Orly Lazarov, PhD
Professor
Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology
College of Medicine
Contact
Building & Room:
COMRB 6053, MC 512
Office Phone:
Email:
Related Sites:
Lab Location
Building & Room:
COMRB 6040
About
Dr. Lazarov is a Professor of Neuroscience in the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Dr. Lazarov graduated the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel. Followed by a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Chicago where she examined aspects of Alzheimer's disease neuropathology. Her pioneering studies showed that in addition to genetics, environmental factors play a major role in the formation of Alzheimer's disease. Dr. Lazarov studies hippocampal neurogenesis and plasticity in aging and in Alzheimer's disease.
Research Currently in Progress
Dr. Lazarov’s research focuses on the examination of molecular and cellular mechanisms of cognitive dysfunction in mouse models of familial Alzheimer’s disease (FAD) and in human tissue of individuals exhibiting mild cognitive impairments and Alzheimer’s disease. Her research focuses on the role of hippocampal neurogenesis in aging-and Alzheimer’s disease-linked cognitive deterioration. Dr. Lazarov is a pioneer in the field of neurogenesis in Alzheimer’s disease. She was one the first to show that hippocampal neurogenesis is defective in FAD mice and may contribute to cognitive deficits characterizing the disease. Other studies at her lab examine vascular factors leading to cognitive failure in Alzheimer’s disease and comorbidities, such as stroke or type-2-diabetes. Dr. Lazarov is the Director of the Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementia (ADRD) Training Program at UIC.