Gabrielle Britton, PhD

Research areas:

Basic and clinical research in cognition, learning and memory, neurodegenerative diseases, and age-related diseases.

Lines of investigation:

  1. Research with animal models for the characterization of biomarkers such as Apolipoprotein E, CCL1 (I309) protin, the effect of overexpression of the Ab1-42, CCL1, CCL3, CCL4 proteins and CCR8 and CCR5 receptors; using mixed primary cell models as well as Sprague Dawley rat colonies (behavioral experiments). It seeks to evaluate typical characteristics of Alzheimer’s disease, cognitive impairment and morphological changes of the Central Nervous system.
  2. Clinical studies evaluating cognitive impairment and biomarkers in a cohort of older adults in Panama, seeking to assess risk factors and detect the relationship of infectious diseases (HIV, Toxoplasma, Herpes, among others) in cognitive health. Tools such as cognitive testing, proteomic analysis, and genotyping are used.
  3. Clinical studies to describe the impact of COVID19 on mental health, cognition, and biomarker detection in adults in Panama.

Summary of CV:

Dr. Britton completed a B.A. in Psychology from Vanderbilt University (1991), an M.A. in Psychology from Mount Holyoke College (1994) and a Ph.D. in Neural Science and Psychology from Indiana University in Bloomington (2000). She was an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology and Program in Neuroscience at Lafayette College in Pennsylvania from 2001-2006, and returned to Panama in 2006 through a SENACYT repatriation grant. Her current research consists of basic and clinical studies that examine the interplay of cognitive and physiological processes in memory disorders, with a goal of identifying biomarkers of healthy and pathological aging for improving early diagnosis of dementia. Her focus is on age-related cognitive impairment, including its progression to Alzheimer’s disease. She has received funding from the National Secretariat of Science, Technology and Innovation (SENACYT), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Lindback Foundation and the Arturo Melo Brain Research Project. In 2012 Dr. Britton co-founded the Panama Aging Research Initiative (PARI; @memoriaysalud), a national collaborative effort to promote aging-related research in Panama. Dr. Britton is a Research Associate of University of South Florida (USF Health) and Universidad Santa María la Antigua (USMA) in Panamá, and is a member of the Board of Trustees of the City of Knowledge Foundation, and of the Board of Directors of Ciencia en Panamá and APLAFA (Asociación Panameña para el Planeamiento de la Familia). Her hobbies include bingeing on audiobooks and birding (when she can wake up early enough, otherwise loves seeing photos of birds and cats online).

Projects:

  1. Evaluation of cognitive impairment in HIV positive Panamanian adults using cognitive tests and biomarkers. Entities: INDICASAT, USMA, GORGAS
  2. Study of genetic variations to identify new risk factors associated with neurodegenerative diseases. Entities: INDICASAT, CSS, UNTHSC, USMA, GORGAS
  3. Evaluation of immuno-diagnostic tests and biomarkers for the diagnosis of COVID-19 disease in Panama. Entities: CSS, GORGAS, HOSPITAL PUNTA PACÍFICA, INDICASAT, HOSPITAL PAITILLA
  4. Convalescent Plasma to Limit Coronavirus-Associated Complications: Open-label, Phase 2A study of plasma with high titers of Anti-SARS-CoV-2 in hospitalized patients with COVID-19. Short title: SPH-COVID-19- Plasma 1. Entities: CSS, GORGAS, HOSPITAL PUNTA PACÍFICA, INDICASAT, HOSPITAL SANTO TOMÁS, JHON HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
  5. Convalescent Plasma to Limit Coronavirus-Associated Complications: Open-label, Phase 2A study of plasma with high titers of Anti-SARS-CoV-2 in hospitalized patients with COVID-19. Short title: SPH-COVID-19- Plasma 2. Entities: CSS, GORGAS, HOSPITAL PUNTA PACÍFICA, INDICASAT, HOSPITAL SANTO TOMÁS, JHON HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
  6. Characterization of Apolipoprotein E, a biomarker of Alzheimers neurodegenerative disease, in a mixed primary cell model of the central nervous system. Entities: INDICASAT
  7. Prospective cohort study to evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic value of blood-based biomarkers of mild cognitive impairment and progression to Alzheimers disease. Entities: INDICASAT, CSS, UNTHSC, USMA. Project funded by: Novartis Pharma Logistics Inc.
  8. Characterization of Apolipoprotein E, a biomarker of Alzheimer’s neurodegenerative disease, in a mixed primary cell model of the central nervous system. Entities: INDICASAT
  9. Effect of the CCL1 protein (I309) on cognitive impairment, neurogenesis, and hippocampal morphology. Entities: INDICASAT
  10. Effect of Aβ (1-42) protein overexpression on CCL-1, CCL-3, CCL-4 proteins and CCR8 and CCR5 receptors. Entities: INDICASAT
  11. Behavioral characterization in Sprague Dawley rats from the INDICASAT AIP colony with intracerebroventricular injection of Streptozotocin. Entities: INDICASAT
  12. The effect of the Panamanian diet on obesity and the leptin-based satiety system. Entities: INDICASAT
  13. Evaluation of behavioral phenotypes in animal models for the study of Alzheimer’s disease. Entities: INDICASAT
  14. Characterization of biomarkers between infectious pathogens and cognitive impairment in older people in Panama. Entities: INDICASAT, CSS, UNTHSC, USMA, MINSA.
  15. Clinical studies to describe the impact of COVID-19 on the mental and cognitive health of adults in Panama. Entities: INDICASAT, CSS, USMA, MINSA.

