Farah Lubin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Farah D. Lubin
Born	Haiti
Nationality	American
Alma mater	Alabama State University Binghamton University Baylor College of Medicine
Known for	Role of epigenetic modifications in memory
Awards	2022 Commission on the Status of Women Padma Award, Becky Trigg Outstanding UAB Faculty Member, 2020 Dean's Excellence Award Winner in Diversity, 2020 President's Champion Award for Diversity, 2017 Dean’s Excellence in Mentorship Award, 2008 FASEB Professional Development and Enrichment Award
Scientific career
Fields	Neuroscience, epigenetics
Institutions	University of Alabama Birmingham

Farah D. Lubin is an American brain scientist, called a neuroscientist. She is a professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). Dr. Lubin leads a research group called the Lubin Lab. They study how our brains learn and remember things. They also look at how these processes change in diseases like epilepsy (a brain disorder that causes seizures) and neurodegeneration (when brain cells break down).

Dr. Lubin found out that a special protein called NF-κB helps us remember scary events. She also discovered how tiny changes to our DNA, called epigenetic regulation, affect how we form long-term memories. This research is important for understanding memory loss, especially in people with epilepsy. Dr. Lubin also works hard to support students from diverse backgrounds in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).

Early Life and Education

Farah Lubin grew up in New York and went to high school in New York City. While in high school, she worked as a nursing assistant. This was during the time when the HIV/AIDS epidemic was a big problem. At first, she wanted to be a doctor. But her experience showed her that science and research are where new cures are found.

Before finishing high school, Dr. Lubin visited many Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). She realized that being a Black woman in science could bring challenges. This motivated her to work even harder. In 1992, she went to Alabama State University on a full scholarship. She also joined a program that helped minority students do research. Her summer research at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center made her love scientific discovery even more. She decided to make a career in research.

In 1996, Dr. Lubin earned her science degree in biology from Alabama State University. She graduated with top honors. Then, she went back to New York to study at Binghamton University. She researched how cells communicate using signals called cytokines. She found that certain signals might help control inflammation and healing in the body.

After her graduate studies in 2001, Dr. Lubin continued her research at Baylor College of Medicine. She studied how brain signals affect a protein called NF-κB in the hippocampus, a part of the brain important for memory. She learned that a substance called kainate could activate NF-κB. This activation was linked to how genes are controlled in the brain.

In 2006, Dr. Lubin did more research at Baylor College of Medicine with a new mentor. She moved with her lab to the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). Here, she studied how changes to DNA, called epigenetic modifications, affect how we remember scary things. She found that remembering a scary event activates the NF-κB pathway. This leads to changes in genes in the hippocampus.

Dr. Lubin then discovered how epigenetic changes to the bdnf gene affect memory. She found that changes in bdnf DNA could alter how the gene works. If the bdnf gene didn't work right, it could make it harder to form fear memories. After her research, Dr. Lubin received an important grant. This grant helped her start her own independent research career at UAB.

Career and Research

In 2009, Dr. Lubin became a professor at UAB. She also joined the Evelyn McKnight Brain Institute. Later, she became an Associate Professor. She now works with several important centers at UAB. These include centers for healthy aging, neuroscience, and brain disorders. Dr. Lubin also helps recruit and support new scientists and doctors at UAB.

Since 2017, she has helped lead a program that supports young scientists after they get their PhDs. She also helps decide who gets into the neuroscience graduate program.

Dr. Lubin is the main scientist leading the Lubin Lab. Her team studies how tiny changes to our genes, called epigenetic modifications, control how we think and remember. They also look at how these changes go wrong in diseases like epilepsy and memory problems. She has found that how our genes are turned on or off for memory formation is carefully controlled by DNA changes in the hippocampus.

Histone Methylation in Memory

Dr. Lubin is a leader in studying how histone modifications affect thinking and memory. Histones are like spools that DNA wraps around. Early in her career, she found that changes to histones, called methylation, are important for forming long-term fear memories. In 2012, her team discovered that a specific process called GLP lysine dimethyltransferase complex is crucial for memory formation in two brain areas: the hippocampus and the entorhinal cortex.

Histone Hydroxymethylation in Memory

Dr. Lubin's group also looked at how epigenetic changes help us retrieve memories. They found that recalling scary memories increased certain types of methylation in the hippocampus. This showed a clear link between these DNA changes and how genes work when we remember things.

Memory Loss in Epilepsy

In 2015, Dr. Lubin and her team found a link between DNA changes and memory loss in epilepsy. They saw unusual DNA changes in the bdnf gene in rats with epilepsy. They studied how these changes affected memory. They discovered that epilepsy reduced DNA methylation of the bdnf gene. This led to higher levels of BDNF, which actually made memory worse. When they increased the methylation of the bdnf gene, the epileptic animals showed better memory.

Advocacy

Dr. Lubin is a strong supporter of diversity in STEM fields. She works hard to create more opportunities for students from underrepresented groups at UAB. In 2014, she helped start the NIH/NINDS Roadmap Scholar Program for neuroscience students. She is now a co-director of this program. In this role, she helps mentor students, organizes events, and leads workshops to support minority graduate students in neuroscience. She also helps organize a yearly conference where these students can share their research. Dr. Lubin also mentors students in other programs that support diverse scientists.

Awards and Honors

• 2020 Dean's Excellence Award Winner in Diversity
• 2020 UAB President's Champion Award Winner in Diversity
• 2017 Dean's Excellence in Mentorship Award
• 2012 Health Services Foundation Award
• 2010-2011 McNulty Civitan Scientist
• 2008 FASEB Professional Development and Enrichment Award
• 2004 American Epilepsy Society and Milken Family Foundation Announce Epilepsy Award Recipient