Jennifer I. Luebke, PhD

Waterhouse Professor & Chair, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine

Biography

The overall interest of our laboratory is in the functional properties of neurons in the mammalian prefrontal cortex (PFC), which play a central role in higher cognitive abilities such as abstract thinking, problem solving and cognitive flexibility. We seek to gain an understanding of the signaling properties of these neurons (in young and aged monkeys and APP and tau transgenic mice) by examining characteristics such as repetitive action potential firing patterns, synaptic response properties and underlying ionic currents, using whole-cell patch-clamp recordings of individual neurons identified under IR-DIC optics. By filling neurons from which recordings are obtained with dyes, we are able to subsequently reconstruct the neurons in 3-D and learn a great deal about important structure-function relationships. Most recently we are working with biomathematicians to perform computational modeling of PFC pyramidal cells using our empirically derived data.

Publications

  • Published 3/19/2026

    Tsolias A, Mojica CA, Yamani R, Khanna SD, Al Abdullatif S, Snyder BJ, Chang W, Guillamon-Vivancos T, Goodliffe J, Capriglione AL, Zhou Y, Tan Palanca IL, Martinez J, Campbell JD, Luebke JI, Zeldich E, Medalla M. Transcriptional and functional profiles of muscarinic receptor-expressing neurons in primate lateral prefrontal and anterior cingulate cortices. Commun Biol. 2026 Mar 19; 9(1). PMID: 41857244.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 2/20/2026

    Delpech JC, Kalavai SV, Pathak D, Ravula AR, Lad HV, Hays EC, Touch N, Rau A, Madore C, Medalla M, Luebke JI, Ikezu S, Ikezu T. Entorhinal Cortex Wolframin-1-expressing neurons propagate tau to CA1 neurons and impair hippocampal memory. bioRxiv. 2026 Feb 20. PMID: 41757076.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 12/15/2025

    Sengupta N, Luebke JI, Weaver CM. Axon collateralization and focal myelin dystrophy alter action potential propagation in multicompartment pyramidal neuron models. PLoS Comput Biol. 2025 Dec; 21(12):e1013733. PMID: 41397029.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 11/18/2025

    Freire-Cobo C, Medalla M, Varghese M, Janssen WGM, Luebke JI, Hof PR. Age-related changes in synapse ultrastructure and neuroprotective effect of dietary curcumin in the lateral prefrontal cortex layer 3 of the rhesus monkey. Geroscience. 2025 Nov 18. PMID: 41249711.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 7/10/2025

    Goodliffe J, Rubakovic A, Chang W, Pathak D, Luebke J. Correction: Structural and functional features of medium spiny neurons in the BACHD?N17 mouse model of Huntington's Disease. PLoS One. 2025; 20(7):e0327837. PMID: 40638557.

    Read at: PubMed

View All 79 Publications:   View Full Profile in BUMC

Other Positions

  • Graduate Medical Sciences Educator and Mentor (Primary Mentor of Graduate Students)
    Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Graduate Medical Sciences

Websites

Education

  • Boston University, PhD
  • Randolph–Macon College, BS

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