School of Nursing Home

Funded Research and Projects
Laree Hiser

Laree Hiser, PhD

Assistant Professor

School of Nursing
University of Mississippi Medical Center
2500 North State Street
Jackson, MS  39216-4505
USA

Phone: 601.984.6247
E-mail: lmhiser@son.umsmed.edu

Laree Hiser is an Assistant Professor in the School of Nursing.  She joined the University of Mississippi Medical Center in January of 1996 where she completed postdoctoral research in the Department of Biochemistry and the School of Nursing before joining the faculty in 2004.  She earned her doctoral degree in Biochemistry at the University of California, Berkeley.  She is interested in understanding the cellular events that happen in response to demyelination in diseases such as multiple sclerosis and in response to cancer chemotherapy drugs such as vincristine that cause peripheral neuropathy.
Research Overview

A variety of modern techniques in molecular and cell biology are utilized in our laboratory with the ultimate goal of developing therapies for demyelinating disorders.  We have developed a method for differentiating mouse embryonic stem cells into cultures containing neurons and neuroglia and have shown by electron microscopy that axons are myelinated in these co-cultures.  Treatment with various chemicals and drugs causes demyelination. 

Research Interests
  • Demyelinating disorders
  • Multiple sclerosis
  • Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy
  • Drug resistance
  • Biomarkers and drug targets

Studies are ongoing to discover molecular targets and therapeutic solutions to prevent demyelination, stabilize demyelinated neurons, or promote remyelination.  The following are a few examples of techniques that are used.  RNA is extracted from myelinated and demyelinated cells and used for hybridization to microarrays. 

The results are confirmed by quantitative (real-time) RT-PCR.  The proteins encoded by candidate genes are then studied by biochemical techniques such as immunoblots.  Cells are studied by electron microscopy and immunofluorescent microscopy.  We are currently developing new assays that will study function of the myelinated and demyelinated neurons using time-lapse microscopy to measure axonal transport rates. Another assay using a fluorescent plate reader is being developed for high-throughput screening of agents for neuroprotection.  A study using mice is testing the efficacy of administering a candidate neuroprotective drug in combination with vincristine to prevent neuropathy.