Elizabeth Rhea PhD

Dr. Elizabeth Meredith Rhea is a Research Assistant Professor at the University of Washington and Veterans Affairs Puget Sound in Seattle, WA. She has developed a great interest in the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and the transport of key regulatory peptides, such as insulin, into the brain. While much is known about the impact of hormones within the CNS, little is known about how they are transported across the BBB. Therefore, she is further investigating transport properties and the role of BBB proteins and serum factors in BBB insulin transport. Her recent interests are in how the CNS can control the transport of insulin across the BBB. As CNS insulin resistance is a detrimental feature of Alzheimer’s disease, the regulation of insulin availability within the CNS could be an alternative therapeutic target.