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Leandra Figueroa-Hall, Ph.D.


Principal Investigator, LIBR
Research Associate Professor, Oxley College of Health and Natural Sciences, The University of Tulsa

CURRICULUM VITAE
GOOGLE SCHOLAR

The Figueroa-Hall Laboratory


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Our Research Approach


Inflammation is thought to play a role in the pathogenesis of major depressive disorder (MDD), but the exact immunoregulatory mechanisms are not well understood. Dr. Figueroa-Hall’s training and expertise in toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) inflammatory signaling is the basis for her research interests in examining how the TLR4 system via regulating inflammatory processes affects mental health. Her overarching goal is to understand how the immune system is dysregulated in MDD and identify novel targets/biomarkers for inflammation-associated depression.
 
Current research aims:
  • Investigate peripheral and central immune responses in depressed vs. healthy individuals
  • Delineate astrocyte-enriched EV-mediated immune mechanisms in MDD
  • Identify differences in peripheral and central inflammation-related microRNAs in MDD 
 
Dr. Figueroa-Hall’s research is currently funded by the Laureate Institute for Brain Research (LIBR) and the National Institute of Mental Health (R00MH126950: In vivo inflammatory challenge to elucidate the role of toll-like receptor 4 pathway in depression).

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CONTACT DR. FIGUEROA-HALL

Research Program Highlights


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Main Question
How does the body’s response to fighting off external or internal agents via the TLR4 system possibly result in depression? This question is based on the premise that the body’s response to external agents (i.e., viruses and bacteria) and internal (i.e., cellular contents released due to stressors) agents not only affects the body but also the brain, possibly leading to depression as one of its consequences.
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Approach​​
With the use of molecular and genetic techniques, Dr. Figueroa-Hall is now investigating central mechanisms with the isolation of brain-enriched extracellular vesicles (EV), specifically, astrocyte-enriched EV (AEEV). The study of brain-enriched (EV) provides a unique, and possibly, revolutionary approach to examine brain biology from a blood sample. Specifically, AEEV are a window into one of the brain’s immune mechanisms to activating the TLR4 system and will help to determine whether the degree of brain response is associated with changes in mental health. 

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Future Directions​​
​Dr. Figueroa-Hall’s laboratory will aim to 1) elucidate TLR4-mediated inflammatory mechanisms in opioid use disorder; 2) elucidate the role of damage-associate molecular patterns (internal agents) in MDD and other psychiatric disorders; and 3) identify/validate microglial-specific maker (s) for isolation of microglial-enriched EV and investigation of their role in mental health pathophysiology. 
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Scientific Background


Dr. Figueroa-Hall was born in Warner Robins, GA and raised in St. Croix, US Virgin Islands. She received her B.Sc. in Biology from the University of the Virgin Islands, her M.Sc. in Biomedical Research with a focus on molecular mechanisms of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) signaling from the University of Maryland, School of Medicine (SOM), and her Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences with a concentration in TLR4 neuroinflammatory signaling from Oklahoma State University, Center for Health Sciences. After obtaining her doctorate, she completed a two-year postdoctoral fellowship at Yale University SOM, gaining experience in translational-based research and cutting-edge techniques.
 
Dr. Figueroa-Hall joined LIBR in 2019 as a Postdoctoral Research Associate under the mentorships of Dr. Jonathan Savitz and Dr. Martin Paulus. Dr. Figueroa-Hall was promoted to Associate Investigator in 2022 and promoted to Principal Investigator in 2024. Her current research focuses on elucidating immune mechanisms in MDD.

Selected Publications


Burrows K, Figueroa-Hall LK, Alarbi AM, Stewart JL, Kuplicki R, Tan C, Hannafon BN, Ramesh R, Savitz J, Khalsa S, Teague TK, Risbrough VB, Paulus MP. Association between inflammation, reward processing, and ibuprofen-induced increases of miR-23b in astrocyte-enriched extracellular vesicles: A randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, exploratory trial in healthy individuals. Brain Behav Immun Health. 2022 Dec 24;27:100582.
Stewart JL, Burrows K, May AC, McNaughton BA, Smith R, Kuplicki R, Paulus MP, Figueroa-Hall L. C-reactive protein concentrations diverge as a function of substance use disorder: A pre-registered replication in a clinical sample. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2024 May 8;260:111323.
Burrows K, Figueroa-Hall LK, Stewart JL, Alarbi AM, Kuplicki R, Hannafon BN, Tan C, Risbrough VB, McKinney BA, Ramesh R, Victor TA, Aupperle R, Savitz J, Teague TK, Khalsa SS, Paulus MP. Exploring the role of neuronal-enriched extracellular vesicle miR-93 and interoception in major depressive disorder. Transl Psychiatry. 2024 Apr 27;14(1):199.
Figueroa-Hall LK, Paulus MP, Savitz J. Toll-Like Receptor Signaling in Depression. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2020 Nov;121:104843.
Figueroa-Hall LK, Xu B, Kuplicki R et al. Psychiatric symptoms are not associated with circulating CRP concentrations after controlling for medical, social, and demographic factors. Transl Psychiatry. 2022 12:279.
Welsh JA, Goberdhan DCI, O'Driscoll L, et.al. Minimal information for studies of extracellular vesicles (MISEV2023): From basic to advanced approaches. J Extracell Vesicles. 2024 Feb;13(2):e12404. doi: 10.1002/jev2.12404. Erratum in: J Extracell Vesicles. 2024 May;13(5):e12451.
May AC, Burrows K, Figueroa-Hall LK, Kirlic N, White EJ, Smith R, Ekhtiari H, Paulus MP, Savitz J, Stewart JL; T1000 Investigators. Sex differences in circulating inflammatory mediators as a function of substance use disorder. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2021 Apr 1;221:108610.
FULL LIST OF PUBLICATIONS

Research Collaborators


T. Kent Teague
​
University of Oklahoma-Tulsa
Victoria Risbrough
University of California, San Diego/VA
Ramesh Rajagopal
University of Oklahoma Health Science Center, OKC
Bethany Hannafon
University of Oklahoma Health Science Center, OKC
COLLABORATE WITH DR. FIGUEROA-HALL
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