Dr. Lucia Notterpek is Professor and Senior Associate Dean for Biomedical Research at the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine. The Notterpek lab investigates how the loss of glial insulation around axons, called myelin, contributes to the pathogenesis of hereditary and age-related neural disorders. Current research is focused on understanding the subcellular changes within neural cells that underlie the progressive nature of these disorders and normal aging-associated myelin degeneration. A major effort of Dr. Notterpek’s lab focuses on approaches to maintain healthy myelin during lifespan and/or restore it in disease paradigms. Her research efforts lead to over eighty peer-reviewed contributions to the scientific literature. Nationally and internationally, Dr Notterpek serves on research advisory and grant review panels for private and public organizations. Her research efforts are, and have been, supported by federal and private agencies, including the NIH-NINDS, the National Muscular Dystrophy Association, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, the Facial Pain Foundation and the Hereditary Neuropathy Foundation. Prior to joining the University of Nevada, Dr Notterpek served as Professor and Chair of the Department of Neuroscience at the University of Florida, in Gainesville, Florida (1999-2020). She completed her undergraduate studies at UC Berkeley, PhD in Neuroscience at UCLA, and postdoctoral fellowship in Neurobiology at Stanford University. Dr Notterpek is recipient of the Jordi Folch-Pi Memorial award from the American Society for Neurochemistry.