Julia TCW, PhD
Assistant Professor
Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine
Pharmacology, Physiology & Biophysics

PhD, Harvard University
AM, Harvard University
BS, Catholic University of Korea

Pronouns: doctor TCW/ Ph.D.: Harvard University



Dr. Julia TCW received Ph.D. and A.M. in Molecular and Cellular Biology from Harvard University with research studies in induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) reprogramming in the Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology. She then perused her postdoctoral research in the Department of Neuroscience, Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer’s Disease, Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York with a research focus of the development of iPSC models and study Alzheimer’s disease (AD) genetics. She achieved Druckenmiller Fellowship award from New York Stem Cell Foundation and K, U and R awards from NIH-NIA.

Our research laboratory is aiming at human induced pluripotent stem cell therapeutics. There are two main goals; 1) Deciphering functional mechanisms of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) genetics using in vitro iPSCs and in vivo iPSC/mouse Chimera models and 2) Developing in vitro model systems of human brain for drug screen.

1. Much of our research focuses on the effects of AD genetic risks, especially Apolipoprotein E4 (APOE4), the most significant risk factor for late-onset AD on human brain cell types. Our lab uses the forward genetic, unbiased multi-Omics computational (bioinformatics) approach to uncover pathways and network defects of AD genetic risks and demonstrate molecular mechanisms of the risk factors in CNS cell types derived from CRISPR/Cas9 genome-edited isogenic and population iPSCs. We develop novel computational pipelines to identify molecular and network drivers and integrate genetics and transcriptomics/proteomics for a functional genomic study. In vitro and in vivo work have been focused on efferocytosis, lipid metabolism, matrisome and inflammation in pure human microglia, astrocytes and organoids (multiple brain cell types as a whole) associated with AD genetic risks. Further, our lab is also collaborating with the industry to find a drug target for AD therapeutics.

2. We have developed multiple novel CNS cell type protocols including astrocytes, microglia, pericytes, neural progenitors and glutamatergic neurons and continuously put our effort to advance the 2D models to 3D human brain model to establish efficient platforms for drug screen.

Director of the Laboratory of Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Therapeutics
Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine




Microglia targeted interventions in prodromal Alzheimer's disease stage
08/01/2023 - 05/31/2028 (PI)
NIH/National Institute on Aging
1R01AG083941-01

Elucidating endolysosomal trafficking dysregulation induced by APOE4 in human astrocytes
04/01/2023 - 03/31/2028 (PI)
NIH/National Institute on Aging
3R01AG082362-01S1

Biology and pathobiology of apoE in aging and Alzheimer's disease - Core E
10/01/2021 - 05/31/2026 (Subcontract PI)
Mayo Clinic Jacksonville NIH NIA
5U19AG069701-03

Modulation of astrocyte matrisome signals reprogram microglia that can be targeted to mitigate Alzheimer's disease
07/01/2022 - 06/30/2025 (PI)
Bright Focus Foundation


Uncovering APOE4 Matrisome endophenotypes using human iPSC-based models
09/15/2022 - 08/31/2024 (PI)
NIH/National Institute on Aging
1R56AG078733-01

Dissect the interplay between sex and APOE at the single cell level to uncover novel pathways, targets and therapeutics for Alzheimer's disease
09/30/2021 - 08/31/2024 (Subcontract PI)
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai NIH NIA
1RF1AG074010-01

Deciphering isogenic APOE isoform dependent neurodegenerative response in human glia
03/01/2022 - 02/29/2024 (PI)
NIH/National Institute on Aging
5K01AG062683-05

Characterization of ApoE4 Induced Phospholipid Dysregulation in AD Pathogenesis
04/01/2021 - 07/29/2023 (Subcontract PI)
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai NIH NIA
2RF1AG048923-06A1



Title


Yr Title Project-Sub Proj Pubs

Publications listed below are automatically derived from MEDLINE/PubMed and other sources, which might result in incorrect or missing publications. Faculty can login to make corrections and additions.

iCite Analysis       Copy PMIDs To Clipboard

  1. Saha O, Melo de Farias AR, Pelletier A, Siedlecki-Wullich D, Landeira BS, Gadaut J, Carrier A, Vreulx AC, Guyot K, Shen Y, Bonnefond A, Amouyel P, Tcw J, Kilinc D, Queiroz CM, Delahaye F, Lambert JC, Costa MR. The Alzheimer's disease risk gene BIN1 regulates activity-dependent gene expression in human-induced glutamatergic neurons. Mol Psychiatry. 2024 Mar 22. PMID: 38514804
     
  2. Vance JM, Farrer LA, Huang Y, Cruchaga C, Hyman BT, Pericak-Vance MA, Goate AM, Greicius MD, Griswold AJ, Haines JL, Tcw J, Schellenberg GD, Tsai LH, Herz J, Holtzman DM. Report of the APOE4 National Institute on Aging/Alzheimer Disease Sequencing Project Consortium Working Group: Reducing APOE4 in Carriers is a Therapeutic Goal for Alzheimer's Disease. Ann Neurol. 2024 Jan 05.View Related Profiles. PMID: 38180638
     
