S. Alex Marshall
S. Alex Marshall is an assistant professor in the Biological and Biomedical Sciences department at NCCU. He believes that research is a great way for students to explore their interests and to get better acquainted with their peers and the faculty. His advice to students is "just to try it!"
Research
The Marshall lab is primarily focused on understanding the neuronal mechanisms that contribute to and result from alcohol abuse. The overarching goal of these pre-clinical studies is to determine novel targets for therapy that can help individuals suffering from an alcohol use disorder. The lab's focus is both on alcohol-induced brain damage and excessive alcohol consumption. They study these aspects of alcohol misuse from a behavioral and neurobiological standpoint. Because alcohol abuse is so pervasive in society, the lab studies the interplay of alcohol with various stages of life, including adolescence, adulthood, and late adulthood.
Education
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Ph.D., Pharmaceutical Sciences |
University of Kentucky |
2013 |
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Graduate Certificate, College Teaching and Learning |
University of Kentucky |
2011 |
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B.S., Zoology |
University of Florida |
2008 |
Affiliations
Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of North Carolina-CH, Psychology and Neuroscience Department
Courses
Publications
For a full list of Marshall Lab publications, please visit the following link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/1tEjgnQJQA3kb/bibliography/public/
Grants
2019-AARGD-642198, Marshall (PI), 09/2019–08/2022.
Alzheimer’s Association. "The Functional Implications of GPCR-Signaling in Aging Astrocytes." The goal of this project is to examine how Gq-signaling in astrocytes affects the microenvironment in the hippocampus in aging. This project utilizes DREADD transgenic mice, molecular techniques, and behavioral analyses to determine whether overstimulation of astrocytes leads to damage susceptibility. (Role: PI)
ES025128, Robert Smart (PI), 01/2020–12/2020.
NIEHS. "The Comorbid Effects of Arsenic and Alcohol Abuse on Hippocampal Neurodegeneration." The major goals of this project are to determine how alcohol influences arsenic absorption and toxicity. Our primary toxicity outcomes are neurodegeneration, neuroinflammation, and oxidative stress. (Role: PI of sub-award)
U01 AA019925-11, Swartzwelder (PI), 09/2020–09/2025.
NIAAA. "Effects of Adolescent Alcohol Exposure on Hippocampal Function in Adulthood." The NADIA consortium is dedicated to identifying the mechanisms underlying the long-term effects of adolescent intermittent ethanol exposure (AIE) on brain and behavior and exploring approaches to prevent or reverse them. Component 1 has focused on the enduring effects of AIE on hippocampal structure and function and their behavioral sequelae. The goal of this grant is to test the overarching hypothesis that AIE causes an enduring but reversible compromise of hippocampal synaptic function driven by interacting epigenetic, neuroinflammatory, and glial mechanisms. (Role: Co-I)