Selected publications:

Britton GB, O’Bryant SE, Johnson LA, Hall JR, Villarreal AE, Oviedo DC, Perez-Lao AR, Carreira MB, Panama Aging Research Initiative (2019). Inflammatory biomarkers, depressive symptoms and falls among elderly in Panama. Current Aging Science, 11(4), 236-241. doi: 10.2174/1874609812666190215125104. PMID: 30767759.

Carreira MB, Cossio R, Britton GB (2017). Individual and sex differences in high and low responder phenotypes. 
Behavioural Processes, 136, 20-27. doi: 10.1016/j.beproc.2017.01.006. PMID: 28088551.

Cossio R, Carreira MB, Vásquez CE, Britton GB (2016). Sex differences and estrous cycle effects on foreground contextual fear conditioning. Physiology and Behavior, 163, 305-311. doi: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2016.05.026. PMID: 27195460.

Dicker D. et al. (2018) Global, regional, and national age-sex-specific mortality and life expectancy, 1950–2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017. The Lancet, 392(10159), 1684-1735. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(18)31891-9. PMID: 30496102.

Fullman N et al. (2018). Measuring performance on the Healthcare Access and Quality Index for 195 countries and territories and selected subnational locations: a systematic analysis from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016. The Lancet. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(18)30994-2.

Roth GA et al. (2018). Global, regional, and national age-sex-specific mortality for 282 causes of death in 195 countries and territories, 1980–2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017. The Lancet, 392(10159), 1736-1788. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(18)32203-7. PMID: 30496103.

Stanaway JD et al. (2018). Global, regional, and national comparative risk assessment of 84 behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risks or clusters of risks for 195 countries and territories, 1990–2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017. The Lancet, 392(10159), 1923-1994. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(18)32225-6. PMID: 30496105.

Villarreal AE, Grajales S, López L, Britton GB, Panama Aging Research Initiative (2015). Cognitive impairment, depression and co-occurrence of both among the elderly in Panama: differential associations with multimorbidity and functional limitations. BioMed Research International, Article ID 718701. doi: 10.1155/2015/718701. PMID: 26798641.

Villarreal AE, Grajales S, López L, Oviedo DC, Carreira MB, Gómez LA, Montalván A, Vásquez V, Britton GB, Panama Aging Research Initiative (2018). Limitations in activities of daily living among dementia-free older adults in Panama. Ageing International, 43(2), 237-253 doi: 10.1007/s12126-018-9321-2.

O’Bryant SE, Edwards M, Johnson L, Hall J, Villarreal AE, Britton GB, Quiceno M, Munro Cullum C, Graff-Radford NR (2016). A blood screening test for Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s & Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment & Disease Monitoring, 3, 83-90. doi: 10.1016/j.dadm.2016.06.004. PMID: 27453929.

Hay SI et al. (2017). Global, regional and national disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) for 333 diseases and injuries and healthy life expectancy (HALE) for 195 countries and territories, 1990-2016: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016. The Lancet, 390(10100), 1260-1344. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(17)32130-X.

