Sharon Owino, PhD, MSCR 

Education

Georgia Institute of Technology, Bachelor of Science: Biomedical Engineering

Morehouse School of Medicine, Doctor of Philosophy: Biomedical Science, Master of Science: Clinical

Research Interests

My research focuses on understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms that regulate brain adaptation and influence susceptibility to neurodegenerative disease. The brain continuously responds to environmental, physiological, and pathological stimuli through coordinated interactions among neural and glial cells.

These adaptive responses are essential for maintaining normal brain function and promoting resilience, but when disrupted, they can contribute to behavioral dysfunction and neurodegeneration. While numerous signaling pathways and genetic factors have been linked to neurological disease, how they interact within cellular context to shape adaptive and maladaptive responses in the brain remains poorly understood.

My research is currently focused on two main areas of research: mechanisms of brain adaptation and anxiety-related behaviors, and ancestry-associated modifiers of Alzheimer's disease risk. Together, these research programs examine how cellular signaling, genetic variation, and biological context shape neural and glial function across diverse physiological and disease states. We use a variety of approaches, including molecular pharmacology, functional genomics, stem cell-based disease models, and population genetics, to investigate these processes across multiple experimental systems.

Publications

"Owino, S., Giddens, M. M., Jiang, J. G., Nguyen, T. T., Shiu, F. H., Lala, T., Gearing, M., McCrary, M. R., Gu, X., Wei, L., Yu, S. P., & Hall, R. A. (2021). GPR37 modulates progenitor cell dynamics in a mouse model of ischemic stroke. Experimental neurology, 342, 113719. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.expneurol.2021.113719

McCrary, M. R., Jiang, M. Q., Giddens, M. M., Zhang, J. Y., Owino, S., Wei, Z. Z., Zhong, W., Gu, X., Xin, H., Hall, R. A., Wei, L., & Yu, S. P. (2019). Protective effects of GPR37 via regulation of inflammation and multiple cell death pathways after ischemic stroke in mice. FASEB journal : official publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, 33(10), 10680–10691. https://doi.org/10.1096/fj.201900070R

Giddens, M. M., Wong, J. C., Schroeder, J. P., Farrow, E. G., Smith, B. M., Owino, S., Soden, S. E., Meyer, R. C., Saunders, C., LePichon, J. B., Weinshenker, D., Escayg, A., & Hall, R. A. (2017). GPR37L1 modulates seizure susceptibility: Evidence from mouse studies and analyses of a human GPR37L1 variant. Neurobiology of disease, 106, 181–190. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nbd.2017.07.006

Owino, S., Sánchez-Bretaño, A., Tchio, C., Cecon, E., Karamitri, A., Dam, J., Jockers, R., Piccione, G., Noh, H. L., Kim, T., Kim, J. K., Baba, K., & Tosini, G. (2018). Nocturnal activation of melatonin receptor type 1 signaling modulates diurnal insulin sensitivity via regulation of PI3K activity. Journal of pineal research, 64(3), 10.1111/jpi.12462. https://doi.org/10.1111/jpi.12462

Owino, S., Buonfiglio, D. D. C., Tchio, C., & Tosini, G. (2019). Melatonin Signaling a Key Regulator of Glucose Homeostasis and Energy Metabolism. Frontiers in endocrinology, 10, 488. https://doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2019.00488


Additional publications: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/1Foyh9UwwpD5N/bibliography/public/"