Lara Roberts DeRuisseau
Visiting Assistant Professor, (Department of Biology),
Le Moyne College
PhD, Physiological Sciences, University of Florida
MS, Nutritional Neuroscience, The Florida State University
BS, Exercise Physiology, The Florida State University

Student Profile:
Lara DeRusseau received her BS in Exercise Science and MS in Nutritional Neuroscience from Florida State University. She transferred to the University of Florida in 2003 and joined the NMPT program during her second year at UF. She was mentored by Dr. Barry Byrne, Director of the Powell Gene Therapy Center, and Dr. David Fuller, faculty in the Department of Physical Therapy. Her research focused on respiratory dysfunction in Pompe’s disease and led to an NIH-RO1 funded grant (R01HD052682; PI: Dr. Fuller and Dr. Byrne). Lara received numerous local and national awards as a graduate student and serves on the Central Nervous System Section Steering Committee and Trainee Advisory Committee of the American Physiological Society. She served as a Postdoctoral Associate in the Department of Neuroscience at SUNY Upstate Medical University and joined a laboratory dedicated to human spinal cord injury research. She successfully competed for a Postdoctoral fellowship from the State of New York Department of Health (SCIRB06-03; 2007-2009; $119,500). Her current research focuses on the use of electrical stimulation to promote regeneration of spinal nerves. Lara is currently a Visiting Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology at Le Moyne College in Syracuse, NY.

Research Project Description:
Lara’s dissertation focused on Pompe’s disease, an inborn metabolic disease characterized by glycogen accumulation due to acid-?-glucosidase (GAA) deficiency. Respiratory dysfunction is a hallmark feature of this disorder and muscle weakness is viewed as the underlying cause, although a potential neural contribution has not been explored. Lara thus examined behavioral and neurophysiological aspects of breathing in an animal model of Pompe’s disease, the Gaa-/- mouse, and in a second transgenic line (MTP) expressing GAA only in skeletal muscle. She showed that glycogen content is significantly elevated in the Gaa-/- mouse cervical spinal cord, including the phrenic motoneurons. She further demonstrated that neural output to the diaphragm is deficient in Gaa-/- mice, and therapies targeting muscle alone may be ineffective in Pompe’s disease. Proof-of-concept studies were initiated to treat the respiratory impairments of Gaa-/- mice using adeno-associated viral vectors for gene therapy.

Award and Honors
2003-2006 University of Florida, Presidential Scholarship
2003-2006 University of Florida, Alumni Fellowship
2006 Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine, Young Investigator Award
2006 American Physiological Society, Central Nervous System Section, Van Harreveld Memorial Award

Quote from Lare DeRusseau on how she benefited from participation in the Training Program: “My overall experience with the T32 Training Grant was fantastic. I was able to interact weekly with other trainees interested in Rehabilitation Research. In addition, I was able to attend seminars given by internationally renowned investigators including the 3-day Neuromuscular Plasticity Symposium where the trainees had dedicated time to talk with the invited speakers. It is through these discussions and weekly seminars on rehabilitation that I decided to build on my background of whole animal physiology and neurophysiology and gain experience in a laboratory that focuses on human motor recovery following spinal cord injury for my post-doc. I have always been interested in translational research and the T32 was a great opportunity for me to interact with trainees and established investigators with the same interests. There is no question for me that the T32 training influenced my current career choices and the experiences I gained and the people I met (including other trainees) will continue to positively affect my career”.

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