Karen Gylys, PhD, MS, BSN
Professor and Chair
Physiological Nursing
School of Nursing

Dr. Gylys earned a diploma and then a B.S. degree in Nursing, followed by a M.S. degree in Human Development at the University of Texas, Dallas. She received her Ph.D. in Neuroscience, with a major in neuropharmacology, at UCLA in 1993, and did postdoctoral work on molecular mechanisms of opioid tolereance.

Her laboratory research is focused on understanding the dysfunction and loss of synapses that occurs in Alzheimer's disease (AD), and she has pioneered the use of flow cytometry for the analysis of synaptosomes. Her projects use primarily human postmortem AD samples and mouse models of the disease. Research interests include neuroinflammation and APOE risk for AD, the single biggest genetic risk, which can also be also protective. Recent projects have isolated brain cell types from human postmortem samples in order to study microglial and astrocyte effects on AD progression. New projects look at exosomes as biomarkers for AD, and as mechanisms in AD pathology and signaling between cortical cell types.

• α-Synuclein in blood exosomes immunoprecipitated using neuronal and oligodendroglial markers distinguishes Parkinson's disease from multiple system atrophy.
  Acta neuropathologica 2021 Dutta S, Hornung S, Kruayatidee A, Maina KN, Del Rosario I, Paul KC, Wong DY, Duarte Folle A, Markovic D, Palma JA, Serrano GE, Adler CH, Perlman SL, Poon WW, Kang UJ, Alcalay RN, Sklerov M, Gylys KH,…
• Pharmacological inhibition of nSMase2 reduces brain exosome release and α-synuclein pathology in a Parkinson's disease model.
  Molecular brain 2021 Zhu C, Bilousova T, Focht S, Jun M, Elias CJ, Melnik M, Chandra S, Campagna J, Cohn W, Hatami A, Spilman P, Gylys KH, John V
• Dual Neutral Sphingomyelinase-2/Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors for the Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease.
  ACS chemical biology 2020 Bilousova T, Simmons BJ, Knapp RR, Elias CJ, Campagna J, Melnik M, Chandra S, Focht S, Zhu C, Vadivel K, Jagodzinska B, Cohn W, Spilman P, Gylys KH, Garg NK, John V
• Frequency of the TREM2 R47H Variant in Various Neurodegenerative Disorders.
  Alzheimer disease and associated disorders 2019 Ayer AH, Wojta K, Ramos EM, Dokuru D, Chen JA, Karydas AM, Papatriantafyllou JD, Agiomyrgiannakis D, Kamtsadeli V, Tsinia N, Sali D, Gylys KH, Agosta F, Filippi M, Small GW, Bennett DA, Gearing M, …
• Apolipoprotein E/Amyloid-β Complex Accumulates in Alzheimer Disease Cortical Synapses via Apolipoprotein E Receptors and Is Enhanced by APOE4.
  The American journal of pathology 2019 Bilousova T, Melnik M, Miyoshi E, Gonzalez BL, Poon WW, Vinters HV, Miller CA, Corrada MM, Kawas C, Hatami A, Albay R, Glabe C, Gylys KH
• Suppression of tau propagation using an inhibitor that targets the DK-switch of nSMase2.
  Biochemical and biophysical research communications 2018 Bilousova T, Elias C, Miyoshi E, Alam MP, Zhu C, Campagna J, Vadivel K, Jagodzinska B, Gylys KH, John V
• Neuronal pentraxin 1: A synaptic-derived plasma biomarker in Alzheimer's disease.
  Neurobiology of disease 2018 Ma QL, Teng E, Zuo X, Jones M, Teter B, Zhao EY, Zhu C, Bilousova T, Gylys KH, Apostolova LG, LaDu MJ, Hossain MA, Frautschy SA, Cole GM
• Tau Spread, Apolipoprotein E, Inflammation, and More: Rapidly Evolving Basic Science in Alzheimer Disease.
