Education

  • BS, Biology, University of Kentucky, 1996 
  • PhD, Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Kentucky, 1999 

Research Interests

Dr. Keller is the director of the Aging and Neurodegeneration Lab at Pennington Biomedical, which has generated projects focused on focused on aging, oxidative stress, proteasome, and Alzheimer’s disease research. In addition to these, Dr. Keller has worked on major research efforts, including understanding the ability of a high fat diet to modulate brain function and brain pathology during aging. Such efforts are a part of a multi-group effort at Pennington Biomedical. Dr. Keller and colleagues have collaborated to establish the Institute for Dementia Research & Prevention. This institute features a longitudinal study of aging and dementia in individuals in Louisiana aged 60 and over, as well as a platform for the identification of therapeutics for the prevention of dementia.

Interested in learning more of any of these research efforts or wanting to participate in these research efforts? Contact the IDRP at (225) 763-2973 or dementia@pbrc.edu.

Department:  Aging and Neurodegeneration

Selected Publications

  1. Li F, Zhang L, Craddock J, Bruce-Keller AJ, Dasuri K, Nguyen A, Keller JN.(2008) Aging and dietary restriction effects on ubiquitination, sumoylation, and the proteasome in the heart. Mech Ageing Dev. Sep;129(9):515-21.
  2. Nelson PT, Smith CD, Abner EA, Schmitt FA, Scheff SW, Davis GJ, Keller JN, Jicha GA, David D, Wang WX, Hartman A, Katz DG, Markesbery WR. (2008) Human cerebral neuropathology of Type 2 diabetes mellitus. Biochim Biophys Acta. (In press)
  3. Zhang L, Bruce-Keller AJ, Dasuri K, Nguyen A, Liu Y, Keller JN. (2008) Diet-Induced Metabolic Disturbances as modulators of brain homeostasis. Biochim Biophys Acta, (In press)
  4. Ding Q, Cecarini V, Keller JN (2007) Interplay between protein synthesis and degradation in the CNS: physiological and pathological implications. Trends Neurosci. 30, 31-36.
  5. Murphy MP, Beckett TL, Ding Q, Patel E, Markesbery WR, St Clair DK, LeVine H, Keller JN (2007) Abeta solubility and deposition during AD progression and in APP x PS1 knock-in mice. Neurobiol Dis. 27(3):301-11.
  6. Zhang L, Li F, Dimayuga E, Craddock J, Keller JN. (2007) Effects of aging and dietary restriction on ubiquitination, sumoylation, and the proteasome in the spleen. FEBS Lett. 581(28):5543-7.
  7. Ding Q, Dimayuga E, Markesbery WR, Keller JN (2006) Proteasome inhibition induces reversible impairments in protein synthesis. FASEB J 20, 1055-1063.
  8. Keller JN, Schmidt FA, Ding Q, Chen Q, Scheff SW, Butterfield DA, Markesbery WR (2005) Increased oxidative stress in mild cognitive impairment. Neurology 64, 1152-1156.
  9. Chen Q, Li F, Thorpe J, Dohmen RJ, Keller JN (2005) Extension of lifespan and decreased oxidative stress in yeast expressing UMP1: central role for the proteasome? Free Radical Biol Med 40, 120-126.
  10. Ding Q, Li F, Chen Q, Markesbery WR, Keller JN (2005) Ribosome dysfunction is an early event in AD. J Neurosci 25, 9171-9175.