Skip to main content
Landing Pages / Profile
Photo of  Agnes Luo, PHD

Agnes Luo, PHD

Professor

Vice Chair for Research

Molecular & Cellular Biosciences | College of Medicine

Education/Credentials
  • Research Fellow: National Institute of Drug Abuse, NIH
  • Post Doctoral Fellow: National Institute of Drug Abuse, NIH
  • Ph D: University of Rochester (Molecular Toxicology)
  • Bachelor of Science: Nanjing University (Environmental Biology)
Contact Information
Research Interests

Molecular Genetics, Neuroscience, Stroke, Regenerative Medicine, Animal Models of Neurological diseases. Neuroprotection and regeneration.

Peer Reviewed Publications

Bedolla, Alicia; Mckinsey, Gabriel; Ware, Kierra; Santander, Nicolas; Arnold, Thomas; Luo, Yu 2023. Finding the right tool: a comprehensive evaluation of microglial inducible cre mouse models. bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology, ,

Bedolla, Alicia; Wegman, Elliot; Weed, Max; Paranjpe, Aditi; Alkhimovitch, Anastasia; Ifergan, Igal; McClain, Lucas; Luo, Yu 2023. Microglia-derived TGF-β1 ligand maintains microglia homeostasis via autocrine mechanism and is critical for normal cognitive function in adult mouse brain. bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology, ,

Glotfelty, Elliot J; Hsueh, Shih-Chang; Claybourne, Quia; Bedolla, Alicia; Kopp, Katherine O; Wallace, Tonya; Zheng, Binhai; Luo, Yu; Karlsson, Tobias E; McDevitt, Ross A; Olson, Lars; Greig, Nigel H 2023. Microglial Nogo delays recovery following traumatic brain injury in mice. Glia, 71 10, 2473-2494

Bedolla, Alicia; Taranov, Aleksandr; Luo, Fucheng; Wang, Jiapeng; Turcato, Flavia; Fugate, Elizabeth M; Greig, Nigel H; Lindquist, Diana M; Crone, Steven A; Goto, June; Luo, Yu 2022. Diphtheria toxin induced but not CSF1R inhibitor mediated microglia ablation model leads to the loss of CSF/ventricular spaces in vivo that is independent of cytokine upregulation. Journal of neuroinflammation, 19 1, 3

Lecca, Daniela; Jung, Yoo Jin; Scerba, Michael T; Hwang, Inho; Kim, Yu Kyung; Kim, Sun; Modrow, Sydney; Tweedie, David; Hsueh, Shih-Chang; Liu, Dong; Luo, Weiming; Glotfelty, Elliot; Li, Yazhou; Wang, Jia-Yi; Luo, Yu; Hoffer, Barry J; Kim, Dong Seok; McDevitt, Ross A; Greig, Nigel H 2022. Role of chronic neuroinflammation in neuroplasticity and cognitive function: A hypothesis. Alzheimer and Dementia, ,

Luo, Fucheng; Wang, Jiapeng; Zhang, Zhen; You, Zhen; Bedolla, Alicia; Okwubido-Williams, FearGod; Huang, L Frank; Silver, Jerry; Luo, Yu 2022. Inhibition of CSPG receptor PTP? promotes migration of newly born neuroblasts, axonal sprouting, and recovery from stroke. Cell reports, 40 4, 111137

Turcato, Flavia Correa; Wegman, Elliot; Lu, Tao; Ferguson, Nathan; Luo, Yu 2022. Dopaminergic neurons are not a major Sonic hedgehog ligand source for striatal cholinergic or PV interneurons. iScience, 25 11, 105278

Wang, Jiapeng; Ware, Kierra; Bedolla, Alicia; Allgire, Emily; Turcato, Flavia Correa; Weed, Maxwell; Sah, Renu; Luo, Yu 2022. Disruption of Sonic Hedgehog Signaling Accelerates Age-Related Neurogenesis Decline and Abolishes Stroke-Induced Neurogenesis and Leads to Increased Anxiety Behavior in Stroke Mice. Translational stroke research, ,

