Erzsebet Kokovay, Ph.D.

Neural stem cells give rise to neurons and glia in the adult brain. These newborn neurons provide plasticity for specific types of learning and memory. Neural stem cells are also important to enact brain repair following stroke. However, during aging neural stem cells are reduced in number and function contributing to the deficits in learning, memory and repair. The Kokovay lab studies mechanisms that regulate adult neural stem cells to elucidate therapeutic strategies following stroke and during aging.

• Professional Background

  Education

  • 2005 - PhD - Biomedical Sciences, Neuroscience - University of New Mexico

• Publications

  Kosti A, de Araujo PR, Li WQ, Guardia GDA, Chiou J, Yi C, Ray D, Meliso F, Li YM, Delambre T, Qiao M, Burns SS, Lorbeer FK, Georgi F, Flosbach M, Klinnert S, Jenseit A, Lei X, Sandoval CR, Ha K, Zheng H, Pandey R, Gruslova A, Gupta YK, Brenner A, Kokovay E, Hughes TR, Morris QD, Galante PAF, Tiziani S, Penalva LOF. (2020). Genome Biol. 2020 Aug 6;21(1):195. doi: 10.1186/s13059-020-02115-y. PMID: 32762776 Free PMC article.

  Cutler RR, Kokovay E. (2020).  Rejuvenating subventricular zone neurogenesis in the aging brain. Curr Opin Pharmacol.  Feb;50:1-8. doi: 10.1016/j.coph.2019.10.005. Epub 2019 Nov 19. PMID: 31756641 Free PMC article. Review.

  Katsimpardi L, Kuperwasser N, Camus C, Moigneu C, Chiche A, Tolle V, Li H, Kokovay E, Lledo PM. (2020). Systemic GDF11 stimulates the secretion of adiponectin and induces a calorie restriction-like phenotype in aged mice. Aging Cell. Jan;19(1):e13038. doi: 10.1111/acel.13038. Epub 2019 Oct 22. PMID: 31637864 Free PMC article.

  Kosti A, Du L, Shivram H, Qiao M, Burns S, Garcia JG, Pertsemlidis A, Iyer VR, Kokovay E, Penalva LOF. (2020).  ELF4 Is a Target of miR-124 and Promotes Neuroblastoma Proliferation and Undifferentiated State Mol Cancer Res. 2020 Jan;18(1):68-78. doi: 10.1158/1541-7786.MCR-19-0187. Epub 2019 Oct 17 PMID: 31624087

  Apple D, Solano R, Mahesula S, Kokovay E. (2019). Calorie restriction preserves neural stem cells from age-related deficits. Aging 11(1) 115-126.

                    Featured as the cover article.

  Zhu C, Mahesula S, Temple S, Kokovay E. (2019).  Heterogeneous expression of SDF1 retains actively proliferating neural progenitors in the capillary compartment of the niche. Stem Cell Reports 12(1) 6-13.

  Apple D and Kokovay E. (2017). Vascular niche contribution to age associated neural stem cell dysfunction.  American Journal of Physiology—Heart and Circulatory Physiology 313(5): 896-902

  Kokovay E, Lodge D (2017). Stem Cells in Psychiatric Disease: Physiology, Pathophysiology and Treatment. Brain Research. 1655:261.

  Apple D, Solano R, Kokovay E. (2017). Neurogenesis in the Aging Brain.  Biochem Pharmacol. 141:77-85.

  Apple, D, Solano Fonseca R, Kokovay E. (2017). The role of Adult Neurogenesis in Psychiatric and Cognitive Disorders. Brain Research. 1655:270-276

  Solano Fonseca R, Mahesula S, Apple D, Raghunathan R, Dugan A, Cardona A, O'Connor J, Kokovay E. (2016). Neurogenic niche microglia undergo positional remodeling and progressive activation contributing to age-associated reductions in neurogenesis. Stem Cells and Development. 25(7) 542-555.

                    Featured as the cover article.

