LSI Seminar Series: William C. Mobley, M.D., Ph.D., University of California, San Diego
Synapse dysfunction and loss are hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), responsible for its clinical manifestations. Defining the molecular basis for deficits in synapse structure and function are essential for elucidating AD pathogenesis and promise to enhance discovery of effective treatments. Elderly adults with Down syndrome (DS) demonstrate many of the clinical and pathological manifestations of AD; the condition is referred to as AD-DS. While age is an important risk factor for both AD and AD-DS, how age intersects with underlying changes in brain function are unclear. Studies in DS provide an opportunity to decipher the biology that underlies the impact of age on the genetic factor known to be necessary for AD-DS, an increase in APP copy number. Studies of synapse dysfunction and loss are not well investigated in those with AD-DS. We will explore the age by gene interaction through cell biological and in vivo studies in a mouse model and in the AD-DS brain.
Speaker
William Mobley is a Distinguished Professor of Neurosciences and Associate Dean for Neurosciences Initiatives at the University of California, San Diego. He came to UCSD in June of 2009 from Stanford University, where he served as the John E. Cahill Family Professor in the Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences and was the founding director of the Neuroscience Institute. He earned his Ph.D. in neuro- & behavioral science from Stanford University in Palo Alto, California in 1974 and an M.D. from the same institution in 1976. Dr. Mobley completed an internship in pathology in 1977 and a pediatric residency in 1979, both at Stanford University, followed by a residency and fellowship in Neurology and Pediatric Neurology at The Johns Hopkins University. While there, he was selected to serve as chief resident in pediatric neurology from 1981 to 1982. He is certified by both the American Board of Pediatrics and the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology with Special Competence in Child Neurology. He is a past president of the Association of University Professors of Neurology, the Professors of Child Neurology, and the International Society for Developmental Neuroscience. He is also a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine. In 2006, Dr. Mobley was named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, in 2011 received the International Sisley-Jérôme Lejeune Prize for research in Down Syndrome, and in 2014 was named to the Johns Hopkins Society of Scholars. Dr. Mobley currently serves as president of the T21 Research Society. In 2019 he was appointed interim Director of the Sanford Institute for Empathy and Compassion. His research focuses on the biology of Alzheimer's disease, especially as manifest in those with Down syndrome. It encompasses studies that extend from basic cellular mechanisms to the discovery of treatments and to the compassionate care of these individuals.