Jacob Theismann

Chemotherapy induced cognitive impairment, often termed “chemobrain” is increasing in prevalence as cancer outcomes improve and can inhibit the normal functions of a patient’s life. Chemobrain may present itself as reduced ability in the patient’s memory, concentration, or ability to learn. My research attempts to elucidate the mechanism of chemobrain with hopes that that the disease may be remedied. In Michael Johnson’s lab, we specialize in an electrochemical technique called Fast Scan Cyclic Voltammetry (FSCV) to measure neurotransmitter release in the brains of model animals. Using this technique, we can quantify things like dopamine, serotonin, and adenosine, as well as characterize receptor or transporter functionality within the tissue. This information can be coupled with behavioral analysis, fluorescence and sequencing data to provide data that spans multiple levels of chemical biology, from the genome to organismal level.