https://medicine.ouhsc.edu/academic-departments Parent Page: Academic Departments id: 33475 Active Page: Adjunctid:33711

Adjunct Faculty

Heather Rice, PhD
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Heather Rice, PhD

Assistant Professor


975 NE 10th Street, BRC 1368
Oklahoma City, OK  73104

405-271-8000 (Extn:47815)

heather-rice@ouhsc.edu


Education:

  • B.S. 2007, University of Oklahoma, Zoology-Biomedical Sciences
  • Ph.D. 2013, Harvard University, Neurobiology
  • Postdoctoral Fellowship 2013-2019, VIB-KU Leuven, Belgium


Clinical/Research Interests:

  • Alzheimer’s Disease
  • Amyloid Precursor Protein (APP)
  • Synaptic Transmission
  • GABA Receptor Signaling in Neurons and Glia
  • GABAergic Interneurons
  • Sushi Domains

The molecular mechanisms regulating the normal function of the Amyloid Precursor Protein (APP) has largely remained elusive despite its central role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease. Dr. Rice recently identified the GABA type B receptor subunit 1a (GABABR1a) as a synaptic receptor for the shed APP ectodomain (sAPP) and revealed a physiological role for sAPP in regulating GABABR1a function to modulate synaptic transmission.

Current work of the lab is aimed at further dissecting the role of APP in specific cell types of the brain and determining the consequences of this signaling on brain circuitry and disease pathways.  The lab aims to exploit this normal function of APP to counteract disease processes and develop novel strategies for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.


Select Publications:

Rice HC, de Malmazet D, Schreurs A, Frere S, Van Molle I, Volkov O, Creemers E, Vertkin I, Ranaivoson F, Nys J, Comoletti D, Savas JN, Remaut H, Balschun D, Wierda KD, Slutsky I, Farrow K, De Strooper B, de Wit J. (2019) Secreted Amyloid-β Precursor Protein Functions as a GABABR1a Ligand to Modulate Synaptic Transmission. Science. 363(6423). doi: 10.1126/science.aao4827