Ware, Kierra; Wegman, Elliot; Bedolla, Alicia; Luo, Yu 2022. Major Caveats Discovered in the Genetic Cell Ablation Model Used to Study Microglia Functions. Translational stroke research, ,

Boyne, Pierce; Awosika, Oluwole O; Luo, Yu 2021. Mapping the corticoreticular pathway from cortex-wide anterograde axonal tracing in the mouse. Journal of neuroscience research, 99 12, 3392-3405

Gu, Yuning; Gao, Huiyun; Kim, Kihwan; Liu, Yuchi; Ramos-Estebanez, Ciro; Luo, Yu; Wang, Yunmei; Yu, Xin 2021. Dynamic oxygen-17 MRI with adaptive temporal resolution using golden-means-based 3D radial sampling. Magnetic resonance in medicine, 85 6, 3112-3124

Luo, Fucheng; Zhang, Zhen; Luo, Yu 2021. Differential Role of p53 in Oligodendrocyte Survival in Response to Various Stresses: Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis, Cuprizone Intoxication or White Matter Stroke. International journal of molecular sciences, 22 23,

Luo, Fucheng; Zhang, Zhen; Barnett, Austin; Bellinger, Tania J; Turcato, Flavia; Schmidt, Kelly; Luo, Yu 2020. Cuprizone-induced demyelination under physiological and post-stroke condition leads to decreased neurogenesis response in adult mouse brain. Experimental neurology, 326 , 113168

Glotfelty, Elliot J; Delgado, Thomas; Tovar-Y-Romo, Luis B; Luo, Yu; Hoffer, Barry; Olson, Lars; Karlsson, Tobias; Mattson, Mark P; Harvey, Brandon; Tweedie, David; Li, Yazhou; Greig, Nigel H 2019. Incretin Mimetics as Rational Candidates for the Treatment of Traumatic Brain Injury. ACS pharmacology & translational science, 2 2, 66-91

Hu, Di; Sun, Xiaoyan; Liao, Xudong; Zhang, Xinwen; Zarabi, Sara; Schimmer, Aaron; Hong, Yuning; Ford, Christopher; Luo, Yu; Qi, Xin 2019. Alpha-synuclein suppresses mitochondrial protease ClpP to trigger mitochondrial oxidative damage and neurotoxicity. Acta neuropathologica, 137 6, 939-960

Flavia Turcato, Paul Kim, Austin Barnett, Yongming Jin, Mike Scerba, Anthony Casey, Warren Selman, Nigel H. Greig, and Yu Luo 2018. Sequential combined Treatment of Pifithrin-α and Posiphen Enhances Neurogenesis and Functional Recovery After Stroke Cell Transplantation, ,

Hsueh, Shih-Chang; Chen, Kai-Yun; Lai, Jing-Huei; Wu, Chung-Che; Yu, Yu-Wen; Luo, Yu; Hsieh, Tsung-Hsun; Chiang, Yung-Hsiao 2018. Voluntary Physical Exercise Improves Subsequent Motor and Cognitive Impairments in a Rat Model of Parkinson's Disease International journal of molecular sciences, 19 2,

Turcato, Flavia; Kim, Paul; Barnett, Austin; Jin, Yongming; Scerba, Mike; Casey, Anthony; Selman, Warren; Greig, Nigel H; Luo, Yu 2018. Sequential combined Treatment of Pifithrin-? and Posiphen Enhances Neurogenesis and Functional Recovery After Stroke. Cell transplantation, 27 4, 607-621

Chang, Cheng-Fu; Lai, Jing-Huei; Wu, John Chung-Che; Greig, Nigel H; Becker, Robert E; Luo, Yu; Chen, Yen-Hua; Kang, Shuo-Jhen; Chiang, Yung-Hsiao; Chen, Kai-Yun 2017. (-)-Phenserine inhibits neuronal apoptosis following ischemia/reperfusion injury. Brain research, 1677 , 118-128

