Shannon Macauley
@macauleylab.bsky.social
Associate Prof, PhD, wife, mom. Alzheimer’s disease | metabolism | sleep| glia | I ❤️ lactate | macauleylab.com
**views are mine, not my employer**
**views are mine, not my employer**
We used quantitative EEG analysis to assess changes in sleep macro and micro-architecture. We found tau pathology disrupts NREM and REM sleep, specific to the light period, but compromising beta activity which normally reflects cortical synchrony and GABA activity.
January 23, 2026 at 6:13 PM
We used quantitative EEG analysis to assess changes in sleep macro and micro-architecture. We found tau pathology disrupts NREM and REM sleep, specific to the light period, but compromising beta activity which normally reflects cortical synchrony and GABA activity.
EEG recordings confirmed this state of hyperexcitability and lack of coordination among brain networks, while wide field optical imaging showed exaggerated responses of excitatory neurons to sensory stimulation, despite less glutamatergic neurons, confirming hyperexcitability in the system.
January 23, 2026 at 6:13 PM
EEG recordings confirmed this state of hyperexcitability and lack of coordination among brain networks, while wide field optical imaging showed exaggerated responses of excitatory neurons to sensory stimulation, despite less glutamatergic neurons, confirming hyperexcitability in the system.
By tracing how glucose is used in the brain, we discovered that tau redirects glucose toward making glutamate and not ATP. This increased excitatory activity, reduced inhibition. This creates E/I imbalance that favors overexcitation, even though brain's mitochondria remains intact.
January 23, 2026 at 6:13 PM
By tracing how glucose is used in the brain, we discovered that tau redirects glucose toward making glutamate and not ATP. This increased excitatory activity, reduced inhibition. This creates E/I imbalance that favors overexcitation, even though brain's mitochondria remains intact.
In this study, we show that tau pathology rewires how the brain uses energy, causes hyperexcitability, network desynchrony, and sleep loss. In mice, we found that tau surprisingly preserves normal body-wide metabolism and daily fluctuations in metabolic rhythms typically lost with aging.
January 23, 2026 at 6:13 PM
In this study, we show that tau pathology rewires how the brain uses energy, causes hyperexcitability, network desynchrony, and sleep loss. In mice, we found that tau surprisingly preserves normal body-wide metabolism and daily fluctuations in metabolic rhythms typically lost with aging.
December 14, 2025 at 3:33 PM
December 12, 2025 at 10:08 PM
December 11, 2025 at 9:44 PM
#ArtAdventCalendar, Day 10
Watercolor, alcohol inks, acrylics. Inspired by Ramon y Cajal and Greg Dunn’s work.
Watercolor, alcohol inks, acrylics. Inspired by Ramon y Cajal and Greg Dunn’s work.
December 10, 2025 at 7:46 PM
#ArtAdventCalendar, Day 10
Watercolor, alcohol inks, acrylics. Inspired by Ramon y Cajal and Greg Dunn’s work.
Watercolor, alcohol inks, acrylics. Inspired by Ramon y Cajal and Greg Dunn’s work.
December 8, 2025 at 9:23 PM
I forgot about this!
#ArtAdventCalendar Day 7
Watercolor, mouse, EVs.
Painted it for my student after we discovered a method to isolate EVs from the interstitial fluid of the mouse’s brain (Pait et al, 2023).
#ArtAdventCalendar Day 7
Watercolor, mouse, EVs.
Painted it for my student after we discovered a method to isolate EVs from the interstitial fluid of the mouse’s brain (Pait et al, 2023).
December 7, 2025 at 4:57 PM
I forgot about this!
#ArtAdventCalendar Day 7
Watercolor, mouse, EVs.
Painted it for my student after we discovered a method to isolate EVs from the interstitial fluid of the mouse’s brain (Pait et al, 2023).
#ArtAdventCalendar Day 7
Watercolor, mouse, EVs.
Painted it for my student after we discovered a method to isolate EVs from the interstitial fluid of the mouse’s brain (Pait et al, 2023).
So very pretty! Iba1, Cmec7a, Amylo-glo. Courtesy of @clairashley.bsky.social
December 5, 2025 at 4:54 AM
So very pretty! Iba1, Cmec7a, Amylo-glo. Courtesy of @clairashley.bsky.social
We're very excited for our upcoming CNS Metabolism Symposium at University of Kentucky! We have a great line up of speakers, including our ATP Showcase and a keynote from Dr. Tim Ryan!
Register now!
uky.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...
Register now!
uky.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...
November 24, 2025 at 6:00 PM
We're very excited for our upcoming CNS Metabolism Symposium at University of Kentucky! We have a great line up of speakers, including our ATP Showcase and a keynote from Dr. Tim Ryan!
Register now!
uky.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...
Register now!
uky.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...
At SFN? Check out Dr. Karina Meyer-Acosta’s talk on APOE, neurodevelopment, and network formation using organoids. We were lucky to have Kaisha join the lab earlier this fall from Dr. Jenny Hsieh’s lab for her postdoc!
