Scholars Colloquium

Dr. Jackson is an assistant professor within the Amyloidosis and Cancer Theranostics Program at the University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine. His work primarily focuses on systemic amyloidosis, which refers to a family of diseases characterized by the continuous accumulation of misfolded proteins in organs and tissues. These proteins, which are not naturally recognized and cleared by the body, fibrillize and destroy organ architecture, thereby limiting effective organ function. Unfortunately, there is no cure available for amyloidosis, and effective diagnosis is inefficient due to disease manifestations being variable and non-specific. The impetus of Dr. Jackson’s research is two-fold: first, to develop a platform to enhance the accurate diagnosis of systemic amyloidosis, and second, to develop methods that inspire myeloid cells to recognize, phagocytize, and then subsequently clear amyloid deposits safely within the body. 

Recently, Dr. Jackson and his team have obtained support from the National Institutes of Health to further this research. This Scholars Colloquium will highlight the strides Dr. Jackson and his team have made to produce an imaging agent designed to diagnose systemic amyloidosis, which is currently in phase 3 clinical trial. Dr. Jackson will also share mechanistic insights into why amyloid deposits cannot be naturally removed from the body.