April WKW Frontiers in Neuroscience Lecture Series: Tracy Bale, Ph.D.

Tracy L. Bale, Ph.D. - April 5, 2022 

"Extracellular Vesicles as Systemic Stress Signals and Novel Mechanisms in Neurodevelopment"

William K. Warren, Jr.  Frontiers in Neuroscience Lecture 
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm     VIRTUAL LECTURE - ZOOM LINK BELOW

Tracy L. Bale is a Professor of Pharmacology and Director of the Center for Epigenetic Research in Child Health and Brain Development in the School of Medicine at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. She completed her Ph.D. at the University of Washington in the Department of Pharmacology, and her postdoctoral work at the Salk Institute with Dr. Wylie Vale. Dr. Bale was Professor of Neuroscience at the University of Pennsylvania for 15 years prior to her move to UMB. Her research focuses on understanding the role of stress dysregulation in neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric diseases, and the sex differences that underlie disease vulnerability in humans and using the mouse as a model. She is interested in developing models of stress and adversity across the lifespan, including examining the effects at the germ cell level and the mechanisms involved in altering neurodevelopment. Dr. Bale’s lab also examines these mechanisms in humans, attempting to translate research findings to identify those processes and biomarkers important for promoting disease risk and resilience, especially in vulnerable populations. In her leadership role as Center Director, Dr. Bale works to engage in the Baltimore community, developing collaborations and partnerships with local organizations, health officials, social workers, and policy makers including working with the Baltimore City Council. In a translational approach, Dr. Bale’s Center brings neuroscience research and outcomes into the community. Partnering with Baltimore City schools and staff, families, and community leaders, Dr. Bale’s Center provides a lens through which policy, education and community can be viewed, focusing on the lasting and significant effects across generations of trauma, discrimination and violence. She serves on many internal and external advisory committees, panels, and boards, and has been the recipient of numerous awards for her research in this area including the Richard E. Weitzman Memorial award from the Endocrine Society, the Medtronic Award from the Society for Women’s Health Research for outstanding research that has led to the improvement of women’s health, and the Daniel H. Efron award from the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology. She is the President of the International Brain Research Organization (IBRO), and was recently awarded Top 100 Women in Maryland 2020.    
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Learning objectives:  

1. Understand the role of extracellular vesicles in transmission of stress         
2. Understand influences from maternal and paternal factors on neurodevelopment
3. Understand potential biomarkers associated with stress in the environment

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