James SL et al. (2018). Global, regional, and national incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability for 354 diseases and injuries for 195 countries and territories, 1990–2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017. The Lancet, 392(10159), 1789-1858. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(18)32279-7. PMID: 30496104.

Kyu HH et al. (2018). Global, regional, and national disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) for 359 diseases and injuries and healthy life expectancy (HALE) for 195 countries and territories, 1990–2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017. The Lancet, 392(10159), 1859-1922. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(18)32335-3. PMID: 30415748.

Lozano R. et al. (2018). Measuring progress from 1990 to 2017 and projecting attainment to 2030 of the health-related Sustainable Development Goals for 195 countries and territories: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017. The Lancet, 392(10159), 2091-138. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(18)32281-32285. PMID: 30496107.

Murray CJL et al. (2018). Population and fertility by age and sex for 195 countries and territories, 1950-2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017. The Lancet, 392(10159), 1995-2051. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(18)32278-5. PMID: 30496106.

O’Bryant SE, Edwards M, Johnson L, Hall J, Villarreal AE, Britton GB, Quiceno M, Munro Cullum C, Graff-Radford NR (2016). A blood screening test for Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s & Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment & Disease Monitoring, 3, 83-90. doi: 10.1016/j.dadm.2016.06.004. PMID: 27453929.

O’Bryant SE, Mielke M, Rissman R, Lista S, Vanderstichele H, Zetterberg H, Lewczuk P, Posner H, Hall J, Johnson L, Fong YL, Luthman J, Jeromin A, Batrla-Utermann R, Villarreal AE, Britton GB, Snyder PJ, Henriksen K, Grammas P, Gupta V, Martins R, Hampel H (2017). Blood Based biomarkers in Alzheimer disease: Current state of the science and a novel collaborative paradigm for advancing from discovery to clinic. Alzheimer’s & Dementia, 13(1), 45-48. doi: 10.1016/j.jalz.2016.09.014. PMID: 27870940.

Oviedo D, Lezcano H, Perez AR, Villarreal AE, Carreira MB, Isaza B, Wesley L, Grajales SA, Fernandez S, Frank A, Britton GB (2018). Vascular biomarkers and ApoE4 expression in mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease. AIMS Neuroscience,5(2), 148-161. doi: 10.3934/Neuroscience.2018.2.148.

Villarreal AE, Grajales S, O’Bryant SE, Edwards M, López L, Montalván A, Britton GB, Panama Aging Research Initiative (2016). Characterization of Alzheimer’s disease and mild cognitive impairment in older adults in Panama. Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, 54, 897-901. doi: 10.3233/JAD-160402. PMID: 27567849.

Villarreal AE, O’Bryant SE, Edwards M, Grajales S, Britton GB for the Panama Aging Research Initiative (2016). Serum-based protein profiles of Alzheimer’s disease and mild cognitive impairment in elderly Hispanics. Neurodegenerative Disease Management, 6(3), 203-13. doi: 10.2217/nmt-2015-0009. PMID: 27229914.

Murray CJL et al. (2020). Global burden of 87 risk factors in 204 countries and territories, 1990-2019: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019, The Lancet, 396(10258), P1223-1249. doi: 10.1016./S0140-6736(20)30752-2.

Murray CJL et al. (2020). Five insights from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. The Lancet, 396(10258),P1135-1159. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(20)31404-5.

Vos T et al. (2020). Global burden of 369 diseases and injuries in 204 countries and territories, 1990-2019: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. The Lancet, 396(10258), P1204-1222. Doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30925-9.

Villarreal AE, Pérez-Lao AR, Oviedo DC, Grajales S, Carreira MB, Britton GB for the Panama Aging Research Initiative (2019). The Panama Aging Research Initiative longitudinal study. MEDICC Review, 21(2-3), 54-58.

Gabrielle Britton, PhD

Gabrielle Britton, PhD

Máximo grado de estudios: Ph.D., Indiana University, EE.UU., 2000.

Categoría: Investigador, Centro de Neurociencias y Unidad de Investigación Clínica.

Nivel SNI: Investigador Distinguido.

Información de contacto:

E-mail: gbritton@indicasat.org.pa
Phone:  +507 517 0735, +507 517 0708