  3. Kloske CM, Barnum CJ, Batista AF, Bradshaw EM, Brickman AM, Bu G, Dennison J, Gearon MD, Goate AM, Haass C, Heneka MT, Hu WT, Huggins LKL, Jones NS, Koldamova R, Lemere CA, Liddelow SA, Marcora E, Marsh SE, Nielsen HM, Petersen KK, Petersen M, Piña-Escudero SD, Qiu WQ, Quiroz YT, Reiman E, Sexton C, Tansey MG, Tcw J, Teunissen CE, Tijms BM, van der Kant R, Wallings R, Weninger SC, Wharton W, Wilcock DM, Wishard TJ, Worley SL, Zetterberg H, Carrillo MC. APOE and immunity: Research highlights. Alzheimers Dement. 2023 Jun; 19(6):2677-2696. PMID: 36975090
     
  4. Kloske CM, Barnum CJ, Batista AF, Bradshaw EM, Brickman AM, Bu G, Dennison J, Gearon MD, Goate AM, Haass C, Heneka MT, Hu WT, Huggins LKL, Jones NS, Koldamova R, Lemere CA, Liddelow SA, Marcora E, Marsh SE, Nielsen HM, Petersen KK, Petersen M, Piña-Escudero SD, Qiu WQ, Quiroz YT, Reiman E, Sexton C, Tansey MG, Tcw J, Teunissen CE, Tijms BM, van der Kant R, Wallings R, Weninger SC, Wharton W, Wilcock DM, Wishard TJ, Worley SL, Zetterberg H, Carrillo MC. APOE and immunity: Research highlights. Alzheimers Dement. 2023 Mar 28. PMID: 36975090
     
  5. Tcw J, Arranz AM. hiPSC-based models to decipher the contribution of human astrocytes to Alzheimer's disease and potential therapeutics. Mol Neurodegener. 2023 Mar 25; 18(1):19. PMID: 36966344; PMCID: PMC10039591; DOI: 10.1186/s13024-023-00612-9;
     
  6. Tcw J, Arranz AM. hiPSC-based models to decipher the contribution of human astrocytes to Alzheimer's disease and potential therapeutics. Mol Neurodegener. 2023 Mar 25; 18(1):19. PMID: 36966344; PMCID: PMC10039591; DOI: 10.1186/s13024-023-00612-9;
     
  7. Leng K, Rose IVL, Kim H, Xia W, Romero-Fernandez W, Rooney B, Koontz M, Li E, Ao Y, Wang S, Krawczyk M, Tcw J, Goate A, Zhang Y, Ullian EM, Sofroniew MV, Fancy SPJ, Schrag MS, Lippmann ES, Kampmann M. CRISPRi screens in human iPSC-derived astrocytes elucidate regulators of distinct inflammatory reactive states. Nat Neurosci. 2022 Nov; 25(11):1528-1542. PMID: 36303069; PMCID: PMC9633461; DOI: 10.1038/s41593-022-01180-9;
     
  8. Tcw J, Qian L, Pipalia NH, Chao MJ, Liang SA, Shi Y, Jain BR, Bertelsen SE, Kapoor M, Marcora E, Sikora E, Andrews EJ, Martini AC, Karch CM, Head E, Holtzman DM, Zhang B, Wang M, Maxfield FR, Poon WW, Goate AM. Cholesterol and matrisome pathways dysregulated in astrocytes and microglia. Cell. 2022 Jun 23; 185(13):2213-2233.e25.View Related Profiles. PMID: 35750033; PMCID: PMC9340815; DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2022.05.017;
     
  9. Preman P, Tcw J, Calafate S, Snellinx A, Alfonso-Triguero M, Corthout N, Munck S, Thal DR, Goate AM, De Strooper B, Arranz AM. Human iPSC-derived astrocytes transplanted into the mouse brain undergo morphological changes in response to amyloid-ß plaques. Mol Neurodegener. 2021 09 25; 16(1):68. PMID: 34563212; PMCID: PMC8467145; DOI: 10.1186/s13024-021-00487-8;
     
  10. Cao J, Huang M, Guo L, Zhu L, Hou J, Zhang L, Pero A, Ng S, Gaamouch FE, Elder G, Sano M, Goate A, Tcw J, Haroutunian V, Zhang B, Cai D. MicroRNA-195 rescues AD-associated lysosomal defects. Mol Psychiatry. 2021 Sep; 26(9):4563. PMID: 34773105
     
Showing 10 of 39 results. Show More

This graph shows the total number of publications by year, by first, middle/unknown, or last author.

Bar chart showing 37 publications over 13 distinct years, with a maximum of 7 publications in 2020 and 2021

YearPublications
20071
20092
20141
20151
20161
20174
20181
20196
20207
20217
20222
20232
20242

2019-2023 NIH: Mentored Research Scientist Career Development Award
2018 Keystone Symposia: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) Scholarship
2018 5th International Conference on Molecular Neurodegeneration : BrightFocus Foundation travel award
2018 Charleston Conferences on Alzheimer’s Disease (CCAD) : Yong investigator nominee
2017-2019 New York Stem Cell Foundation: Druckenmiller Fellowship
2017 Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai : Promising Young Investigator Award
2016 Alzheimer’s Association International Conference : Postdoctoral Poster Competition Winner Award
2016 Alzheimer’s Association International Conference : Travel fellowship
2015 from Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation : Young Investigator Scholar travel fellowship
In addition to these self-described keywords below, a list of MeSH based concepts is available here.

Alzheimer's disease genetics, Microglia, Astrocytes, Bioinformatics, Human iPSC modeling
Contact for Mentoring:

700 Albany St
Boston MA 02118
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