Neha Dole, Ph.D.
Neha Dole, Ph.D., is an assistant professor in the UAMS Department of Physiology and Cell Biology and holds a secondary appointment in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. She pursued her early graduate education in Biotechnology at the Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas. Dr. Dole earned her doctoral degree in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Connecticut Health Center in Farmington, Connecticut, in 2015, working under the guidance of Dr. Anne Delany. After receiving her doctorate, Dr. Dole received a Post-doctoral Fellowship from the Orthopaedic Research Society/ OREF Foundation and worked as a post-doctoral scientist in the lab of Dr. Tamara Alliston at UC San Francisco (UCSF). In 2021, she was appointed an Assistant Adjunct Professor in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at UCSF. She joined UAMS in 2022.
Dr. Dole has received funding through the Mentored Career Development Grant from the National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). She is also journal reviewer and a member of the Endocrine Society, the American Society of Bone and Mineral Research, and the Orthopaedic Research Society. Dr. Dole’s other service and leadership efforts focus on developing the next generation of scientists and leaders. She has served on the early-stage investigator committee of the American Society of Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR) and organized Career Development Workshop for Postdocs and graduate students at the Orthopaedic Research Society (ORS) Musculoskeletal Biology Workshop. In the past, she has also served as the Chair of the Junior Investigator Committee at UCSF. Dr. Dole’s honors include a Young Investigator Award- IBMS, the ASBMR Harold M. Frost Young Investigator Award, the AIMM-ASBMR John Haddad Young Investigator Award, ORS-Alice JeeAward, and the ASBMR Most Outstanding Basic Abstract Award.
Research Focus:
The Dole laboratory primarily focuses on how obesity and loss of body weight impact bone health and contribute to skeletal etiologies like osteoporosis and osteoarthritis.
Current Projects:
- The interplay of early-life factors, including prenatal and postnatal nutrition on the development and maintenance of the skeleton
- Epigenetic and molecular biomarkers associated with obesity and weight loss in bone
- Role of mitochondrial energetics in skeletal and extraskeletal functions of bone (mineral and whole-body energy metabolism)
We utilize in animal models of obesity and weight loss, as well as in vitro approaches to study bone energetics, cellular and tissue level mitochondrial dynamics, and whole-body metabolism. We use micro-CT, histology, genomics and proteomics, and flexural strength tests to characterize mass, architecture, and quality of bone in conditions of chronic metabolic stress. Our ultimate goal is to leverage bone as a therapeutic target to lessen the burden of chronic metabolic diseases and improve physical function and quality of life.
Active Awards:
- NIH-NIDDK-K01 Mentored Research Scientist Award – 10/1/2021-8/1/2026
- Arkansas Biosciences Institute – 4/1/2022-4/1/2026
- Musculoskeletal Creativity Hub Pilot Grant – 1/1/2023-1/1/2024