Maureen Handoko

Ph.D. 2012

Thesis Title:

Specific Amyloid-β oligomers in human cerebrospinal fluid

Current Position:

Assistant Professor, Department of Neurology, Epilepsy, Pediatric Neurology and Developmental Neuroscience, Texas Children's Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine

Previous Position(s):

Pediatric Epilepsy Fellow, Texas Children's Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine

Pediatric Neurology Resident, Baylor College of Medicine

Undergraduate Institution and Major/Degree:

B.A., Biochemistry, 2005
College of St. Benedict/St. John's University, Collegeville, MN

Major Advisor(s):

Karen Hsiao Ashe, M.D., Ph.D.

Selected Publications:

  • Grant MKO, Handoko M, Rozga M, Brinkmalm G, Portelius E, Blennow K, Ashe KH, Zahs KR, Liu P. Human cerebrospinal fluid 6E10-immunoreactive protein species contai amyloid precursor protein fragments. PLoS One. 2019;feb28;14(2):e0212815.
  • Handoko M, Grant M, Kuskowski M, Zahs KR, Wallin A, Blennow K, Ashe KH. Correlation of specific amyloid-β oligomers with tau in cerebrospinal fluid from cognitively normal older adults. JAMA Neurol. 2013;70(5):594-599.

Conferences Attended and Presentations:

  • Society for Neuroscience, 2007
  • International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease (ICAD), 2008, 2010, 2011
  • Drug Discovery for Neurodegeneration Conference - Spring 2008

Professional Memberships:

  • Alzheimer's Association International Society to Advance Alzheimer Research and Treatment (ISTAART)

Research Description:

In the Ashe lab we are studying Alzheimer's Disease (AD), particularly the pathobiology of disease in relation to Amyloid-beta and tau proteins, which make up the pathological hallmark of AD, namely amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles, respectively.

Recently, the field has focused on soluble oligomeric forms of Amyloid beta as possible toxic species that induce cognitive impairment and may trigger downstream neurodegenerative processes. My project is to determine whether these distinct Abeta oligomeric species can be found in Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of living individuals and determine their predictive value for future cognitive decline in cognitively intact individuals.

Lab Rotations:

  • Walter Low
  • John Ohlfest
  • Steve McLoon
  • Karen Ashe

Courses Taken Beyond the Core Courses:

  • Medical school courses

Graduate Level Minor:

  • Medicine

Committee Members:

  • Walter Low-Chair
  • Karen Ashe-Advisor
  • H. Brent Clark
  • Sylvain Lesne

Home Town:

  • Jakarta, Indonesia
Maureen Handoko