Jin, Yongming; Barnett, Austin; Zhang, Yifan; Yu, Xin; Luo, Yu 2017. Poststroke Sonic Hedgehog Agonist Treatment Improves Functional Recovery by Enhancing Neurogenesis and Angiogenesis Stroke, 48 6, 1636-1645

Kim, Dong Seok; Choi, Ho-Il; Wang, Yun; Luo, Yu; Hoffer, Barry J; Greig, Nigel H 2017. A New Treatment Strategy for Parkinson's Disease through the Gut-Brain Axis: The Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Pathway Cell transplantation, 26 9, 1560-1571

Lu, Tao; Kim, Paul P; Greig, Nigel H; Luo, Yu 2017. Dopaminergic Neuron-Specific Deletion of p53 Gene Attenuates Methamphetamine Neurotoxicity Neurotoxicity research, 32 2, 218-230

Lu, Tao; Kim, Paul; Luo, Yu 2017. Tp53 gene mediates distinct dopaminergic neuronal damage in different dopaminergic neurotoxicant models. Neural regeneration research, 12 9, 1413-1417

Xu, Kui; Ye, Lena; Sharma, Katyayini; Jin, Yongming; Harrison, Matthew M; Caldwell, Tylor; Berthiaume, Jessica M; Luo, Yu; LaManna, Joseph C; Puchowicz, Michelle A 2017. Diet-Induced Ketosis Protects Against Focal Cerebral Ischemia in Mouse. Advances in experimental medicine and biology, 977 , 205-213

Filichia, Emily; Hoffer, Barry; Qi, Xin; Luo, Yu 2016. Inhibition of Drp1 mitochondrial translocation provides neural protection in dopaminergic system in a Parkinson's disease model induced by MPTP Scientific reports, 6 , 32656

Guo, Xing; Sun, XiaoYan; Hu, Di; Wang, Ya-Juan; Fujioka, Hisashi; Vyas, Rajan; Chakrapani, Sudha; Joshi, Amit Umesh; Luo, Yu; Mochly-Rosen, Daria; Qi, Xin 2016. VCP recruitment to mitochondria causes mitophagy impairment and neurodegeneration in models of Huntington's disease Nature communications, 7 , 12646

Liu, H-S; Shen, H; Luo, Y; Hoffer, B J; Wang, Y; Yang, Y 2016. Post-treatment with cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript enhances infarct resolution, reinnervation, and angiogenesis in stroke rats - an MRI study NMR in biomedicine, 29 3, 361-70

Qi, Xin; Davis, Brandon; Chiang, Yung-Hsiao; Filichia, Emily; Barnett, Austin; Greig, Nigel H; Hoffer, Barry; Luo, Yu 2016. Dopaminergic neuron-specific deletion of p53 gene is neuroprotective in an experimental Parkinson's disease model Journal of neurochemistry, 138 5, 746-57

Sheng, Yang; Filichia, Emily; Shick, Elizabeth; Preston, Kenzie L; Phillips, Karran A; Cooperman, Leslie; Lin, Zhicheng; Tesar, Paul; Hoffer, Barry J; Luo, Yu 2016. Lower Dopamine D2 Receptor Expression Levels in Human Dopaminergic Neurons Derived From Opioid-Dependent iPSCs The American journal of psychiatry, 173 4, 429-31

Sheng, Yang; Filichia, Emily; Shick, Elizabeth; Preston, Kenzie L; Phillips, Karran A; Cooperman, Leslie; Lin, Zhicheng; Tesar, Paul; Hoffer, Barry; Luo, Yu 2016. Using iPSC-derived human DA neurons from opioid-dependent subjects to study dopamine dynamics Brain and behavior, 6 8, e00491

Tweedie, David; Fukui, Koji; Li, Yazhou; Yu, Qian-Sheng; Barak, Shani; Tamargo, Ian A; Rubovitch, Vardit; Holloway, Harold W; Lehrmann, Elin; Wood, William H; Zhang, Yongqing; Becker, Kevin G; Perez, Evelyn; Van Praag, Henriette; Luo, Yu; Hoffer, Barry J; Becker, Robert E; Pick, Chaim G; Greig, Nigel H 2016. Cognitive Impairments Induced by Concussive Mild Traumatic Brain Injury in Mouse Are Ameliorated by Treatment with Phenserine via Multiple Non-Cholinergic and Cholinergic Mechanisms. PloS one, 11 6, e0156493

