Research Overview —
Peripheral nerve damage and neuropathic pain is an understudied and common complication of neurodegenerative diseases. Abnormalities in the peripheral nervous system may contribute to central nervous system dysfunction and cognitive decline. While this is part of a bigger question, my current focus is on why there is a neuropathy phenotype present clinically in patients with dementia. I am using a preclinical mouse model that overexpresses human mutant tau protein. My current projects explore mechanisms of tau-mediated damage in the peripheral nervous system, specifically focused on neuronal and immune system signaling. The model I am using allows the most potential translation to patients with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy, but the goal is to extend these studies to other diseases such as Alzheimer’s Disease.
Publications —
Niraula S, Doderer JJ, Indulkar S, Berry KP, Hauser WL, L'Esperance OJ, Deng JZ, Keeter G, Rouse AG, Subramanian J. (2023). Excitation-inhibition imbalance disrupts visual familiarity in amyloid and non-pathology conditions. Cell Rep.; 42(1):111946
Niraula S, Hauser WL, Rouse AG, Subramanian J. (2023). Repeated passive visual experience modulates spontaneous and non-familiar stimuli-evoked neural activity. Sci Rep.; 13(1):20907.
Thomas S, Enders J, Kaiser A, Rovenstine L, Heslop L, Hauser W, Chadwick A, Wright D. (2023). Abnormal intraepidermal nerve fiber density in disease: A scoping review. Front Neurol.; 14:1161077.
Hauser W, Drummond V, Ryals J, Wilkins H, Wright, D. (2024). C-Fiber Damage in a Mouse Model of Alzheimer's Disease. The Journal of Pain. 25. 41-42. (US Association for the Study of Pain (USASP), Seattle, WA, April 2024.)
Totta-Griese G, Enders, Ryals J, Heslop L, Hauser W, Wright D. (2024). Methylglyoxal, A Noxious Metabolite, Drives Nociceptive Axon Loss in The Skin. The Journal of Pain. 25. 17. (US Association for the Study of Pain (USASP), Seattle, WA, April 2024.)
Presentations —
Heslop, L., Madden, T., Totta-Griese, G., Hauser, W., Crowards, S., Ryals, J., Wilkins, H., and Wright, D. Impact Of A Ketogenic Diet On Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy. (US Association for the Study of Pain (USASP), Chicago IL, April 2025.
Crowards, S., Heslop, L., Totta-Griese, G., Hauser, W., Madden, T., Ryals, J., and Wright, D. TLR4 Deficiency Protects Against Inflammation and Neuropathy in a Diabetic Mouse Model. (US Association for the Study of Pain (USASP), Chicago IL, April 2025.)
Hauser, W., Csikos, V., Ryals, J., Heslop, L., Crowards, S., Totta-Griese, G., Madden, T., Wilkins, H., and Wright, D. C-Fiber Damage and Sensory Abnormalities in a Tauopathy Mouse Model. (US Association for the Study of Pain (USASP), Chicago IL, April 2025).
Totta-Griese, G., Enders, J., Madden, T., Heslop, L., Hauser, W., Crowards, S., and Wright, D. Nociceptors Require SARM1 for Methylglyoxal-Induced Axon Degeneration. (US Association for the Study of Pain (USASP), Chicago IL, April 2025.)
Madden, T., Crowards, S., Chadwick, A., Totta-Griese, G., Heslop, L., Hauser, W., and Wright, D. Opioid-Induced Axon Degeneration is Associated with Toll-Like Receptor 4. (US Association for the Study of Pain (USASP), Chicago IL, April 2025.)
Awards and Honors —
Awards: Pain and Aging SIG speaker at US Association for the Study of Pain (USASP), Seattle, WA, April 2024
Fellowships: Madison and Lila Self Graduate Fellowship, Mabel A. Woodyard Fellowship in Neurodegenerative Disorders