Katie (Volk) Robertson, Ph.D

• Volk Robertson, K., Rodriguez, A.S., Cartailler, J.P., Shrestha, S., Schleh, M., Schroeder, K., Valenti, A., Kramer, A.T., Harrison, F.E., and Hasty, A.H. "Knockdown of microglial iron import gene, Slc11a2, worsens cognitive function and alters microglial transcriptional landscape in a sex-specific manner in the APP/PS1 model of Alzheimer's disease." 2024. Journal of Neuroinflammation, 21 (238).
• Volk Robertson, K., Schleh, M.W., Harrison, F. E., and Hasty, A.H. (February 2024). “Microglial specific knockdown of iron import gene, Slc11a2, blunts LPS-induced neuroinflammatory responses in a sex-specific manner.” Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, 116: 370-384.
• Volk, K.M., Harrison, F.E., and Hasty, A.H. (December 2022). “The effect of microglial DMT1 inhibition on neuroinflammation in male and female mice.” Alzheimer’s & Dementia, 18(S4): e064281.
• Winn, N.C., Volk, K.M., and Hasty, A.H. (January 2020). “Regulation of tissue iron homeostasis: the macrophage ‘ferrostat’.” JCI Insight, 5(2): e132964.
• Yang, J., Hughes, J., Parra, R., Volk, K., and Kauffman, A. (October 2018). “Stress rapidly suppresses in vivo LH pulses and increases activation of RFRP-3 neurons in male mice”. Journal of Endocrinology.  
• Volk, K.M., Pogrebna, V. V., Roberts, J.A., Zachry, J.E., Blythe, S., and Toporikova, N. (November 2017). “High-Fat, High-Sugar Diet Disrupts the Pre-ovulatory Hormone Surge and Induces Cystic Ovaries in Cycling Female Rats”. Journal of the Endocrine Society.  

• 2022, Graduate Student Travel Award, Vanderbilt Graduate School
• 2022, Graduate Student Travel Award, Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University
• 2022, Graduate Travel Award for Doctoral Advancement, Vanderbilt School of Medicine, Basic Sciences
• 2018, Vanderbilt Graduate Program Director’s Award
• 2017, Johnson Opportunity Award, Washington and Lee University

Invited Oral Presentations:

• 2023, CajalNeuro, Seattle, WA
  “Ironing out Microglial Function in Inflammation and Alzheimer’s Disease”
• 2023, Molecular Endocrinology Training Program Day, Nashville, TN
  “Ironing out a Role for Microglial DMT1 in Inflammation”
• 2022, Washington and Lee University, Neuroscience Department
  “The Iron Man of the Brain: Microglia in Alzheimer’s Disease” 
• 2021, Molecular Endocrinology Training Program Day, Nashville, TN
  “Ironing out a Role for Microglia in Alzheimer’s Disease”

Conference Poster Presentations:

• Katrina M. Volk, Fiona E. Harrison, Alyssa H. Hasty. “Inhibition of microglial iron importer, DMT1, blunts LPS-induced neuroinflammatory responses in male mice.” (2023). Keystone Symposia: Neuroimmune Interactions: From Basic Mechanisms to Novel Therapeutic Directions (Z3), Whistler, BC, Canada, May 15-19. 2023. 
• Katrina M. Volk, Fiona E. Harrison, Alyssa H. Hasty. “Inhibiting microglial iron importer, DMT1, leads to sex-specific responses in the APP/PS1 mouse model.” (2023). Annual VMAC Alzheimer’s Disease Research Day. Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, March 24, 2023.
• Katrina M. Volk, Fiona E. Harrison, Alyssa H. Hasty. “Inhibition of microglial iron importer, DMT1, blunts LPS-induced neuroinflammatory responses in male mice.” (2022). Southeastern Neurodegenerative Disease Conference (SENDCon), Bonita Springs, Florida, September 28-30, 2022 (abstract accepted, conference cancelled).
• Katrina M. Volk, Fiona E. Harrison, Alyssa H. Hasty. “The effect of microglial DMT1 inhibition on neuroinflammation in male and female mice.” (2022). Annual Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC), San Diego, California, August 1-5, 2022.
• Katrina M. Volk, Fiona E. Harrison, Alyssa H. Hasty. “Effects of targeted inhibition of microglial DMT1 on neuroinflammation.” (2022). Annual VMAC Alzheimer’s Disease Research Day. Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, March 31, 2022.
• Katrina M. Volk, Kyle R. Schroeder, Alyssa H. Hasty. “Increased microglial DMT1 is associated with age and Aβ-induced inflammation.” (2021). EMBO Virtual Workshop on Microglia 2021. October 28-29, 2021.
• Jennifer A. Yang, Jessica K. Hughes, Ruby A. Parra, Katrina M. Volk, and Alexander S. Kauffman (2018). Effects of acute psychosocial stress on LH pulses, Kiss1, and RFRP-3 in male mice. International Congress of Neuroendocrinology, Toronto, Canada. July 15-18, 2018.
• Katrina M. Volk, Jackson A. Roberts, Natalia Toporikova. “High-fat, high-sugar diet disrupts hormonal balance during pre-ovulatory surge and induces cystic ovaries.” Society for Neuroscience (SFN) Annual Meeting Poster Session. Washington D.C. November 11-15, 2017.
• Veronika V. Pogrebna, Jennifer E. Zachry, Jackson A. Roberts, Katrina M. Volk, and Natalia Toporikova. “High­-Sugar, High-Fat Diet Increased Estradiol Surge during Proestrus and Induced Polycystic Ovaries in Cycling Female Rats.” Endocrine Society Annual Meeting (ENDO) Poster Session. Orlando, Florida. April 1-4, 2017.
• Veronika V. Pogrebna, Jennifer E. Zachry, Jackson A. Roberts, Katrina M. Volk, and Natalia Toporikova. “High­-Sugar, High-Fat Diet Increased Estradiol Surge during Proestrus and Induced Polycystic Ovaries in Cycling Female Rats.” Central Virginia Chapter of the Society for Neuroscience (CVCSN) Annual Symposium Poster Session. Roanoke, Virginia. March 26-27, 2017.

• 2023-2024, National Institute on Aging: F-31 grant, “Targeting microglial cell iron-handling in Alzheimer’s Disease” (1F31AG081025-01)
• 2022-2023, T-32 Grant in Interdisciplinary Training in Alzheimer’s Disease (T32-AG058534)
• 2019-2021, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases T-32 Grant in Molecular Endocrinology (T32DK007563-32)
• 2016-2018, Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Fellowship