Cory White, PhD

Neurovirulent viral infections, such as human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV), result in a unique metabolic strain on the brain which contributes to the elevated indices of neurologic impairment observed in people living with HIV (PLWH). While the contributions of HIV infection and corresponding antiretroviral therapy (ART) on brain metabolism have been studied for small metabolites, including glucose and many amino acids, these methods are unable to detect larger metabolites including most lipids, which have the most diversity in the brain in comparison to other tissues. Lipid metabolism in the brain is altered by many stressors, including neurovirulent infection. Normally, the energy demands of the brain are overwhelmingly met by glucose. However, it has become evident that the brain can use more oxidizable substrates, such as fatty acids, than previously considered even under normal conditions. Elevated oxidation of radiolabeled fatty acids has been observed in HIV-infected cultured astrocytes. Additionally, TCA cycle intermediates and fatty acid oxidation enzymes are increased in HIV-1 transgenic rodents. While these data indicate that HIV infection alters brain lipid metabolism, the full impact of HIV infection in the context of antiretroviral therapy (ART) and metabolic comorbidities on 1) brain lipid utilization and 2) the brain lipid metabolome remains uncharacterized. My goal is to comprehensively characterize metabolic changes in the brain that occur due to HIV infection in the context of ART, under the duress of metabolic stressors, focusing primarily on lipids as they are largely unstudied using multiple animal models of HIV infection and donated human tissue

Awards:

1. Invited Panelist for 2024 Johns Hopkins Second Look for Accepted Applicants from Underrepresented Backgrounds- canceled attendance due to personal emergency
2. 15th International Conference for Brain Energy Metabolism (2024) Meeting: Student/Postdoc Travel Award Recipient
3. American Society of Neurochemistry 2024: Young Investigator’s Educational Enhancement Travel Award Recipient- canceled due to personal emergency
4. Intersections Science Fellows Symposium (2023): Selected as Fellow
5. International Society for Neurochemistry 2023 : Selected Speaker for Young Members Symposia and Travel Award Recipient
6. Awarded NIH Loan Repayment Program contract (2022)
7. NINDS-funded BRAINS Fellows Program at the University of Washington: Selected as BRAINS Fellow for the 2022 cohort
8. Rockefeller University Exceptional Scholars Workshop (2022): Selected as an inaugural scholar for the 2022 cohort
9. NextProf Science Future Faculty Workshop at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (2022): Selected for Workshop
10. Ruth and William Silen, M.D. Awards First Place Poster Prize Winner of the 2021 New England Science Symposium (2021)
11. NIH Blueprint Diversity Specialized Predoctoral to Postdoctoral Advancement in Neuroscience Fellowship (2020)
12. Johns Hopkins NIMH Center for Novel Therapeutics for HIV-associated Cognitive Disorders Developmental Core Award (2020)
13. Cerebrovascular Biology Conference 2019: Selected Oral Presenter (2019)
14. Cerebrovascular Biology Conference 2019: Travel Award Recipient (2019)
15. JHSOM 3rd Excellence in Diversity Symposium: Travel Award Recipient and Selected Oral Presenter (2018)
16. JHSOM 2nd Excellence in Diversity Symposium: Travel Award Recipient and Selected Oral Presenter (2017)
17. NINDS Ruth Kirschstein NRSA F31 Diversity Predoctoral Fellowship (F31NS102151) (2017)
18. Society for Neuroscience: Neuroscience Scholars Program Fellow (2017)
19. Gordon Research Conference Carl Storm Underrepresented Minority Fellowship (2017)

Honors:

1. Invited Speaker for the 2023 Johns Hopkins University Biomedical Scholar’s Celebration Milestones Celebration
2. Invited Alumni Speaker at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine 2023 Commencement
3. Invited Panelist for 12 Annual NIH BP-ENDURE Meeting at Neuroscience 2024 (November 12, 2022) San Diego, CA.
4. Molecular and Cellular Biology Manuscript “Determining the Bioenergetic Capacity for Fatty Acid Oxidation in the Mammalian Nervous System” selected for Spotlight Article and Cover (2020)
5. NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program Honorable Mention (2016)

Presentations:

1. 2023 Yale University Intersections Fellows Program. Virtual. October 3, 2023. “Evaluating Lipid Dysregulation, Infection, and Social Determinants of Health on Brain Lipid Metabolism”. Selected as 2023 ISFS Fellow
2. International Society for Neurochemistry 2023, Porto, Portugal. August 8, 2023. “Variability in the Lipid Composition in the Virally Suppressed SIV-infected Macaque Brain”. Selected Speaker for Young Members’ Symposia
3. JHU Mass Spectrometry Day 2023, Baltimore, MD. May 19, 2023. “Assessing the Impact of SIV Infection and Antiretroviral Treatment on the Spatial Distribution of Brain Lipids.” Invited Speaker
4. Black-in-Neuro Seminar Series, virtual. May 5, 2023. “Assessing the Impact of SIV Infection and Antiretroviral Treatment on the Spatial Distribution of Brain Lipids.” Invited Speaker
5. JHU CAHN NIMH Symposium 2023: Development of NeuroHIV Therapeutics, Baltimore, MD. April 6, 2023. “Evaluating the Impact of Simian Immunodeficiency Virus and Antiretrovirals on the Spatial Distribution of Lipids in the Rhesus Macaque Brain.” Clinical Core Pilot Awardee Presentation
6. International Conference for Brain Energy Metabolism 2022, Santa Fe, NM. October 25, 2022. “Lipid Distribution is Highly Variable in the Virally Suppressed SIV-infected Macaque Brain.” Selected Power Pitch Presentation
7. Rockefeller University- Rockefeller University Exceptional Scholars Workshop- New York City, NY June 21, 2022. “Evaluating Lipid Dysregulation, Infection, and Social Determinants of Health on Brain Metabolism” Selected Scholar
8. University of Michigan Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology Department Seminar Series- In Person June 3, 2022. “Evaluating Lipid Dysregulation, Infection, and Social Determinants of Health on Brain Metabolism” Invited Seminar
9. Johns Hopkins School of Medicine- Department of Molecular and Comparative Pathobiology- Retrovirus Laboratory Seminar Series. Virtual October 26, 2021. “Evaluating Changes to the Metabolic Profile of the CNS Due to HIV Infection and ART”
10. Joint NIMH Center Seminar Series. June 16, 2021. “Evaluating Changes to the Metabolic Profile of the CNS Due to HIV Infection.”
11. Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine BCMB Graduate Program Thesis Seminar. March 18, 2021. “Understanding Lipid Catabolism and Homeostasis in the Mammalian Brain.” Thesis Seminar Presentation

Publications:

1. Cole, D.*, Eneim, A.S.*, White, C.J., Eddings, C.R., Beckett, M.Q., Clark, V., Jeffery, J., Wimalasena, V.K., Figueroa, A., Rosado-Franco, J.J., Alhariri, R., Powell, B.H., Washington, P.W., Christensen, L.N., Wilson, K.L, Kavran, J.M. (2024) Deepening biomedical research training: Community-Building Wellness Workshops for Post-Baccalaureate Research Education Program (PREP) Trainees (pre-print, currently under review for peer reviewed journal)
2. Mekile, A.X., Makena, M.R., Gupta, R., White, C.J., Bowman, R.W., Patnayak, R.L., Lorenzo, D.N., Rao, R. (2023) The Endosomal pH Regulator NHE6 is Required for Insulin Simulated Glucose Uptake In Adipocytes. bioRXiv (pre-print, currently under review in the Journal of Physiology) 
3. White, C.J.*, Gausepohl, A.M.*, Wilkins, H.N., Eberhard, C.D., Seneviratne, H.K., Bumpus, N.N., Williams, D.W. (2024) Spatial Heterogeneity of Brain Lipids in SIV-infected Macaques Treated with Antiretroviral Therapy. The Journal of American Mass Spectrometry 35, 185–196 (2024). PMID38288997
4. Rosado-Franco J.J.*, Ellison A.*, White C.J., Price A.S., Moore C.F., Williams R.E., Fridman L.B., Weerts E.M., Williams D.W. (2024) Roadmap for Canonical and Extended Endocannabinoid System Physiological Reports 12, e15947. PMID38408761
5. Türker, F., Bharadwaj, R.A., Kleinman, J.E., Weinberger, D.R., Hyde, T.M., White, C.J., Williams, D.W., Margolis, S.S. (2023) Orthogonal approaches required to measure proteasome composition and activity in mammalian brain tissue. Journal of Biological Chemistry 
6. White, C. J. & Goodkin, K. (2023). Bioenergetics and neuroimaging research: a neuropathophysiological linkage in the setting of cocaine use amongst persons with HIV. AIDS Journal 37, 1001–1003. 
7. White, C.J., Ellis, J., Wolfgang, M.J. (2021) The role of ethanolamine phosphate phospholyase in regulation of astrocyte lipid homeostasis. Journal of Biological Chemistry 
8. Rubin, L. H., Gustafson, D. R., Warrior, L., Sheira, L., Fitzgerald, K. C., Dastgheyb, R., Weber, K. M., Tien, P. C., French, A., Spence, A. B., Sharma, A., Williams, D. W., White, C. J., Seaberg, E. C., Frongillo, E. A. & Weiser, S. D. (2021). Dietary intake is associated with neuropsychological impairment in women with HIV. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, nqab038. 
9. White, C.J., Lee, J., Choi, J., Chu, T., Scafidi, S., Wolfgang, M.J. (2020) Determining the bioenergetic capacity for fatty acid oxidation in the mammalian nervous system. Molecular and Cellular Biology (selected as spotlight article and highlighted as a cover for manuscript) PMCID7189099

Fun facts:

1. I sang at a Braves game and a Hawks game as a child
2. I try to go to at three least concerts a year
3. I’m a pretty new parent and welcome all tips for having more energy