Wang, Jing-Ya; Huang, Ya-Ni; Chiu, Chong-Chi; Tweedie, David; Luo, Weiming; Pick, Chaim G; Chou, Szu-Yi; Luo, Yu; Hoffer, Barry J; Greig, Nigel H; Wang, Jia-Yi 2016. Erratum to: Pomalidomide mitigates neuronal loss, neuroinflammation, and behavioral impairments induced by traumatic brain injury in rat. Journal of neuroinflammation, 13 1, 228

Wang, Jin-Ya; Huang, Ya-Ni; Chiu, Chong-Chi; Tweedie, David; Luo, Weiming; Pick, Chaim G; Chou, Szu-Yi; Luo, Yu; Hoffer, Barry J; Greig, Nigel H; Wang, Jia-Yi 2016. Pomalidomide mitigates neuronal loss, neuroinflammation, and behavioral impairments induced by traumatic brain injury in rat Journal of neuroinflammation, 13 1, 168

Yang, Ling-Yu; Greig, Nigel H; Huang, Ya-Ni; Hsieh, Tsung-Hsun; Tweedie, David; Yu, Qian-Sheng; Hoffer, Barry J; Luo, Yu; Kao, Yu-Chieh; Wang, Jia-Yi 2016. Post-traumatic administration of the p53 inactivator pifithrin-O oxygen analogue reduces hippocampal neuronal loss and improves cognitive deficits after experimental traumatic brain injury Neurobiology of disease, 96 , 216-226

Zhou, Xiaofei; Pace, Jonathan; Filichia, Emily; Lv, Tao; Davis, Brandon; Hoffer, Barry; Selman, Warren; Luo, Yu 2016. Effect of the sonic hedgehog receptor smoothened on the survival and function of dopaminergic neurons Experimental neurology, 283 Pt A, 235-45

Filichia, E; Shen, H; Zhou, X; Qi, X; Jin, K; Greig, N; Hoffer, B; Luo, Y 2015. Forebrain neuronal specific ablation of p53 gene provides protection in a cortical ischemic stroke model Neuroscience, 295 , 1-10

Jin, Yongmin; Raviv, Nataly; Barnett, Austin; Bambakidis, Nicholas C; Filichia, Emily; Luo, Yu 2015. The shh signaling pathway is upregulated in multiple cell types in cortical ischemia and influences the outcome of stroke in an animal model PloS one, 10 4, e0124657

Luo, Yu; Hoffer, Alan; Hoffer, Barry; Qi, Xin 2015. Mitochondria: A Therapeutic Target for Parkinson's Disease? International journal of molecular sciences, 16 9, 20704-30

Yu Luo, Hui Shen, Hua‐Shan Liu, Seong‐Jin Yu, David Reiner, Brandon K. Harvey, Barry J. Hoffer, Yihong Yang, and Yun Wang 2013. CART peptide induces neuroregeneration in stroke rats Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism , 33 2, 300-10

Luo, Yu 2012. The function and mechanisms of Nurr1 action in midbrain dopaminergic neurons, from development and maintenance to survival. International review of neurobiology, 102 , 1-22

Yu Luo, Chi-Chung Kuo, Hui Shen, Jenny Chou, Nigel H. Greig, Barry J. Hoffer, Yun Wang 2009. Delayed treatment with a p53 inhibitor enhances functional recovery in stroke brain Ann Neurol, 65 5, 520-30

Yu Luo, Feng Xing, Rita Guiliano, Howard J. Federoff 2008. Identification of a novel Nurr1 interacting protein J Neurosci, 28 37, 9277-86

Yu Luo, Leigh A. Henricksen, Rita E. Giuliano, Landa Prifti, Linda M. Callahan and Howard J. Federoff 2007. VIP is a transcriptional target of Nurr1 in dopaminergic cells Experimental Neurology, 203 1, 221-232