Nicola Kearns, PhD

Instructor, Department of Neurological Sciences
Nicola Kearns, PhD
Rush Medical College
Instructor, Department of Neurological Sciences

Cell and Molecular Biologist and Instructor, Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center

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  • Biography

    Nicola Kearns, PhD, is a cell and molecular biologist and Instructor at the Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center. She uses single-nucleus RNA sequencing, spatial transcriptomics, and multiplexed imaging to study how brain and border tissues change with aging and Alzheimer's disease. Her research questions include how neurodegenerative diseases change the makeup and function of these tissues, and why some cell populations respond differently in different people.

    Kearns received her PhD in biomedical science from the University of Massachusetts Medical School, completed her postdoctoral training at the RADC, and joined the Rush faculty in 2023. As a member of the Human Cell Modeling Group, led by Yanling Wang, MD, PhD, she develops stem-cell-derived brain models to study Alzheimer's disease. She also works within the RADC's sequencing core, supporting data generation for research across the Center.