Biography

Research interests: Neuroscience, neurodegeneration, proteomics, Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, aging

Clinical interests: ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Neurology, dementia, movement disorders, geriatrics

Elias (Eli) Wisdom is an MD-PhD student studying the molecular nature of Alzheimer’s Disease and Parkinson’s Disease under mentorship from Dr. Vivek Unni, MD, Ph.D., and Andrew Emili, PhD. He grew up in La Grande, OR, where he developed a strong appreciation for the natural world, and a deep passion for baseball. Following these, he attended Pacific University, in Forest Grove, OR, where he studied Biology while competing on the varsity baseball team all four years. During the summer before his senior year, he completed an internship at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, WA, under mentorship from Harmit Malik, Ph.D., where he first learned that MD-PhD programs existed. Knowing that he could combine careers in medicine and scientific research with this path, he sought out further research and clinical training and moved to New Haven, CT, where he joined the lab of Daniel Colón-Ramos at Yale School of Medicine to study the cell biology of the synapse. His time in the Colón-Ramos Lab and volunteering at Yale New Haven Hospital affirmed his desire to have a career at the intersection of medicine and research. He was fortunate to matriculate into the MSTP program at Oregon Health & Science University in 2021, where he has been able to have outstanding training in his research and clinical interests while living close to family.

Selected publications

2023                     Almoril-Porras, A., Calvo, A.C., Niu, L., Beagan, J., Hawk, J.D., Aljobeh, A., Wisdom, E. M., Ren, I., Malcom Díaz-García, M., Wang, Z.W., Colón-Ramos, D.A. “Specific configurations of electrical synapses filter sensory information to drive choices in behavior”. BioRxiv. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.08.01.551556 *Currently under review.

2021                     Ransey, E., Chesnov, K., Thomas, G.E., Wisdom, E.M., Bowman, R., Rodriguez, T., Adamson, E., Almoril-Porras, A., Walder-Christensen, K.K., Hughes, D., Schwennesen, H., Mague, S.D., Colón-Ramos, D.A., Hultman, R., Bursac, N., Dzirasa, K. “Long-term precision editing of neural circuits using engineered gap junction hemichannels”. BioRxiv. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.08.24.457429  *Currently under review.

2021                     Hawk, J.D., Wisdom, E.M., Sengupta, T., Kashlan, Z.D., Colón-Ramos, D.A. “HySyn: A                 genetically encoded tool for reconstituting synthetic modulatory neurotransmission and reconnect neural circuits in vivo”. Nature Communications. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-24690-9

2018                     Clark, B., Eberhardt, M., Gift, S., Goodwin, S., Hirasa, K., Kaupiko, K., Lotomau, S., Powell, N., Shick, E., Tamanaha, K., Tang, C., Teal, M., Warren, A., Wisdom, E.M. “Analysis of Microbial Metabolic Diversity in Two Locations at Fernhill Wetlands: A Report to Clean Water Services”. Government Agency Report. 2018. Clean Water Services, Forest Grove, OR. *All authors listed in alphabetical order.