral students to enter the program annually and for these students to be fully supported during their initial two years of doctoral training while acquiring the essential foundational skills offered by the B2RAIN program. A minimum of forty doctoral neuroscience students will benefit from this training over the course of 5 years. Following the comprehensive training in fundamental neuroscience and rigorous quantitative approaches offered by the B2RAIN program, the students will be well-prepared to complete doctoral research with one of over forty outstanding preceptors. These mentors, who hail from across the UF campus, are dedicated to the training mission and offer a wealth of expertise across a wide range of neuroscience subdisciplines including systems/behavioral neuroscience, neurogenetics, cognitive neuroscience, and neurodegeneration. Trainees will be recruited from a talented cohort of applicants to the UF neuroscience Ph.D. program and will demonstrate the potential to become the next generation of innovators to drive progress in uncovering the complexities of the nervous system in both health and disease. The emphasis on quantitative skills, scientific rigor, and on acquiring essential professional skills important for long-term career success will add significant value to the participating students’ doctoral training experience. Specifically, the B2RAIN Training Program will equip trainees with the cross-disciplinary knowledge, skills, and perspectives to launch and maintain productive research careers at the forefront of the rapidly-advancing neuroscience field.