Michael Maclean

Postdoctoral Associate

I am interested in understanding how common stressors, such as obesity and diabetes, alter microglial responses and influence the development and progression of diabetic retinopathy and Alzheimer’s disease.

Neuroinflammation is typically characterized by alterations in supporting central nervous system cell types including astrocytes, myeloid, and vascular cells. In the last decade tremendous amounts of work has shed light on transcriptional responses of these cells. However, a notable gap in the literature is understanding how common stressors such obesity and diabetes influences these responses. Leveraging the Howell lab's expertise in diverse mouse models and microglia, we are characterizing how obesity and diabetes influence microglial transcriptional responses. Additionally, we are interested in how these perturbations may promote the development and progression of diabetic retinopathy and Alzheimer’s disease.

michael maclean ON ORCID