Kristen Funk, PhD

Kristen Funk graduated from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, in May 2007 with a bachelor’s degree in zoology. She then entered the Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology graduate program at the Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. Under the direction of Jeff Kuret, PhD, her dissertation examined the pathological hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease and their use in understanding the disease process. She graduated with her PhD in August 2012. Following graduation, Kristen began her postdoctoral training at Washington University in St Louis, Missouri, under the guidance of Marc Diamond, MD. She is now investigating the mechanisms of tau uptake in neurons and glia.

Personal Statement

I study AD because it is important. Currently it is one of the few leading causes of death that cannot be prevented, cured, or even slowed. Yet AD is not “normal” aging. It is devastating for the individuals it affects, their families, and their caregivers. Soon it will be so costly that it cannot be ignored.