Michael Walter Jakowec, PhD, joined the faculty of the USC Mann School’s Titus Family Department of Clinical Pharmacy as Professor of Clinical Pharmacy (teaching track) in May 2024. Previously, Dr. Jakowec was Professor of Research Neurology at Keck School of Medicine of USC.
The primary focus of research in Dr. Jakowec’s laboratory is to better understand the underlying molecular mechanisms involved in neuroplasticity in the injured brain with the emphasis on the basal ganglia and prefrontal cortex, regions of the brain responsible for motor and cognitive behaviors.The overarching goal is to find improved therapeutic approaches for brain disorders especially Parkinson’s disease and drug addiction. For the past 20 years the laboratory has examined the effects of exercise on promoting neuroplasticity, particularly synaptogenesis in animal models of Parkinson’s disease. In addition to non-pharmacological approaches to promote brain repair, ongoing studies are using an experimental therapeutics approach to explore pharmacological interventions to determine if novel drugs can serve as a means to enhance brain repair, especially in the context of exercise. Recent studies have focused on the mechanisms by which astrocytes support neuronal function as well as mechanisms by which boosting mitochondrial integrity can promote improved functional connectivity and restoration of motor and cognitive behaviors.
Studies in the laboratory employ a wide spectrum of technical approaches including cell culture, analysis of gene expression (qRT-PCR, microarray, RNAseq), analysis of protein expression (western immunoblotting, immunohistochemistry), microscopy (bright field, florescence, confocal), Golgi staining, HPLC analysis of neurochemsitry (dopamine, serotonin, and their metabolites), FACS analysis, functional neuroimaging in rodent models, cognitive and motor behaviors in rodent models of disease, and toxicological (MPTP, 6-OHDA) and transgenic models of neurological disease. A major goal of these basic research studies is to translate findings to clinical and community settings. Studies in collaboration with Giselle Petzinger, MD, Daniel Holschneider, MD, Beth Fisher, PhD/PT and colleagues have extended studies to patients with Parkinson’s disease where neuroimaging, biokinematics, and cognitive testing approaches have resulted in the direct translation of basic research findings to patients such that exercise is now considered a critical component of the standard of care.
Education and teaching, both in the laboratory and classroom are critical in training the next generation of scientists and medical professionals. Dr. Jakowec has designed and is a lecturer in several courses offered in the undergraduate and graduate programs within the USC Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences including several courses focused on neuropharmacology and neurological disorders. These course offer undergraduate students a unique opportunity to better understand neurological disorders, the underlying neuropharmacological and molecular mechanisms, current therapeutic treatments, gaps in knowledge and most importantly opportunities to discovery novel therapeutic targets. Research in the laboratory complements classroom studies and allows students from the spectrum of undergraduates, to Master’s , and Doctoral levels to explore the frontiers of basic and transnational research.