Kristy Townsend, Ph.D.

Kristy Townsend is an Associate Professor of Neurobiology in the School of Biology and Ecology, and the Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering (GSBSE). The Townsend Lab investigates neurobiology and energy balance through mechanistic studies in pre-clinical models, focused on how the brain communicates with our adipose (fat) tissues, including with aging. The lab is also interested in understanding and treating peripheral neuropathy, and probing adult neural plasticity as a potential treatment for neurodegeneration, both conditions that also disproportionately affect aged populations. Townsend came to University of Maine in late 2014 from a junior faculty position at Joslin Diabetes Center and Harvard Medical School in Boston. Learn more at ktownsendlab.com