Headshot photo of Moriah Arnold

Moriah Arnold

  • Current Program Year: Grad 3
  • Current Student, Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine
  • M.D./Ph.D. Program Students, School of Medicine
  • Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences Students, School of Medicine

Biography

I graduated from Carleton College in 2017 with a major in Biology and minors in Neuroscience and Biochemistry. After working at OHSU as a research assistant for 2 years, I matriculated into the OHSU MD/PhD program in 2019. I transitioned from medical school to my PhD in 2021 and joined the Unni Lab where my dissertation project is to investigate the interplay between genomic instability, aging, and diseases of aging, like neurodegeneration and cancer. A decrease in efficacy of DNA damage repair pathways ultimately leads to the accumulation of DNA damage that has been found in many neurodegeneration patient samples and models. Specifically, I am investigating the role of alpha-synuclein in DNA double-strand break repair and have elucidated a novel role for this neurodegeneration-associated protein in the nucleolar DNA damage response. I aim to match into a research-focused neurology residency program when I graduate from the MD/PhD program in 2027. Outside of science, I enjoy exploring restaurants in Portland, going to Portland Thorns games, and trail running with my dog!

Research interests: Molecular neuroscience, neurodegenerative disease, neurology

Clinical interests: Neurology

Education and training

  • Degrees

    • B.A., 2017, Carleton College

Memberships and associations:

  • Society for Neuroscience
  • American Medical Association
  • American Physician Scientists Association
  • American Academy of Neurology
  • Oregon Medical Association
  • International Behavioral Neuroscience Society
  • American Medical Women's Association
  • The Society of Behavioral Neuroendocrinology

Additional information

Honors and awards

  • Ruth L. Kirschstien Individual Predoctoral NRSA Fellowship F30 (2023-2027)
  • Society for Neuroscience, Neuroscience Scholars Program Associate (2023-2025)
  • NIH Outstanding Scholars in Neuroscience Program Recipient (2024)
  • Oregon Tax Checkoff for Alzheimer's Research Fund through Oregon Partnership for Alzheimer's Research (2024)
  • Keystone Symposia Future of Science Fund Scholarship (2024)
  • OHSU School of Medicine Graduate Student Organization Travel Award (2024)
  • OHSU Flame Award: Nominated for Excellence in Scientific Research (2024)
  • Women in Science Portland, Professional Development Scholarship (2023)
  • OHSU Program in Biomedical Sciences Scholar Award (2023)
  • OHSU Research Week Best Poster Presentation (2023)
  • Melanoma Research Foundation Medical Student Research Award (2023)
  • Society for Neuroscience Trainee Professional Development Award (2022-2023)
  • Oregon American College of Physicians, 1st Place Winner- Basic Research Poster (2022)
  • OHSU, BRAINet Travel Grant (2022)
  • OHSU, Nicholas L. Tartar Trust Fellowship (2022, 2021)
  • OHSU, Knight Cancer Institute PhD Scholars Award (2021-2023)
  • OHSU, Neurology Department Research Day, Best Overall Oral Presentation (2021)
  • OHSU Medical Scientist Training Program T32 (2020-2022)
  • Sigma Xi Student Research Recipient (2017)

Publications

Selected publications

  • Ilsa T. Kirby, Ana Kojic and Moriah R. Arnold, Ann-Gerd Thorsell, Tobias Karlberg, Anke Vermehren-Schmaedick, Raashi Sreenivasan, Carsten Schultz, Herwig Schuler, and Michael S. Cohen* (2018). A potent and selective PARP11 inhibitor suggests coupling between protein stability and catalytic activity. Cell Chemical Biology.
  • Moriah R. Arnold, Claire L. Thallon, Joshua A. Pitkofsky, Sarah H. Meerts* (2018). Sexual Experience Confers Resilience to Restraint Stress in Female Rats. Hormones and Behavior.
  • Brittany L. Forte, Lauren M. Slosky, Hong Zhang, Moriah R. Arnold, William D. Staatz, Merideth Hay, Tally M. Largent-Milnes, Todd W. Vanderah* (2016). Angiotensin-(1-7) as an Antinociceptive Agent in Cancer-Induced Bone Pain. Pain
  • https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/moriah.arnold.1/bibliography/public/

Publications

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