Bruce Teter, PhD

Bruce Teter received a B.S. in marine biology and a minor in chemistry from Cal. State U., Long Beach, and a Ph.D. in molecular biology from the University of Southern California, studying DNA structure in control of protein binding and gene expression. He then completed a postdoctoral fellowship in neurogerontology focusing on epigenetic control of gene expression changes with aging, working with Dr. Caleb Finch at the Andrus Gerontology Center in the School of Gerontology at USC. In 1996 he joined the lab of Dr. Greg Cole at UCLA and is currently Adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of Neurology, and Chief of the ApoE Research Laboratory and Research Associate at GRECC at Veterans Administration, GLAHS. He began work in Dr. Varghese John's lab in 2021, where he leads a project on genetic engineering of apoE4, and contributes to molecular biology aspects of other drug development projects. Dr. Teter's research focuses on the neurobiology of apolipoprotein E (apoE), and how apoE4 is the major genetic risk factor for sporadic Alzheimer’s Disease. Dr. Teter has published seminal works on the influence of apoE4 in inhibits neuroplasticity. His current research examines how apoE4 increases inflammation and modulates the innate immune system. These and other phenotypes of apoE4 are being examined for their mechanisms and potential as a target for therapeutic drugs, and lifestyle effects of exercise. Another tactic is to target the ApoE4 gene itself, genetically engineering it to the ApoE3 form.