Nicole (Nikki) Maphis, PhD 

University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center Dept. Neurosciences 

Email (as a link) Nmaphis@salud.unm.edu 

Education: 

• ASERT Postdoctoral Fellow, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM 2021- Present 
• PhD Biomedical Sciences, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM 2021 
• BA Zoology, Psychology, minor Neuroscience, Miami University, Oxford, OH 2006  

Teaching: 

Teaching Mentor: Christine Woods, PhD, Faculty Math, Science and Engineering, Central New Mexico Community College 

Courses Taught 

• Neurobiology of Disease, Biomedical Sciences Neurosciences Graduate course, University of New Mexico 
• Anatomy and Physiology I, Central New Mexico Community College (CNM) 

Current Research (One sentence synopsis): Exploring neurophysiological and molecular mechanisms behind how excessive alcohol use increases the risk of Alzheimer's disease. 

Research Mentors: 

• David Linsenbardt, PhD, Assistant Professor Dept. Neurosciences, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center 
• C. Fernando Valenzuela MD, PhD, Dept. Neurosciences, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center 

Extramural Funding: 

1. Loan Repayment Program award, Maphis (Pl), Identification of neuronal ensembles regulating risky decision-making in adolescent mice with prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE), $53,000; June 2022-June 2024 

1. 2023-2024 National Postdoctoral Impact Fellow ($1,000 towards Individual Impact Project, ‘STEM Outreach in Rural New Mexico’) 

Outreach/Diversity Equity Inclusion Accessibility: 

• Tech Trek New Mexico Tech, Summer Program for high achieving girls in STEM 
• Health Careers Seminar series at Health Sciences Rio Rancho Campus of Excellence 
• Sensation and Perception: How your brain helps you interact with the world around you, an active learning module for high school outreach.  
• President of the UNM Postdoctoral Association, (previous Vice President and Secretary). Working towards providing Work/Life Balance to Postdocs and creating networking and professional development programs geared towards Postdocs.  
• New Mexico Brain Bee, 2023, Contest Coordinator,  
• New Mexico Brain Bee, 2022, Virtual Emcee 
• New Mexico Brain Bee, 2016-2020, Emcee and student coordinator.  

Publications: 

1. Maphis NM, Jiang S, Binder J, Wright C, Gopalan B, Lamb BT and Bhaskar K (2017). Whole Genome Expression Analysis in a Mouse Model of Tauopathy Identifies MECP2 as a possible regulator of tau pathology. Front. Mol. Neurosci. Mar;17; 10:69. doi: 10.3389/fnmol.2017.00069. PMID: 28367114. 

1. Bemiller SM, Maphis NM, Formica SV, Wilson GN, Miller CM, Xu G, Kokiko-Cochran ON, Kim KW, Jung S, Cannon JL, Crish SD, Carodna AE, Lamb BT and Bhaskar K (2018). Genetically enhancing the expression of chemokine domain of Cx3cl1 fails to prevent tau pathology in a mouse model of tauopathy. J. Neuroinflamm Sep;25;15(1):278. doi: 10.1186/s12974-018-1310-6. PMID: 30253780. 

1. Maphis NM, Xu G, Kokiko-Cochran ON, Cardona A, Ransohoff RM, Lamb BT and Bhaskar K (2015). Reactive microglia drive tau pathology and contributes to the spreading of pathological tau in the brain. Brain Jun;138(Pt 6):1738-55. doi: 10.1093/brain/awv081. PMID: 25833819. 

1. Maphis NM, Xu G, Kokiko-Cochran ON, Cardona A, Ransohoff RM, Lamb BT and Bhaskar K (2015). Loss of tau rescues inflammation-mediated neurodegeneration. Frontiers in Neuroscience. Jun 3;9:196. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2015.00196. PMID: 26089772. 

1. Maphis NM, Jiang S, Xu G, Kokiko-Cochran ON, Roy SM, Van Eldik LJ, Watterson DM, Lamb BT, Bhaskar K (2016). Selective suppression of the α isoform of p38 MAPK rescues late-stage tau pathology. Alzheimers Res Ther. Dec 15;8(1):54. doi: 10.1186/s13195-016-0221-y. PMID: 27974048. PMCID: PMC515705 

1. Jiang S., Maphis NM, Binder J, Chisholm D, Weston L, Duran W, Peterson C, Zimmerman A, Mandell MA, Jett SD, Bigio E, Geula C, Mellios N, Weick JP, Rosenberg GA, Latz E, Heneka MT, Bhaskar K (2021). Proteopathic tau primes and activates interleukin-113 via myeloid-cell-specific MyD88- and NLRP3-ASC-inflammasome pathway. Cell Rep. Sep 21;36(12). doi 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109720 PMID: 34551296 

1. Maphis NM, Peabody J, Cressey E, Jiang S, Jamaleddin Ahmad FA, Alvarez M, Mansoor SK, Yaney A, Yang Y, Sillerud LO, Wilson CM, Selwyn RJ, Brigman JL, Cannon JL, Peabody DS, Chackerian B, Bhaskar K (2019). 013 Virus-like particle-based vaccine induces robust immunity and protects against tauopathy. NPJ Vaccines. Jun 3;4:26. doi: 10.1038/s41541-019-0018-4. PMID: 31231552 

1. Jiang S, Maphis NM, Binder J, Chisholm D, Weston L, Duran W, Peterson C, Zimmerman A, Mandell MA, Jett SD, Bigio E, Geula C, Mellios N, Weick JP, Rosenberg GA, Latz E, Heneka MT, Bhaskar K. Proteopathic tau primes and activates interleukin-1β via myeloid-cell-specific MyD88- and NLRP3-ASC-inflammasome pathway. Cell Rep. 2021 Sep 21;36(12):109720. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109720. PubMed PMID: 34551296; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC8491766. 

1. Binder J, Ursu O, Bologna C, Jiang S, Maphis NM, Dadras S, Chisholm D, Weick J, Myers O, Kumar P, Yang JJ, Bhaskar K, and Oprea TI (2022). Machine learning prediction and tau-based Screening identifies potential Alzheimer’s disease genes relevant to immunity. Commun Biol. Feb 11;5(1):125.doi:10/1038/s42003-022-03068-7. PMID: 35149761 

1. Maphis NM, Huffman RT, Linsebardt DN (2022). The development, but not expression, of alcohol front­ loading in C57BL/6J mice maintained on LabDiet 5001 is abolished by maintenance on Teklad 2920x rodent diet. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. May 27. doi: 10.1111/acer.14876 PMID: 35633038 

Complete List of Published Work in MyBibliography: 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/nicole.maphis.1/bibliography/public/