  Neurologic clinics 2017 Gonzalez B, Abud EM, Abud AM, Poon WW, Gylys KH
• iPSC-Derived Human Microglia-like Cells to Study Neurological Diseases.
  Neuron 2017 Abud EM, Ramirez RN, Martinez ES, Healy LM, Nguyen CHH, Newman SA, Yeromin AV, Scarfone VM, Marsh SE, Fimbres C, Caraway CA, Fote GM, Madany AM, Agrawal A, Kayed R, Gylys KH, Cahalan MD, Cummings BJ, …
• Flow Cytometry Analysis and Quantitative Characterization of Tau in Synaptosomes from Alzheimer's Disease Brains.
  Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.) 2017 Gylys KH, Bilousova T
• Pharmacological Rescue of Long-Term Potentiation in Alzheimer Diseased Synapses.
  The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience 2016 Prieto GA, Trieu BH, Dang CT, Bilousova T, Gylys KH, Berchtold NC, Lynch G, Cotman CW
• Altered brain energetics induces mitochondrial fission arrest in Alzheimer's Disease.
  Scientific reports 2016 Zhang L, Trushin S, Christensen TA, Bachmeier BV, Gateno B, Schroeder A, Yao J, Itoh K, Sesaki H, Poon WW, Gylys KH, Patterson ER, Parisi JE, Diaz Brinton R, Salisbury JL, Trushina E
• Synaptic Amyloid-β Oligomers Precede p-Tau and Differentiate High Pathology Control Cases.
  The American journal of pathology 2016 Bilousova T, Miller CA, Poon WW, Vinters HV, Corrada M, Kawas C, Hayden EY, Teplow DB, Glabe C, Albay R, Cole GM, Teng E, Gylys KH
• Alzheimer risk genes modulate the relationship between plasma apoE and cortical PiB binding.
  Neurology. Genetics 2015 Lazaris A, Hwang KS, Goukasian N, Ramirez LM, Eastman J, Blanken AE, Teng E, Gylys K, Cole G, Saykin AJ, Shaw LM, Trojanowski JQ, Jagust WJ, Weiner MW, Apostolova LG, Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging …
• Plasma BDNF levels associate with Pittsburgh compound B binding in the brain.
  Alzheimer's & dementia (Amsterdam, Netherlands) 2015 Hwang KS, Lazaris AS, Eastman JA, Teng E, Thompson PM, Gylys KH, Cole GM, Apostolova LG, Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative
• Loss of endophilin-B1 exacerbates Alzheimer's disease pathology.
  Brain : a journal of neurology 2015 Wang DB, Kinoshita Y, Kinoshita C, Uo T, Sopher BL, Cudaback E, Keene CD, Bilousova T, Gylys K, Case A, Jayadev S, Wang HG, Garden GA, Morrison RS
• Pre-synaptic C-terminal truncated tau is released from cortical synapses in Alzheimer's disease.
  Journal of neurochemistry 2015 Sokolow S, Henkins KM, Bilousova T, Gonzalez B, Vinters HV, Miller CA, Cornwell L, Poon WW, Gylys KH
• Low plasma ApoE levels are associated with smaller hippocampal size in the Alzheimer's disease neuroimaging initiative cohort.
  Dementia and geriatric cognitive disorders 2014 Teng E, Chow N, Hwang KS, Thompson PM, Gylys KH, Cole GM, Jack CR, Shaw LM, Trojanowski JQ, Soares HD, Weiner MW, Apostolova LG, Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative
• rLOAD: does sex mediate the effect of acute antiplatelet loading on stroke outcome.
  Biology of sex differences 2014 Meyer DM, Eastwood JA, Compton MP, Gylys K, Zivin JA
• Antiplatelet loading improves behavioral outcome in a rabbit model of stroke.
  Stroke 2013 Meyer DM, Compton P, Eastwood JA, Gylys K, Zivin JA
• Levels of soluble apolipoprotein E/amyloid-β (Aβ) complex are reduced and oligomeric Aβ increased with APOE4 and Alzheimer disease in a transgenic mouse model and human samples.
