Kathryn Moss, PhD

Kathryn Moss, PhD

Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

Assistant Professor
NextGen Precision Health Investigator

573-884-2924

Profile

Kathryn Moss, PhD, studies inherited peripheral neuropathies with the aim of accelerating therapeutic discovery by advancing knowledge of disease pathophysiology and identifying pathomechanisms. Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) is the leading cause of inherited peripheral neuropathy, affecting one in every 2,500 people. Dr. Moss is currently focusing on CMT Type 1A (CMT1A) and Hereditary Neuropathy with Liability to Pressure Palsies (HNPP) because they account for more than half of all genetically defined CMT cases.

Remarkably, CMT1A and HNPP are caused by copy number variation of the same gene; CMT1A is caused by duplication of the Peripheral Myelin Protein 22 (PMP22) gene, and HNPP is caused by deletion of the PMP22 gene. And although CMT1A and HNPP dramatically impact patient quality of life and burden the health care system, there are currently no disease-modifying treatments available.

Dr. Moss utilizes advanced mouse and cellular models and sophisticated microscopy methods to dissect CMT1A and HNPP pathomechanisms and systems neuroscience to study pathophysiology. Her results will facilitate therapy development for CMT1A and HNPP by revealing novel approaches to rescue myelin deficits and informing when these strategies will be most effective.

NextGen Precision Health

Academic Information

Assistant Professor
NextGen Precision Health Investigator

Office

1030 Hitt Street
Roy Blunt NextGen Precision Health Building
Columbia, MO 65212
United States

P. 573-884-2924

Research Interests

  • Neuromuscular disease
  • Inherited Peripheral Neuropathy
  • Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease (CMT)
  • Demyelination/Dysmyelination
  • Neurodevelopment and Neurodegeneration
  • Pathophysiology and Pathomechanisms

Areas of Expertise

  • Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience
  • Systems Neuroscience
  • Confocal Microscopy and Image Analysis
  • Transgenic Mouse Models
  • Cell and Tissue Culture

Education & Training

Fellowship

2017 - 2024 Johns Hopkins University, Department of Neurology
2016 - 2017 Emory University, Department of Cell Biology

Post-Graduate School

2015 PhD, Emory University
2007 BS, University of Michigan

Awards & Honors

• 2023 Charcot-Marie-Tooth Association “40 Under 40” Award for Advancing CMT Research and/or Clinical Care
• 2023 Helen B. Taussig Young Investigator Award at the Johns Hopkins University 46th Annual Young Investigators’ Day
• 2023 Member of the American Neurological Association
• 2022 Full Member of the Sigma Xi Scientific Research Honor Society
• 2021-2026 NIH NINDS K22 Advanced Postdoctoral Career Transition Award to Promote Diversity in Neuroscience Research (1K22NS125057)
• 2021-2024 Johns Hopkins University Merkin Peripheral Neuropathy and Nerve Regeneration Center Senior Postdoctoral Grant
• 2019-2021 Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund Postdoctoral Fellowship
• 2018 Member of the Peripheral Nerve Society
• 2017-2018 Johns Hopkins University Provost’s Postdoctoral Diversity Fellowship Award
• 2012-2015 NIH NIMH Predoctoral NRSA Fellowship (1F31MH095266
• 2012 Member of the Society for Neuroscience

Publications

  • Moss KR, Mi R, Kawaguchi R, Ehmsen JT, Shi Q, Vargas PI, Mukherjee-Clavin B, Lee G, Höke A (2024) hESC- and hiPSC-derived Schwann cells are molecularly comparable and functionally equivalent. iScience. 27(6): 109855. PMID: 38770143.
  • Hildebrandt RP*, Moss KR*, Janusz-Kaminska A, Knudson L, Denes LT, Saxena T, Boggupalli DP, Li Z, Lin K, Bassell GJ, Wang ET (2023) Muscleblind-like proteins use modular domains to localize RNAs through kinesin transport and by docking to membranes. Nat Commun. 14(1): 3427. PMID: 37296096. (* Authors contributed equally)
  • Moss KR, Johnson AE, Bopp TS, Yu AT, Perry K, Chung T, Höke A (2022) SARM1 knockout does not rescue neuromuscular phenotypes in a Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease Type 1A mouse model. J Peripher Nerv Syst. 27(1): 58-66. PMID: 35137510.
  • Moss KR, Johnson AE, Bopp TS, Höke A (2021) New evidence for secondary axonal degeneration in demyelinating neuropathies. Neurosci Lett. 744: 135595. PMID: 33359733.
  • Moss KR, Höke A (2020) Targeting the programmed axon degeneration pathway as a potential therapeutic for Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. Brain Res. 1727: 146539. PMID: 31112584.