Dr. Nicholas Varvel
Nicholas Varvel, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology at Emory University School of Medicine. He received a BS in Biology from the University of Dayton. He then completed a PhD in Neuroscience, under the mentorship of Dr. Bruce Lamb and Dr. Karl Herrup, from Case Western Reserve University, where he investigated the role of early neuroinflammatory processes in mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Next, he received an Alexander von Humboldt Post-doctoral Fellowship to complete training at the Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research in Tübingen, Germany, in the Laboratory of Dr. Mathias Jucker. While in Tübingen, Nick utilized novel mouse models to identify a homeostatic drive to maintain the brain’s immune cell population after microglia depletion. Later, Nick continued his post-doctoral training at Emory University in the laboratory of Dr. Ray Dingledine, where he made the seminal finding that peripheral blood monocytes enter the brain after seizure activity and enhance seizure-induced neuropathology and inflammation.
Dr. Varvel laboratory’s current research focuses on the impact of unabated inflammation on the initiation and progression of acquired epilepsy and development of seizure-associated cognitive comorbidities. His lab aims to identify immune-related targets to alleviate the deleterious effects of seizures. In collaboration with department colleagues, Dr. Varvel and the larger team utilize multiple complementary and interdisciplinary approaches to design and validate small molecules to beneficially modulate the inflammatory response. Immune-related targets have emerged as critical drivers of monocyte brain entry and the ensuing inflammation. Over the next several years, a major focus of Dr. Varvel’s research aims to answer a critical question: What are critical signaling pathways, molecules, and relevant brain-resident cells that promote brain monocyte invasion and prevent the subsequent behavioral comorbidities after prolonged seizures? Beyond monocyte migration into the brain, the lab has also observed that CCR2 and EP2 engagement elevate the inflammatory profile of monocytes. Therefore, a new direction for the lab in the coming years will focus on delineating the downstream signaling pathways that promote inflammation in monocytes.
Dr. Varvel’s lab and research has been funded through the generous support of the National Institutes of Health, the BrightFocus Foundation, CURE Epilepsy, the Alzheimer’s Association, the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, and the American Epilepsy Society. THANK YOU to all these organizations whose devotion to science and financial support is essential for our important work!
Dr. Varvel is highly engaged in training the next generation of research scientists and promoting the development of their careers. He is an active member of both the Neuroscience and Molecular and Systems Pharmacology Graduate Programs and currently serves as Head Recruiter for the Molecular and Systems Pharmacology Program.