Leigh Nicholson PhD

Dr. Leigh Nicholson is a Research Assistant Professor in the Huentelman Lab within the Neurogenomics Division at the Translational Genomics Research Institute. Her research focuses on using in vitro cellular models, such as neural and vascular organoids generated from induced pluripotent stem cells containing genetic variants of interest, for study in areas that affect cognitive health. She uses these models in areas such as rare neurological diseases, Alzheimer’s disease, aging, and neurovascular problems, with the goal to find new markers and pathways that can be targeted in drug treatments, as well as identifying how these disorders affect the brain.

In addition to her projects, Dr. Nicholson is a large supporter of education and outreach at TGen. She consistently mentors young aspiring scientists in the annual TGen Bioscience Leadership Academy and the Helios Scholars internship program. She has also been known to be out in the community judging at local and state science fairs, and to be giving lectures at primary and secondary schools about neuroscience.

Dr. Nicholson graduated from the University of Sydney (Australia) in 2018 after completing her PhD in molecular biology. She worked as a Postdoctoral researcher at the Westmead Institute for Medical Research, with a focus on immunology, until 2022 when she joined TGen as a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Huentelman Lab. Dr. Nicholson became a Research Assistant Professor in mid-2024.