Additional Titles & Roles
- Associate Professor of Psychiatry
- Member, Hope Center for Neurological Disorders
- Member, Taylor Family Insititute for Innovvative Psychiatric Research
Education & Training
- Ph.D.: Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India, 1997
- M.Sc.: Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai, India, 1991
- B.Sc: Bangalore University, Bengaluru, India, 1989
Research Interests
Neuroinflammation is thought to play an important role in the pathogenesis of various psychiatric and neurological disorders. We are interested in understanding how cholesterol metabolism influences neuroinflammation.
Key Publications
- Wong MY, Lewis M, Doherty JJ, Shi Y, Cashikar AG, Amelianchik A, Tymchuk S, Sullivan PM, Qian M, Covey DF, Petsko GA, Holtzman DM, Paul SM, Luo W, (2020 Jun). 25-Hydroxycholesterol amplifies microglial IL-1ß production in an apoE isoform-dependent manner. J Neuroinflammation. 17(1): 192.
Read publication »25-Hydroxycholesterol amplifies microglial IL-1β production in an apoE isoform-dependent manner. - Izumi Y, Cashikar AG, Krishnan K, Paul SM, Covey DF, Mennerick SJ, Zorumski CF, (2021 Dec). A Proinflammatory Stimulus Disrupts Hippocampal Plasticity and Learning via Microglial Activation and 25-Hydroxycholesterol. J Neurosci. 41(49): 10054-10064.
Read publication »A Proinflammatory Stimulus Disrupts Hippocampal Plasticity and Learning via Microglial Activation and 25-Hydroxycholesterol. - Cashikar AG, Toral-Rios D, Timm D, Romero J, Strickland M, Long JM, Han X, Holtzman DM, Paul SM, (2023 Apr). Regulation of astrocyte lipid metabolism and ApoE secretionby the microglial oxysterol, 25-hydroxycholesterol. J Lipid Res. 64(4): 100350.
Read publication »Regulation of astrocyte lipid metabolism and ApoE secretionby the microglial oxysterol, 25-hydroxycholesterol. - Ojha J, Masilamoni G, Dunlap D, Udoff RA, Cashikar AG, (2011 Aug). Sequestration of toxic oligomers by HspB1 as a cytoprotective mechanism. Mol Cell Biol. 31(15): 3146-57.
Read publication »Sequestration of toxic oligomers by HspB1 as a cytoprotective mechanism. - Ojha J, Karmegam RV, Masilamoni JG, Terry AV, Cashikar AG, (2011 Feb). Behavioral defects in chaperone-deficient Alzheimer’s disease model mice. PLoS One. 6(2): e16550.
Read publication »Behavioral defects in chaperone-deficient Alzheimer’s disease model mice. - Serio TR, Cashikar AG, Kowal AS, Sawicki GJ, Moslehi JJ, Serpell L, Arnsdorf MF, Lindquist SL, (2000 Aug). Nucleated conformational conversion and the replication of conformational information by a prion determinant. Science. 289(5483): 1317-21.
Read publication »Nucleated conformational conversion and the replication of conformational information by a prion determinant.
Funded Research Projects
Centene Corporation(Significant Contributor):Understanding ApoE, the biggest risk factor
NIA(Significant Contributor):Biology and Pathobiology of apoE in aging and Alzheimer’s Disease
NIA(PI):Role of the microglial immune-oxysterol 25-hydroxycholesterol in mediating neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration in the P301S tau transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease