Jeffrey Harder, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Fellow

Researching axon degeneration and the roles of immunity in the central nervous system and diet in glaucoma.

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About Jeffrey Harder, Ph.D.

I joined the Simon John lab in the spring of 2013, excited by the opportunity of working with Dr. John and using a multidisciplinary approach in my research. Using DBA/2J mice as a model of glaucoma, my current research focuses on axon degeneration, the role of innate immunity in the central nervous system, and the role of diet in neurodegeneration. This includes studying the role of JNKs in glaucomatous injury and working to identify early signaling events that may initiate injury. For another project, I am collaborating with faculty from Dalhousie University, working on defining human genes responsible for exfoliation syndrome glaucoma. I also work closely with fellow postdoc Pete Williams and help direct two research assistants in the lab. This opportunity to collaborate and manage while working through complex projects is broadening my conceptual thinking abilities both scientifically and managerially, and improving the array of skill sets necessary for running a lab.

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Grants, honors and accomplishments

2014 The Barbara and Joseph Cohen Endowmen

2013 Immunology Training Fellowship, The Jackson Laboratory

2011 National Eye Institute Travel Grant, ARVO

2011 Pathology Research Day Poster Award, University of Rochester Medical School.

2008 Vision Training Fellowship, University of Rochester.

2007 Pathology Graduate Program Award, University of Rochester Medical School.

2001 Awarded Scholars Medal by Schreyers Honor College, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA.

Search MagazineJune 18, 2019
Connected through Science
When Isabelle Chen, a senior at The Ethel Walker School in Simsbury, Conn., met Ann Bresnahan ‘69 during a science alumnae panel discussion at Bresnahan’s 50-year high school reunion, the two knew that they shared a passion for science.
Featured ArticleMay 29, 2019
Making a community impact beyond the bench
A JAX postdoctoral associate was recently awarded a fellowship in Science Policy from the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics that will allow him to advocate for support of science research with federal officials and congressional staff.
Research HighlightMay 20, 2019
Revealing cellular traits, one cell at a time
Scientists have developed an expanded toolkit that enables investigations of cellular traits at the single cell level at an unprecedented level of detail.
Search MagazineApril 11, 2019
Tipping the balance in the fight against cancer
JAX Professor Karolina Palucka is seeking new ways to harness the body's natural defenses against cancer.
- Immunology
- Immune Disorders

Tech CornerJune 17, 2019
The genome of Eve (the mouse)
C57BL/6—aka Black 6—is the most widely used mouse strain in research. Its reference genome was published in 2003 and has been carefully curated over the years since.
Search MagazineMay 22, 2019
JAX scientists speak out on the crisis of opioid addiction
JAX scientists are intensifying their efforts to shed light on the genetic and neurobiological causes of addiction, along with the impact of environmental influences.
Press ReleaseApril 16, 2019
A thorough characterization of structural variants in human genomes
A recent study used multiple advanced technologies to dive deeper into the human genome than ever before to comprehensively characterize the structural variants present in three families, and what their functional consequences might be.
Research HighlightMarch 12, 2019
A closer look at structural variants in the genome
A recent Cell paper uses long-read DNA sequencing and other advanced genomics tools and methods to shed light on genomic structural variants.