  The Journal of biological chemistry 2013 Tai LM, Bilousova T, Jungbauer L, Roeske SK, Youmans KL, Yu C, Poon WW, Cornwell LB, Miller CA, Vinters HV, Van Eldik LJ, Fardo DW, Estus S, Bu G, Gylys KH, Ladu MJ
• Conformation-dependent oligomers in cerebrospinal fluid of presymptomatic familial Alzheimer's disease mutation carriers.
  Dementia and geriatric cognitive disorders extra 2012 Ringman JM, Tomic JL, Coppola G, Elashoff D, Gylys KH, Glabe CG
• Oral curcumin for Alzheimer's disease: tolerability and efficacy in a 24-week randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled study.
  Alzheimer's research & therapy 2012 Ringman JM, Frautschy SA, Teng E, Begum AN, Bardens J, Beigi M, Gylys KH, Badmaev V, Heath DD, Apostolova LG, Porter V, Vanek Z, Marshall GA, Hellemann G, Sugar C, Masterman DL, Montine TJ, Cummings …
• Plasma signaling proteins in persons at genetic risk for Alzheimer disease: influence of APOE genotype.
  Archives of neurology 2012 Ringman JM, Elashoff D, Geschwind DH, Welsh BT, Gylys KH, Lee C, Cummings JL, Cole GM
• Extensive p-tau pathology and SDS-stable p-tau oligomers in Alzheimer's cortical synapses.
  Brain pathology (Zurich, Switzerland) 2012 Henkins KM, Sokolow S, Miller CA, Vinters HV, Poon WW, Cornwell LB, Saing T, Gylys KH
• Plasma methionine sulfoxide in persons with familial Alzheimer's disease mutations.
  Dementia and geriatric cognitive disorders 2012 Ringman JM, Fithian AT, Gylys K, Cummings JL, Coppola G, Elashoff D, Pratico D, Moskovitz J, Bitan G
• Cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers and proximity to diagnosis in preclinical familial Alzheimer's disease.
  Dementia and geriatric cognitive disorders 2012 Ringman JM, Coppola G, Elashoff D, Rodriguez-Agudelo Y, Medina LD, Gylys K, Cummings JL, Cole GM
• Proteomic changes in cerebrospinal fluid of presymptomatic and affected persons carrying familial Alzheimer disease mutations.
  Archives of neurology 2012 Ringman JM, Schulman H, Becker C, Jones T, Bai Y, Immermann F, Cole G, Sokolow S, Gylys K, Geschwind DH, Cummings JL, Wan HI
• Isolation of synaptic terminals from Alzheimer's disease cortex.
  Cytometry. Part A : the journal of the International Society for Analytical Cytology 2011 Sokolow S, Henkins KM, Williams IA, Vinters HV, Schmid I, Cole GM, Gylys KH
• Apolipoprotein E level and cholesterol are associated with reduced synaptic amyloid beta in Alzheimer's disease and apoE TR mouse cortex.
  Acta neuropathologica 2011 Arold S, Sullivan P, Bilousova T, Teng E, Miller CA, Poon WW, Vinters HV, Cornwell LB, Saing T, Cole GM, Gylys KH
• Preferential accumulation of amyloid-beta in presynaptic glutamatergic terminals (VGluT1 and VGluT2) in Alzheimer's disease cortex.
  Neurobiology of disease 2011 Sokolow S, Luu SH, Nandy K, Miller CA, Vinters HV, Poon WW, Gylys KH
• AD synapses contain abundant Aβ monomer and multiple soluble oligomers, including a 56-kDa assembly.
  Neurobiology of aging 2011 Sokolow S, Henkins KM, Bilousova T, Miller CA, Vinters HV, Poon W, Cole GM, Gylys KH
• Sex differences in antiplatelet response in ischemic stroke.
  Women's health (London, England) 2011 Meyer DM, Eastwood JA, Compton MP, Gylys K, Zivin JA, Ovbiagele B
• Longitudinal change in CSF biomarkers in a presymptomatic carrier of an APP mutation.
