Katriana Popichak

Dr. Popichak is an assistant professor in the Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology (MIP), College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, where she teaches with an awesome team of educators! Dr. Popichak earned her PhD in Cell & Molecular Biology here at Colorado State University in Dr. Ron Tjalkens’ laboratory. The primary focus of her PhD and post-PhD research includes the characterization and role that neuroinflammation plays in neurodegenerative disease such as Parkinson’s disease and how better understanding glial-glial and glial-neuronal signaling in models of neurotoxicity can ultimately lead to the elucidation of causation and, thus, better therapeutic targets to halt these progressive neurological diseases. Furthermore, she is immensely intrigued by the gut-brain axis, and what role microbes in the body can play in the inflammatory response seen in the brain.