November 18, 2025 at 6:30 PM
At SFN? Check out Dr. Karina Meyer-Acosta’s talk on APOE, neurodevelopment, and network formation using organoids. We were lucky to have Kaisha join the lab earlier this fall from Dr. Jenny Hsieh’s lab for her postdoc!
At #SFN2025? Stop by @ncons95.bsky.social and Sierra’s posters to learn about research from the lab!
November 17, 2025 at 5:03 PM
At #SFN2025? Stop by @ncons95.bsky.social and Sierra’s posters to learn about research from the lab!
Macauley Lab- dressed to impress- at the Markesbery Symposium! @uksbcoa.bsky.social
October 31, 2025 at 2:15 PM
Macauley Lab- dressed to impress- at the Markesbery Symposium! @uksbcoa.bsky.social
Pretty Fluorescent Friday by Sierra Turner!
October 11, 2025 at 4:39 PM
Pretty Fluorescent Friday by Sierra Turner!
Macauley Lab representing at the Walk to End Alzheimer’s!
October 5, 2025 at 9:05 PM
Macauley Lab representing at the Walk to End Alzheimer’s!
Confocal bat signal! Or Ant-man maybe? Guess that makes Clair our lab’s super hero!!!
September 12, 2025 at 10:52 PM
Confocal bat signal! Or Ant-man maybe? Guess that makes Clair our lab’s super hero!!!
Absolutely fantastic talk and visit with @mzilberter.bsky.social ! Thanks so much for coming to visit us in Kentucky and sharing your elegant work, Misha!
September 10, 2025 at 1:44 AM
Absolutely fantastic talk and visit with @mzilberter.bsky.social ! Thanks so much for coming to visit us in Kentucky and sharing your elegant work, Misha!
I’m absolutely elated to hear our UK Prep R25 received its NOA for this year! So glad our lab’s very own, Sierra Turner, can continue on in this program!!!
August 21, 2025 at 11:50 PM
I’m absolutely elated to hear our UK Prep R25 received its NOA for this year! So glad our lab’s very own, Sierra Turner, can continue on in this program!!!
What a day for the lab!
Clair Ashley CRUSHED her quals and is officially a PhD candidate!
Amunet Jacobs, MD/PhD student, got her white coat and is officially part of the lab!
Nick Constantino got not one but two awards!!
1) Poster award at CASH-KY Symposium & 2) SFN Trainee Development Award!
Clair Ashley CRUSHED her quals and is officially a PhD candidate!
Amunet Jacobs, MD/PhD student, got her white coat and is officially part of the lab!
Nick Constantino got not one but two awards!!
1) Poster award at CASH-KY Symposium & 2) SFN Trainee Development Award!
August 16, 2025 at 12:29 PM
What a day for the lab!
Clair Ashley CRUSHED her quals and is officially a PhD candidate!
Amunet Jacobs, MD/PhD student, got her white coat and is officially part of the lab!
Nick Constantino got not one but two awards!!
1) Poster award at CASH-KY Symposium & 2) SFN Trainee Development Award!
Clair Ashley CRUSHED her quals and is officially a PhD candidate!
Amunet Jacobs, MD/PhD student, got her white coat and is officially part of the lab!
Nick Constantino got not one but two awards!!
1) Poster award at CASH-KY Symposium & 2) SFN Trainee Development Award!
Macauley Lab 2025! What a fantastic group to work with! 🧠 🔬
August 14, 2025 at 7:10 PM
Macauley Lab 2025! What a fantastic group to work with! 🧠 🔬
My attempts to paint more- small watercolors of 1) Owl seen in Whistler at recent Keystone conference & 2) Gull (or sandpiper maybe?) from trip to CT to visit family.
Diggin my painted memories...
I seem to be in a bird phase…
Diggin my painted memories...
I seem to be in a bird phase…
July 7, 2025 at 3:29 AM
My attempts to paint more- small watercolors of 1) Owl seen in Whistler at recent Keystone conference & 2) Gull (or sandpiper maybe?) from trip to CT to visit family.
Diggin my painted memories...
I seem to be in a bird phase…
Diggin my painted memories...
I seem to be in a bird phase…
Needed to escape into art. Watercolor doodle of a Carolina Chickadee/Black Capped Chickadee. Couldn’t really tell which was dining at our bird feeders.
June 1, 2025 at 2:56 AM
Needed to escape into art. Watercolor doodle of a Carolina Chickadee/Black Capped Chickadee. Couldn’t really tell which was dining at our bird feeders.
Relieved, grateful, and most of excited to continue exploring how metabolic reprogramming contributes to Alzheimer’s disease progression.
Thankful for our CART grant and recent NOA from the NIA to support this work.
Thankful for our CART grant and recent NOA from the NIA to support this work.
May 21, 2025 at 2:32 PM
Relieved, grateful, and most of excited to continue exploring how metabolic reprogramming contributes to Alzheimer’s disease progression.
Thankful for our CART grant and recent NOA from the NIA to support this work.
Thankful for our CART grant and recent NOA from the NIA to support this work.