  Santos M, Tegge A, Correa B, Mahesula S, Qiao M, Ferreira M, Kokovay E*, Penalva L*. (2016). miR-124, -128 and -137 orchestrate neural differentiation by acting on overlapping gene sets containing a highly connected transcription factor networks. Stem Cells 34(1) 220-232. *Co-Corresponding Author

  Waite E, Winter M, Bjornsson C, Kokovay E, Wang Y, Goderie S, Temple S, Cohen AR. (2014). Visualization and correction of automated segmentation, tracking and lineaging from 5-D stem cell image sequences. BMC BioInformatics 15(1) 328-342.

            Highest Altimetrics rating for news and social media impact of any BMC bioinformatics paper in 2014.

  Koerner M, Wait E, Winter M, Bjornsson C, Kokovay E, Wang Y, Goderie SK, Temple S, Cohen AR. (2014). Multisensory interface for 5D stem cell image volumes. Conf Proc IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc 1178-81. PMID 25570174

  Kokovay E, Wang Y, Kusek G, Wurster R, Lederman P, Lowry N, Shen Q, Temple S. (2012).VCAM1 is essential to maintain the structure of the SVZ niche and acts as an environmental sensor to regulate SVZ lineage progression. Cell Stem Cell 11(2):220-230.

              Featured Article with Preview by Lehtinen ML. (2012) Adult Neurogenesis: VCAM Stems the Tide. Cell Stem Cell 11(2) 137-138.                                 

  Winter M, Wait E, Roysam B, Goderie S, Kokovay E, Temple S, Cohen A. (2012). Vertebrate Neural Stem Cell Segmentation, Tracking and Lineaging with Validation and Editing. Nature Protocols 6(12):1942-52.

  Kokovay E, Goderie S, Wang Y, Lotz S, Lin G, Sun, Y, Roysam B, Shen Q, Temple S. (2010). SVZ Lineage Cells Home to and Leave the Vascular Niche via Differential Responses to SDF1/CXCR4 signaling. Cell Stem Cell 7(2):163-173.

              Featured Article with Preview by Siegenthal JA and Pleasure SJ. (2010) There’s no place like home for a neural stem cell. Cell Stem Cell 7(2) 141-143

  Kokovay E, Ganapathi M, Morse R, Temple S. (2010). Joanna Wysocka wins ISSCR Outstanding Young Investigator Award. (ISSCR Committee Forum) Cell Stem Cell 6(6):533-534

  Fasano C, Phoenix T, Kokovay E, Lowry N, Elkabetz Y, Dimos J, Lemischka I, Studer L, Temple S. (2009). BMI-1 Cooperates With Foxg1 to Maintain Neural Stem Cell Self Renewal in the Forebrain. Genes & Development 23(5):561-574

  Shen Q, Wang Y, Kokovay E, Lin, G, Chiang S, Goderie S, Roysam B, Temple S. (2008). Adult SVZ Stem Cells Lie in a Vascular Niche: A Quantitative Analysis of Niche Cell-Cell Interactions. Cell Stem Cell 3(3):289-300.

            Featured Article with Preview by Currie DS and Gilbertson RJ (2008) The Niche Revealed. Cell Stem Cell 3(3) 234-236.

  Kokovay E, Shen Q, Temple S. (2008). The Incredible Elastic Brain: How Neural Stem Cells Expand Our Minds. Neuron 60(3):420-429

  Kokovay E and Temple S. (2007). Taking Neural Crest Stem Cells to New Heights (Preview). Cell 131(2): 234-236.

  Kokovay E, Lu Li, Cunningham LA. (2006).  Angiogenic Recruitment of Pericytes from Bone Marrow After Stroke. Journal Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism 26(4):545-55.

  Kokovay E and Cunningham LA. (2005).  Bone Marrow-Derived Microglia Contribute to the Neuroinflammatory Response and Express iNOS in the MPTP Mouse Model of Parkinson's Disease. Neurobiology of Disease 19(3):471-476.

                          Featured as the cover article.