After a couple years of helping the Dougherty lab to streamline its ordering, organization, and purging of mystery tubes–to say nothing of his efforts on several projects regarding glia and regulatory genetic variation–our staff scientist, Sean Brophy, is headed downstairs as the lab manager of the Johnathan Kipnis lab.
The Kipnis lab is currently still at University of Virginia, and world-renowned for the discovery of a glia-mediated lymphatic-like vessel system in the CNS, the “glymphatic” system. This is thought to play a role in clearance of waste metabolites and potentially of harmful cellular materials–like the proteins that accumulate in neurodegenerative disease–especially during sleep. Sean will be taking on a dedicated lab management role with their group, including some travel back and forth to Virginia while they transition to Wash U. We’re excited to see Sean moving forward into another neuroscience-glia lab, and look forward to seeing him around campus and having the Kipnis group join us here at Wash U!