  Neurology 2011 Ringman JM, Taylor K, Teng E, Coppola G, Gylys K
• High levels of synaptosomal Na(+)-Ca(2+) exchangers (NCX1, NCX2, NCX3) co-localized with amyloid-beta in human cerebral cortex affected by Alzheimer's disease.
  Cell calcium 2011 Sokolow S, Luu SH, Headley AJ, Hanson AY, Kim T, Miller CA, Vinters HV, Gylys KH
• Biochemical, neuropathological, and neuroimaging characteristics of early-onset Alzheimer's disease due to a novel PSEN1 mutation.
  Neuroscience letters 2010 Ringman JM, Gylys KH, Medina LD, Fox M, Kepe V, Flores DL, Apostolova LG, Barrio JR, Small G, Silverman DH, Siu E, Cederbaum S, Hecimovic S, Malnar M, Chakraverty S, Goate AM, Bird TD, Leverenz JB
• Smoking enhances risk for new external genital warts in men.
  International journal of environmental research and public health 2009 Wiley DJ, Elashoff D, Masongsong EV, Harper DM, Gylys KH, Silverberg MJ, Cook RL, Johnson-Hill LM
• Biochemical markers in persons with preclinical familial Alzheimer disease.
  Neurology 2008 Ringman JM, Younkin SG, Pratico D, Seltzer W, Cole GM, Geschwind DH, Rodriguez-Agudelo Y, Schaffer B, Fein J, Sokolow S, Rosario ER, Gylys KH, Varpetian A, Medina LD, Cummings JL
• Co-localization of amyloid beta and tau pathology in Alzheimer's disease synaptosomes.
  The American journal of pathology 2008 Fein JA, Sokolow S, Miller CA, Vinters HV, Yang F, Cole GM, Gylys KH
• Smokers at higher risk for undetected antibody for oncogenic human papillomavirus type 16 infection.
  Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention : a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, cosponsored by the American Society of Preventive Oncology 2006 Wiley DJ, Wiesmeier E, Masongsong E, Gylys KH, Koutsky LA, Ferris DG, Barr E, Yu Rao J, Proof of Principle Study Investigative Group
• Increased cholesterol in Abeta-positive nerve terminals from Alzheimer's disease cortex.
  Neurobiology of aging 2005 Gylys KH, Fein JA, Yang F, Miller CA, Cole GM
• Synaptic changes in Alzheimer's disease: increased amyloid-beta and gliosis in surviving terminals is accompanied by decreased PSD-95 fluorescence.
  The American journal of pathology 2004 Gylys KH, Fein JA, Yang F, Wiley DJ, Miller CA, Cole GM
• Enrichment of presynaptic and postsynaptic markers by size-based gating analysis of synaptosome preparations from rat and human cortex.
  Cytometry. Part A : the journal of the International Society for Analytical Cytology 2004 Gylys KH, Fein JA, Yang F, Cole GM
• Rapid annexin-V labeling in synaptosomes.
  Neurochemistry international 2004 Gylys KH, Fein JA, Wiley DJ, Cole GM
• Apolipoprotein E enhances uptake of soluble but not aggregated amyloid-beta protein into synaptic terminals.
  Journal of neurochemistry 2003 Gylys KH, Fein JA, Tan AM, Cole GM
• Quantitative characterization of crude synaptosomal fraction (P-2) components by flow cytometry.
  Journal of neuroscience research 2000 Gylys KH, Fein JA, Cole GM
• Selectivity of hemicholinium mustard, an affinity ligand, for the high-affinity choline transport system.
  Neuropharmacology 1997 Gylys KH, Abdalah I, Jenden DJ
• Regulation of acetylcholine synthesis in the presence of hemicholinium mustard.
  Life sciences 1996 Gylys KH, Jenden DJ
• Characterization of the irreversible inhibition of high-affinity choline transport produced by hemicholinium mustard.
  Journal of neurochemistry 1992 Gylys KH, Mellin C, Amstutz R, Jenden DJ