Dr. Craig Atwood, Associate Professor
Joined ERP Program 2005
Department Name: Geriatrics and Adult Development; General Medicine
Home Page
Mailing Address: D4219 Vetrans Administration Hospital, 2500 Overlook Terrace, Madison, WI 53706
Telephone: (608) 256-1901
Email: csa@medicine.wisc.edu
Background:
| Institution | Degree | Year | Field of Study |
| The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia |
B. Sc. (Hons.) | 1984 | Biochemistry, Organic Chemistry |
| The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia |
Ph.D. | 1993 | Biochemistry |
Professional Experience:
| 1987-1989 | Research Assistant (Level 1/2), Department of Biochemistry, The University of Western Australia Nedlands, Western Australia |
| 1989-1993 | Research Assistant ( Level 3) Department of Biochemistry, The University of Western Australia Nedlands, Western Australia |
| 1993-1995 | Fogarty Fellow, Laobratory of Mollecular and Cellular Endocrinology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA |
| 1995-1996 | Research Fellow in Neurology, Genetics and Aging Unit, Neurosciences Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA |
| 1996-2000 | Assistant Biochemist, Genetics and Aging Unit, Neurosciences Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA |
| 2000-2003 | Assistant Professor, Institute of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH |
| 2003 - Present | Health Science Specialist, William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Administration Hospital, Madison, WI |
| 2003 - 2007 | Assistant Professor, Section of Geriatrics and Gerontology - University of Wisconsin- Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI |
| 2007 - Present | Associate Professor, Section of Geriatrics and Gerontology - University of Wisconsin- Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI |
Honors and Awards:
- 1998 Sixth International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease & Related Disorders -Travel Award
- 1996 Fifth International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease & Related Disorders -Travel Award
- 1995 Gordon Conference Award, Best Poster Award at the Mammary Gland Biology Conference, New London, NH
- 1992 Organon Young Investigators Award, for ‘Best Scientific Presentation’ at the National Scientific Conference of the Australian Sports Medicine Federation, Perth, Western Australia
- 1991 Beckman Student Prize for best poster presentation at the Combined Biological Sciences Scientific Meeting, Perth, Western Australia
- 1990 Nutrition Society of Australia Travel Award
- 1985 The University of Western Australia Sporting Achievement – Blue Award, Perth, Western Australia
Research Statement:
Research in my laboratory draws together our interests and expertise in reproductive endocrinology and neuroscience in order to examine experimentally the hormonal regulation of aging and Alzheimer's disease. The basic premise behind our research is that hormones that regulate reproduction in mammals act in an antagonistic pleiotrophic manner to control aging via cell cycle signaling; promoting growth and development early in life in order to achieve reproduction, but later in life, in a futile attempt to maintain reproduction, become dysregulated and drive senescence (Bowen and Atwood, 2004). In essence, we believe that reproductive hormones regulate our aging by modulating the life cycle of cells. My laboratory examines two major research themes. The first research theme examines the role of HPG hormones in modulating healthy aging and lifespan, with an emphasis on gene expression, utilizing pituitary hormone lowering drugs to dissect hormonal pathways that promote longevity and their mechanism of action, and developing strategies to reverse or halt these hormonal declines. The second theme examines the role of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis in neurodegeneration associated with Alzheimer's disease (i.e. in synaptic and neuronal loss, amyloid deposition and neurofibrillary tangle formation). This research has been instrumental in the implementation of an anti-gonadotropin drug into Phase 3 clinical trials for the treatment of AD (Voyager Pharmaceutical Corp., Raleigh , NC).
Current Grant Funding:
| Funding Period | Project |
| 04/01/07 - 03/31/12 | Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer's Prevention. Co-Investigator. NIH/National Institute of Aging. |
Current ERP Students
| Kentaro Hayashi | hayashi3@wisc.edu | PhD |
Former ERP Trainees:
Miguel Gallego, MS, 8/07
MS Thesis " Human chorionic gonadotropin mediates the proliferation and differentiation of human embryonic stem cells : obligatory role of progesterone in neural induction"
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Prashob Porayette, MS, 6/07
MS Thesis: "Pleiotropic functions of the amyloid-[beta] precursor protein in the growth and development of human embyonic stem cells"
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